Page 5 - Empowerment Approach. Brain Clear: Agree Expectations

Expectations: Our 7 Key Principles

1 Clear – teach Explicitly teach what pro-social and pro-learning behaviours sound and look like (don’t
them assume children know).

2 Meaningful Focus on the purpose of expectations:

a) Now: so it is a happy and calm environment for everyone
b) Future: so the child has the skills to be a great friend, partner, neighbour and

work colleague in the future.

3 Collaborative Get children’s buy-in by agreeing the expectations with children – don’t just set rules

(or pretend to collaborate).

4 Honest Acknowledge that they may find it really difficult to keep to these expectations – use
our ‘Shaping the Brain’ unit to explain why.

Give children the opportunity to think about a) what they might find difficult and
b) what might help them to keep to the expectations everyone agrees are right.

5 Real Focus on the natural consequences of non pro-social and non-learning behaviours

e.g. If you keep interrupting, people will become frustrated and not want to discuss

things with you so much. If you poke people, they won’t want to sit next to you.

6 Consistent Make sure children know that you will follow-up every time they don’t meet an
and certain expectation - because it is vital to unpick the issues and work out how to make things

work better next time. They deserve this level of support to do better.

7 Impactful Make sure follow-up is about helping children work out the stressors and develop the

skills, strategies and scaffolds to do better next time.