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A journey of affection, expression, and courage to transform shyness into
creative power
Shyness is often seen as a permanent
trait of a child's personality. But what if we said that, with affection,
creativity, and the right strategies, it can be gently transformed into
self-confidence? The Pedagogies of Creativity and Autonomy (PCA),
created by professor, playwright, and neuroscientist Antônio Carlos dos
Santos, offer a joyful and liberating path for educators and families to
help children express themselves with authenticity and courage. Based on three
major pillars — TBMB (Teatro de Bonecos Mané Beiçudo), MAT
(Mindset, Action, and Theater), and ThM (Theater Movement)
— these pedagogies combine art, neuroscience, and education into a sensitive,
affectionate, and profoundly transformative model.
The first step is expressive
welcoming with puppets. Instead of starting the class or day with
traditional commands, the educator can use a playful character from the Mané
Beiçudo universe — such as Mané himself, the doll Sabina, or the cat Filó —
to greet the children. A puppet that speaks with lightness and humor invites
the shy child to smile, interact, and, little by little, respond. This creates
a "symbolic safe space," a concept supported by researchers such as Donald
Winnicott, where expression emerges without pressure. In a rural school in the
interior of Bahia, this method led a seven-year-old boy who hadn’t spoken in
weeks to begin talking to the puppet — and soon after, to his classmates.
The second step
involves sharing circles based on MAT, where everyone, including adults,
shares small victories and challenges. The teacher might begin by saying,
“Today I almost gave up on getting out of bed, but I made it. What did you
overcome today?” This kind of sharing humanizes the educator, normalizes
vulnerability, and breaks social ice, creating a space where trying and failing
are welcome. According to psychologist Carol Dweck, author of the mindset
theory, children who interact with adults who express their emotions and efforts
tend to be more resilient and authentic.
The third step
involves using the body as a bridge for communication, through practices
from ThM. Lead sessions of free movement with instrumental music, where
children are invited to “dance like a cloud” or “move as if they were missing
someone.” Symbolic movements activate brain areas linked to imagination and
empathy (as shown in studies by Alain Berthoz and António Damásio), allowing
children to express themselves without needing to speak. One girl who never asked
to go to the bathroom started signaling with gestures after the movement
sessions — showing how the body can be a first channel for communication.
The fourth step is to
promote literary dramatizations with stories by Antônio Carlos dos Santos. In
the author’s children’s and young adult books, the characters face fears,
insecurities and learn to believe in themselves. By playing these roles in
dramatic games, shy children project themselves into the characters and
rehearse more assertive forms of expression. At a school in São Paulo, an
extremely withdrawn student played the main character in “How good it is to be
different” and, at the end, asked to “speak for real” — and shared something
about herself for the first time.
The fifth step is
creating expressive missions in pairs or small groups, encouraging
collaboration. Ask each pair to create a “new sound” together or a mime only
they understand. Interaction between peers reduces group pressure and creates
micro-environments of trust. According to Lev Vygotsky, development
occurs in relation to others, and shared play is a catalyst for this process.
When shyness dissolves in a friend’s supportive gaze, expression arises
naturally.
The sixth step
proposes the use of “secret imagination notebooks”, where each child can
write, draw, or paste pictures of things they’d like to say but cannot yet
express. The important rule is: no correction, no exposure. These notebooks,
inspired by the free writing methods of authors like Antônio Carlos, function
as symbolic bridges to inner language. In a school in southern Brazil, a quiet
student spent weeks writing notes to the teacher in her notebook. One day, she
handed one over that read, “Today I want to talk with my real voice.”
The seventh step is
integrating active listening moments with puppet mediators, characters
from TBMB that listen without judgment. A puppet might visit the class and say,
“Yesterday someone called me ugly. Have you ever been through that?” This
symbolic provocation generates identification and gives children space to
verbalize difficult experiences safely. The puppet becomes an emotional
mediator, and the child feels protected. In schools where this practice has
been implemented, there are reports of reduced bullying and increased empathy among
classmates.
The eighth step is
organizing “silent stage” exercises, where shy children can participate
without having to speak. Examples include mime, slow-motion movements, or
facial expressions of emotions. These activities value the child’s presence
without demanding immediate speech. Research in developmental psychology shows
that respecting a child’s internal timing is essential for emotional autonomy
and self-confidence to blossom (Piaget and Erikson).
The ninth step is
involving the family in collaborative, playful projects, such as
creating a story at home with parents and performing it with puppets at school.
When parents participate with lightness and creativity, the shy child feels
validated in their original environment. At a school in Recife, a mother who
was shy as a child wrote a short play about courage with her son. On the day of
the performance, they acted it out together. The boy not only spoke — he
improvised. And the whole room stood to applaud.
Finally, the tenth
step — perhaps the most important — is cultivating a pedagogical attitude
based on trusting the child’s timing. The PCA do not demand rapid change
from children; instead, they offer symbolic tools so that the child may
discover within themselves the desire to express. As Antônio Carlos dos Santos
says: “We should not have the intention of freeing the child. What we should do
is offer the tools so that he or she can build his or her own keys and open his
or her own doors”. When educators and parents understand that shyness is not a
flaw, but a delicate way of being in the world, they create the space for that
child to bloom with safety, beauty, and truth.
Access the books by Antônio Carlos dos Santos on amazon.com or amazon.com.br
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