Patterns I Hadn't Clearly Named
I now realise how often I’ve unintentionally joined students in the Jungle. When I feel personally challenged, or when my authority is pushed, I can feel myself getting tense, wanting to ‘win’ the moment, or prove I’m in charge. This happens mostly in the senior years of primary school where the kids are pushing boundaries. I know that joining in makes the kids fight harder – they feel pushed into a corner and will always come out fighting.
The WELP model gave language to patterns I’ve noticed but hadn’t clearly named. I can think of students who are masters of words—twisting logic, arguing, throwing “but you said…” at me—and others who go straight to loud or physical because they don’t have the emotional vocabulary. It reminded me that each student has their own Jungle style, and it’s often a reflection of what’s worked for them in the past. But the biggest personal learning for me is this: I need to stay out of the Jungle.
Not because I’m afraid of confrontation, but because it’s not helpful. It’s not about winning with a student. It’s about helping them regain control and showing them how to navigate their emotions differently. I am the adult—and that means I can’t let their behaviour dictate mine. I need to model calm, even when it’s hard. And it does get hard!
