Respect' in practice : the challenge of emotional literacy in education

The construct of emotional literacy in education is developing as schools take on board a range of initiatives which promote constructive relationships and the knowledge and skills which underpin them. This paper is based on three qualitative studies. One explores the relationships that schools have with parents/carers, the second is an evaluation of a circle time initiative and the third investigates the processes within schools to develop emotional literacy. Relationships are core in all these studies; the relationship that teachers have with parents, the relationship that teachers have with students and students have with each other and the relationship that the school executive have with their staff. 'Respect' is a value that is often quoted as part of mission statements in schools. This paper explores what this means to different stakeholders in a school and which practices appear to generate more effective, 'respectful' interactions within the school system. Issues of power, agency, support , emotional literacy and the promotion of a positive ethos are addressed as integral to this understanding