Module 1 - Session 1

1Introduction

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1. Introduction

This session focuses on the relational dimension of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Its main purpose is to help you develop the interpersonal and facilitation skills needed to create and sustain collaborative, trust-based teams.

Building strong relationships in a PLC is essential because collaboration cannot thrive without psychological safety, empathy, and mutual respect. As a facilitator, you must learn how to handle emotions and conflicts constructively, promote equitable participation, and nurture a shared sense of purpose among members.

The objectives of this session are to:
  • Develop your capacity for empathic active listening, using the principles of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) as a key tool to strengthen dialogue and group bonds.
  • Cultivate robust relational dynamics that support collaboration through empathy, awareness, trust, and shared vision within the PLC.
  • Enhance your facilitation and leadership skills to promote equitable participation, ensure all voices are valued, and guide others toward collective learning and mutual responsibility.

2Learning Outcomes

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By the end of this session, you will have:

  • Developed competence in building and sustaining positive relationships within a Professional Learning Community, based on trust, empathy, and respect.
  • Enhanced your communication skills through empathic listening and the principles of Nonviolent Communication, improving the quality of dialogue and collaboration in your PLC.
  • Strengthened your ability to facilitate equitable participation and foster a shared vision that supports collective learning.

The key learning outcome for this session is to help you create and maintain a relational climate where members of your Professional Learning Community (PLC) collaborate effectively, communicate with empathy, and build mutual trust.


3Learning

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2. Learning

In this section, you will engage in a sequence of activities designed to deepen your understanding of empathic listening through the lens of Nonviolent Communication (NVC).

You will begin by exploring selected excerpts from Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life (Marshall B. Rosenberg) that illustrate common patterns of communication that block compassion. These readings will invite you to reflect on your own conversational habits and identify opportunities for more conscious and empathetic dialogue.

Next, you will participate in interactive and guided practice exercises that connect these ideas to real-life facilitation within Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Throughout this module, you will have access to supporting materials, guiding questions, and practical examples that will help you apply the principles of NVC to strengthen relationships, improve understanding, and foster collaborative growth within your teams.

Reading and Reflection: Communication That Blocks Compassion

In this first part, you will begin exploring how certain communication habits—such as judgments, blame, and denial of responsibility—can block empathy and connection within teams and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).

Through selected excerpts from Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life (Marshall B. Rosenberg), you will reflect on the ways in which everyday language shapes relationships and discover opportunities to build more conscious, compassionate dialogue within your professional context.

4On Moralistic Judgments

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“One kind of life-alienating communication is the use of moralistic judgments that imply wrongness or badness on the part of people who don’t act in harmony with our values. […]
 It is my belief that all such analyses of other human beings are tragic expressions of our own values and needs. They are tragic because when we express our values and needs in this form, we increase defensiveness and resistance among the very people whose behaviors are of concern to us.”

(Marshall B. Rosenberg, Chapter 2)

Think about your interactions as a PLC facilitator. When have you noticed moral judgments appearing in team communication?

How might recognising the needs behind those judgments change the tone of dialogue and foster greater understanding?

5On Denial of Responsibility

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“We are dangerous when we are not conscious of our responsibility for how we behave, think, and feel. […] The more we are able to connect our feelings to our own needs, the easier it is to accept responsibility rather than blame others.”

(Marshall B. Rosenberg, Chapter 2)

Reflect on a recent situation within your PLC or professional context where disagreement or tension arose.

How did taking—or failing to take—responsibility for your own emotions and actions influence the outcome of that interaction?

What might have changed if all members had acknowledged their own feelings and needs?

6On the Roots of Life-Alienating Communication

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“At the root of much, if not all, violence—whether verbal, psychological, or physical—is a kind of thinking that attributes the cause of conflict to wrongness in one’s adversaries, and a corresponding inability to think of oneself or others in terms of vulnerability—what one might be feeling, fearing, yearning for, missing.”

(Marshall B. Rosenberg, Chapter 2)

As a facilitator, what does “seeing others through their vulnerability” mean to you in practice?

How might adopting this perspective change the way you approach disagreement, tension, or emotional reactions within your PLC?

In what ways could this shift strengthen trust and connection among members?

7From Reflection to Practice: Recognising Communication Patterns

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8Practising Empathic Dialogue

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After identifying the main communication patterns that block empathy, we now turn to a more practical exploration of how empathic dialogue can be applied in real situations.

Before moving to the practical exercise, take a moment to watch this short video that introduces the key ideas from Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication.

After watching the video, recall how Rosenberg explains the four components of Nonviolent Communication and how empathy changes the quality of dialogue. Keep these principles in mind for the exercise.

Work individually or with a partner (if possible). Imagine a typical professional situation within your PLC:

A colleague repeatedly arrives unprepared for the team’s meetings. You feel frustrated because the group’s time is limited.

Using Rosenberg’s framework, write or say aloud both sides of the conversation following these stages:

  1. Observation: Describe what happened without judging or labelling.
  2. Feelings: Express how you feel in response to what you observed.
  3. Needs: Identify the unmet needs behind those feelings.
  4. Request: Formulate a clear, respectful request that could improve collaboration.

(Example: “When the materials aren’t ready at the start of our meeting, I feel tense because I value using our time efficiently. Would you be willing to share them with us beforehand next time?”)

After completing your version, reflect or share (in the forum, chat or written note):

  •  Which of the four steps felt most natural to you? Which was hardest?
  • What conditions help you stay empathic and self-aware during conflict?
  • Does empathy mean avoiding anger, or can anger also be expressed compassionately?
  • What personal attitudes or skills are necessary to use Rosenberg’s methodology effectively?

9Perception Circle Diary – NVC Version

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After exploring and practising the principles of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), you are now invited to bring these ideas into your own Professional Learning Community (PLC). The following activity offers a reflective tool that can help you gradually integrate empathy and conscious communication into your daily interactions as a facilitator.

This reflective practice is inspired by the original Perception Circle tool, adapted here using the four components of Nonviolent Communication.

By dedicating a few minutes each day to observe, identify feelings and needs, and consider possible requests, facilitators gradually replace automatic reactions with conscious, empathetic responses.


Weekly Reflection Structure

Day Focus of the Reflection Guiding Question
Monday Observation What did I observe (without judging) in what was said to me during a PLC interaction?
Tuesday Feelings What feelings did that communication awaken in me?
Wednesday Needs (others) What needs might have been behind what was said to me?
Thursday Needs (self) What needs of mine were met or unmet during the interaction?

Use the Perception Circle Diary throughout one week of your PLC work. Record brief notes daily in a physical notebook, Google Doc, or shared Padlet.

On Friday, take a few minutes to review your week and identify any recurring patterns or insights. If possible, invite your PLC members to engage in a shared reflection round at the end of the week to discuss how awareness of needs and empathy affected group dynamics.

By the end of the week, facilitators will have:

  • Practised the four components of NVC in real interactions.
  • Increased their awareness of how emotions and needs shape communication.
  • Strengthened the relational quality and empathy within their PLC teams.

10Further resources

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3. Further resources 

Suggestions for readings that offer additional insight into the session topic. 

To deepen your understanding of Nonviolent Communication and Professional Learning Communities, here are some valuable resources: 

Books & Articles 


Websites 

  • The Center for Nonviolent Communication. Offers articles, online courses, and global training resources based on NVC. 
  • AllThingsPLC. A comprehensive site on how to build and support PLCs, with real examples from schools worldwide. 
  • MindShift by KQED. Articles and insights about innovation in education, including emotional intelligence and teacher collaboration. 
  • Edutopia. Search for topics like "collaborative teams" or "empathy in education" to find evidence-based strategies and stories. 


More activities to apply in your PLC 

You can find more activities and practical resources related to this topic on the LEAFAP website. 

These materials expand on the ideas explored in this session and offer additional tools to support reflection, collaboration, and professional growth within your PLC. 

11Self reflection

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4. Self reflection 

In the previous sections, you have explored key strategies and tools to enhance collaborative work through the lens of Nonviolent Communication and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Now it's time to pause, reflect, and connect these ideas with your own context. 

Use the following questions to guide your reflection: 

  • Which three ideas or tools would you highlight from today’s session? 
  • What have you learned that shifted your thinking about communication or collaboration? 
  • What three questions do you ask yourself now, after this learning experience? 
  • What small step could you take tomorrow to put this into practice with your PLC group?