• Children’s Author • ONTARIO CERTIFIED TEACHER
•REGISTERED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR
Glizell
Pham
Children's Author • EDUCATOR • STORYTELLER
What if the behaviour we are trying so hard to correct is actually a child communicating something they don’t yet have the words to express?
After more than 10 years of working with children across the Philippines, Japan, and Canada, I began to notice something that changed the way I teach. I saw reasons behind the meltdowns, the struggles, the silence, and the big reactions. Instead of only asking, “How do I stop this behaviour?”
I became curious about what might be happening underneath it.
What is this child feeling?
What are they trying to communicate?
What if “challenging” behaviour is sometimes a child’s way of saying,
“I need help,” “I don’t feel comfortable,” or
“I don’t know how to tell you what I need”?
I also began questioning some of the messages many of us grow up hearing:
Be kind. Don’t say no.
Be quiet to show respect.
Make the good choice.
These messages can come from good intentions.
But I started wondering: What happens when we teach children to be kind to others without also teaching them to be kind to themselves?
Looking Beyond the Behaviour
Somewhere Between Silence and Shouting
One example kept showing up in my classroom.
Some children struggled to say “no” because they wanted to keep the peace. Others knew they wanted to say “no,” but expressed it so strongly that the focus quickly became their tone, volume, or behaviour.
We might tell one child, “Use a quieter voice,” while praising another for sharing or making a “good choice”—even when that child didn't really want to say yes.
I started noticing what could get lost in both situations: the feeling underneath the behaviour.
Somewhere between staying silent and shouting, I felt there had to be another way. So I began going deeper.
Instead of focusing only on changing behaviour, I helped my students identify what they were feeling, understand why they might be feeling it, and explore ways to express themselves without judgment.
And I began seeing something different in my classroom.
Children were not only learning what to do. They were learning how to understand what was happening inside themselves.
Kind and Authentic
That changed what teaching meant to me.
Teaching isn't only about imparting knowledge. I want children to learn how to be kind while remaining authentic to themselves, confident without stepping on others, and resilient without believing they have to silently endure everything.
For me, this is where emotional intelligence begins.
It isn't simply knowing the names of emotions.
It's learning to recognize what is happening inside you, understand it, communicate it, and make choices that respect both yourself and the people around you.
When Stories Became Part of My Teaching
As a classroom teacher, I wanted to find a way to explore these ideas with young children that felt natural to them while still being purposeful and structured.
So I started creating improvised stories.
I drew inspiration from situations children could recognize from their everyday lives and turned them into teachable moments. Through characters and stories, we could explore a challenge together, talk about what the characters might be feeling, and imagine different ways they could respond.
Eventually, one of those ideas grew beyond my classroom.
It became my first published children's book, "Dilly Learns to Say No." Dilly's story gently explores something I had seen many times: how children can learn to express what they feel, grow confident in their own voice, and set personal boundaries while still being kind and respectful toward others.
When I shared the story with my students, I observed them beginning to use its ideas in their own interactions. They were exploring the possibility that being kind and saying “no” don't have to contradict each other—and that respect isn't only something we give to other people; it matters in how we treat ourselves, too.
That's when I began wondering: What if the stories I was creating in one classroom could reach children far beyond it?
Why This Work Is Personal
This work is professional for me, but it's personal, too.
I know what it feels like to be afraid of saying “no” because you don't want to disappoint someone or disturb the peace. Learning to use my own voice has been a journey for me as well—and one I continue to strengthen.
Perhaps that's part of why I care so deeply about helping children develop that language earlier.
As an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) and Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) with more than 10 years of local and international experience, I've had the opportunity to work with children across different cultures, classrooms, and communities.Those experiences have taught me to look beyond what is immediately visible.
Today, I bring together my experience in education, my understanding of child development, and my love of storytelling to create children's books and learning experiences that help children name what they're feeling, understand what's happening inside them, and find ways to express themselves with confidence, kindness, and authenticity.
Because I believe we can teach children to care about others without teaching them to abandon themselves in the process.
The Heart Behind the Story: Glizell Pham
Glizell's Educational & Storybooks Philosophy
Emotional Resilience
Children experience big feelings long before they always have the words to explain them. Glizell's stories help children recognize what they are feeling, understand what may be happening inside them, and develop language to express themselves with greater confidence.
Growth Mindset
Growth isn't about getting every feeling, choice, or reaction “right.” Glizell creates stories that encourage children to become curious about themselves, learn from their experiences, and discover new ways to respond to the world around them.
Kindness & Self-Expression
Glizell believes children can learn to care about others without losing connection with themselves. Her stories explore how children can express their feelings, needs, ideas, and boundaries with kindness—while also learning to respect the feelings and boundaries of others.