“I have worked with Paul for the last three years on teacher training courses.
Paul uses his problem solving box to teach the art of facilitation – in other words – he demonstrates experientially that children can actually help themselves without being told what to do – this challenges the mindset of the teacher who is used to imparting knowledge - it surely is the most powerful form of development for a child on his or her way to being an independent human being.
Paul encourages teachers to have the confidence to let go, to step back, to allow children to make mistakes and to learn from them, all within a bubble of safety – both physical and emotional.
I believe all schools should have a problem solving box and the training to unlock its mysteries – we cannot and will not have fully functioning children and therefore eventually adults without this sort of exposure to working together and solving the problems that life but also working with other people throws at you.”
Tim Deighton, Northern Region Professional Development Coordinator, Institute for Outdoor Learning