Education & Academia / Education Systems / Vocational Education & Training

The Sensible Part of Social Work: Why Daily Life Matters More Than Meetings

La part sensible de l’acte: Présence au quotidien en éducation sociale

Joëlle Libois

In this deep dive into Joëlle Libois's book 'La part sensible de l’acte: Présence au quotidien en éducation sociale', we explore the hidden expertise behind social education. Most training focuses on formal techniques—interviews, meetings, case analyses. But Libois argues that the real professional skill lies in the mundane: cleaning up, cooking, handling a teenager's outburst over a vacuum cleaner. This video breaks down three real-life scenarios—the vacuum incident, a physical confrontation, and a goodbye full of emotion—to show how educators use their bodies, emotions, and silence to create transformative moments. You'll learn why 'doing nothing' can be a powerful act, how to embrace risk in helping relationships, and why the 'sensible' part of the act is not a weakness but a core professional knowledge. Perfect for social workers, educators, and anyone curious about the invisible art of human connection.