Behind the Scenes: Where I Find My Inspiration
At Beyond Bridges Education, much of our work happens quietly, over time, in relationship, and in response to what each child, family, or coach needs at that moment.
Every week, I meet with a group of experienced coaches based in different parts of the world. We reflect together on the children and families we are supporting, the small shifts we notice, and the ways we continue to learn. The focus is never just on outcomes rather it is on listening well, noticing carefully, and responding with care.
What connects all our work is this: we start by building trust, and we stay grounded in relationship.
Supporting Emotional Development
We begin by helping children feel safe, not only physically, but emotionally. This means slowing down, adjusting expectations, and paying attention to what is happening beneath the surface at that moment in time.
One coach described how she welcomed her student with a simple, “I’m so happy to see you.”
The child, who often struggles with transitions, smiled and replied, “It’s learning time.”
A gentle moment, but it mattered. Her invitation to connect helped the child feel settled and ready to engage.
We use tools like emotion cards, personalised social stories, and conversation to help children build language for their feelings. We support them to recognise their internal states and begin to reflect on their experiences.
A child working with one of our coaches was able to identify a challenging moment at school and connect it to a thought, a feeling, and his behaviour. It had taken time to get there, weeks of small steps, micro changes, but now he could reflect and identify the thinking process he engaged in and the choice he made in the moment.
Working with Thinking and Learning
Our academic support is never one-size-fits-all. It’s shaped by the individual child’s strengths, challenges, and ways of processing the world. Sometimes it looks like reading together in paired reading and other times it is getting up and moving, drawing, or co-writing stories.
A coach shared how a writing activity wasn’t working, so she adapted on the spot, turning it into a movement-based game. The student, who had been shut down moments earlier, re-engaged with energy and focus.
We often use scaffolds, sentence frames, graphic organisers, or tools like AI models, to help children organise and express their thoughts. These supports allow children to build confidence and develop a sense of agency over their learning.
One child who used to refuse to write now begins each session with a spoken and shared “rehearsal.” His coach listens, reflects back, and then they build the sentence together. “If you can talk it, you can write it,” she tells him. And over time, he’s started to believe that too.
Looking Beneath the Surface
Our work sometimes reveals things that have not been noticed before. Coaches may pick up on language difficulties, sensory sensitivities, or emotional responses that point to unmet needs.
A coach noticed that a student consistently misunderstood abstract academic words like “consequence” or “description", words that teachers assumed he would understand by his age and stage. After discussion, this led to further exploration, and eventually a referral that uncovered underlying language processing needs. It wasn’t dramatic, just careful noticing, resulting in targeting specific areas of development.
Working With (Not Around) Families and Systems
We know that the best support happens when everyone around the child is included. That is why we often share tools with parents, communicate with teachers, or connect with other professionals. The work is collaborative and evolving.
As one coach put it: “It’s not just about the child, it’s about helping the system around them feel more supported.”
To this end, we make time for our families, to provide feedback and support. We provide resources for our families too. Whether it is creating emotion regulation visuals, personalised writing guides, or stories that include all the targetted words for that child, we always do our best to create partnerships in learning.
Looking Ahead
If you are a teacher, therapist, learning support assistant or parent looking to feel more connected and confident in your work with children and families, and seeking to deepend your understanding of neurobiology and learning, we welcome you into this growing community.
Beyond Bridges Education is not a programme or a package. It is a shared practice. A collective of people committed to listening, adapting, and learning together.
We are still learning too. And we are grateful to be doing that in good company.
Interested in learning more?
Keep an eye out for our upcoming online course, “Emotion Coaching Through a Neurobiological Lens,” launching in Autumn 2025. We will be sharing more details soon!
