Observing Communication

When watching an adult and a child interact I watched a fellow teacher in the building interact with her students. This teacher teaches kindergarten in a full day program. I watched this teacher during morning opening and small group/center time. When the students were doing morning opening she made sure that she listened to what each child had to say responded appropriately to that child. She also had a good news/bad news time which allowed the students to talk about good or bad things that might have happened and they want to discuss. She also allows them to talk to her in private if that is more comfortable. No matter what time of the day it was she talked to them with respect and kindness. She talked with them and not at them. I noticed that all the children were listening to her and to the other students stories, they were very respectful and quite, letting each child have their special talking moment.

I think that this teacher could have used the persona dolls during morning opening. When the student talk about their good or bad news the persona doll could have talked about feelings and how to express themselves. I think it would also be a great idea to allow the doll to sit in a special place and the children could talk to the doll if they needed to express themselves or needed someone to listen to their story.

This teacher does a great job of listen to her students and making them feel special in the classroom. I think that her students have feeling of self-worth because they are not afraid to express themselves and share their personal experiences with their classmates. These children live are not all living in homes that are safe places or where they are valued as a individual. It is completely reassuring to them to get this self worth from their teacher.

In watching her and how she talks to her students I think back on the way that I talk to my students. It is so easy for me to pick on the things that they are doing that they shouldn't be doing. I find myself  talking at them and telling them to stop doing things instead of talking to them about making a better choice. It really helped me step back and think about listening to my students and talking with them, not at them.