This document provides guidance on bringing the concept of "axenroos" into practice in the classroom. It discusses three levels of work: the teacher as a model, supporting the group of children, and supporting individual children. It offers examples of how to model social skills, support the group through events and lessons, and work with individual children by observing their strengths and challenges. Teachers are prompted to reflect on situations where they and their students demonstrate different "axen" and to consider how to represent each ax in the classroom.

1. Bringing axenroos into practice
La Farga, Barcelona 06.04.2013
Mia De Vleeschhouwer – Hendrik Debruyne

2.  Work to do on three levels:
◦ The teacher as a model (person and skills)
◦ Supporting your group of children
◦ Supporting the individual child

3.  The model in general
 Ax per ax
◦ Stories
◦ Activities
◦ Continious line through daily school life

4.  A teacher demonstrating social skills
◦ Modeling in your own behaviour (teach what you
preach)
◦ Indicate, give ‘axen’words to your own behaviour
 Supporting the group
◦ Occasional events (birthday, death of a pet…)
◦ Specific lessons:
 Contents, insights
 Methods, exercising skills
◦ Classroom accomodation and organisation
 Corner of the owl, camel, turtle, podium of the peacock…
◦

5.  Supporting an individual child
◦ Observing: strong axen, weak ones, empty axen
◦ Reinforcing, or reducing (behaviour in) axen, stimulate to take
empty ones
◦ Giving axenwords to the child’s behaviour, recognizing it
◦ Changing your own ax
◦ Challenging the child to take another ax

6.  Give for each zone of the axenroos (harmony, distance, conflict)
one example of a concrete situation where you see a pupil take an
ax of this zone. Out of which ax did you react? How did you feel
about it? What was the effect? Do you consider other options ,
thinking about it now?
 Give for each zone of the axenroos (harmony, distance, conflict)
one example of a concrete possible action towards the
accomodation/organisation of your classroom, or an idea you could
use in your lessons.

7. 1. Modelling: Look for each ax for a situation in which you
took this ax (daily reflection after school time!)
2. Try to find an example how you could set present
each ax in your classroom (or the classroom your pupil
learns in)

8.  You’re working with individual children: situate the
behaviour of one of your children in the axenroos.
Analyse: which ones are positive, difficult, empty? Make
plan of action, as well for the child as for yourself: which
axen do you want the child to take, which ones you’ll
take yourself?

9.  You’re working with a group: situate all your pupils in an
axenroos. Each pupil can be situated in various axen.
Excessive behaviour is placed in an outer circle,
convenient behaviour in the inner circle. Analyse:
positive/negative/empty axen. What actions would you
undertake with your group out of this analysis?

10.  In which ax do you see the pupil?
 How do you feel about it?
 How would you react (out of which ax)?
1. Juan is unattentively (dreaming) in the classroom
2. Alejandra keeps interrupting you while you’re telling a story
3. “Why do I have to make these exercises, I already know how to
do it”, says Benito
4. Elvira is growing very mad because she doesn’t get the pencil
she asked Inez
5. “I ‘ll explain it, you’re not good in these matters”, says Andreo to
Luca
6. “You’re wearing a beatiful sweater, Mr./Ms”

11.  Muy gracias
◦ For your invitation and the possibility you gave us
◦ For your kind attention and collaboration
 Lots of succes and fun with axenroos