How Do You See the Child

Let’s take a few minutes to examine our beliefs about what children can do and with what we need to help them. If we believe children are capable, we allow them time to figure things out on their own, to put their coats on by themselves, to clean up after themselves and to serve themselves at meal time among all the other things children do throughout the day. Your attitude toward a child’s capability effects your interactions, problem solving, conflict resolution and about everything that happens in your classroom. It recognizes a child’s sovereignty. Treating children with respect shows our trust in the child’s ability. It means we give them the time they need to comply with the demands of the day.

Our actions throughout the day demonstrate how we see children. Whether we see them as capable or in need of assistance. Take a step back and look at your everyday interactions with children. Are you allowing the child to try and fail and try again, or do you jump in and solve the problem for the child?

Over the next few posts, we’ll look at some common situations with young children and evaluate our interactions and where we can trust children with more autonomy.

What Drives You Crazy?

What do the children do in your classroom that drives you crazy? I know for me there is probably a list that could envy a child’s Christmas wish list. It drove me crazy after the hundredth singing of Baby Shark, or Let It Go. I think I was singing them in my sleep. I would find myself humming them while I worked. Crazy!

children singing

But, do you know what didn’t drive me crazy? That the teachers allowed and even encouraged the children to sing their favorite songs, to express themselves in dancing to the songs, and to never appear tired of them. They let the children drive the happenings in the classroom even when it derailed an activity they had planned for the day.

Letting children have control over aspects of the classroom and daily activities builds a sense of community and belonging in the classroom. As humans, we crave connection and acceptance. It also allows children to build leadership qualities; “Hey, let’s sing Baby Shark.” Most importantly, it builds the relationships between children and teachers, and child to child.

So what’s driving you crazy? Is it something you can embrace instead of squash? Does it actually have an underlying positive effect on your classroom?