“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in
the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my
daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power
to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an
instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my
response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a
child humanized or dehumanized.”―
Haim G. Ginott
How do we use powerful interactions to help children see themselves as
thinkers? How can we help children
be present? How do we
promote mindfulness in the classroom?
The book mentions personalizing your interactions including making adjustments for children with special needs. I care for a 3.5 year old girl with a severe speech delay. Most of her speech in not recognizable although I am getting much better at understanding her, the other children still can't. I make sure my interactions were her are more purposeful. I use facial expressions more and make sure we are looking at each other when we speak. She is very quiet and I try to make sure she is not getting lost in the busyness of all the other children. She has recently starting having tantrums here when she doesn't get her way and her parents were concerned. I told them I was thrilled that she feels comfortable enough to show her true feelings. Helping her learn to share and play with others is happening because of the powerful interactions we have had.
ReplyDeleteI think giving them self help skills and problem solving skills helps educators and children have powerful interactions with ourselves and others. Zygotsky is big on scaffolding and zone of proximal development all is huge in having powerful interactions with children and allowing themselves to view themselves as smart, powerful, creative thinkers. When another child hits another child, I ask the child who hit, Why did this happen? How can we fix this? Allowing them to think about what occurred, and find a possible resolution.
ReplyDeleteWe can help children be present by giving them routines as to what happens during the day and using transitions to go from one activity to the next. We are big on the schedule, timers, and transitions using music in our classroom and it helps the children be present, engaged, and mindful on what is to happen next. Consistency and structure are necessities in a child's life this helps them to connect, be present, and have powerful interactions all by the environment and safety they feel. Yes, we can control our environments and not the world around us but when our children are in our care we owe them the best quality care in which we are capable of day in and day out.
I touched upon it briefly but mindfulness is important. Children need to be respectful for themselves and others and learn through adults, peers, and other influences about societal norms and rules. We can use Zygotsky (ZPD) or Bandura (modelling), or have some powerful interactions involving behaviors and how actions effect more than just the person involved in doing the action and how to think about the larger picture and think about themselves, others, and their role in the world.
We also do yoga such that the children can be mindful of themselves and others. Also, allowing them to focus on their positions and breathing and be mindful of themselves and physical space needed to perform activities such as yoga. The children really enjoy it and while we don't emphasize technique but focus on their enjoyment. The children all under five are really good at it, present while becoming pretzels, mountains, or hero's. I have the cards if anyone would like to see them. The children ask to do it daily. A day without yoga is a day without sunshine. Yoga helps them be present and mindful daily which is enjoyable for all involved parties.
ReplyDeleteWe do yoga too! I started with a kids DVD but now we just call out a pose and all do it. I also use the deep breathing techniques as ways to calm down an angry or upset child. Focusing on sitting and making your legs into a butterfly can really help some children. It also lets me get some stretching time in too!!
DeleteYoga is an excellent tool I turn off the lights put on soothing music and have the children take off their shoes. This get the. Children's minds and body's ready. I remind the children to think about their movements and their breathing. I have done this in a group of 18 3-6 year Oldsmobile and you can Hera a pin drop. After we are done the whole room seems relaxed. One year after doing yoga with the group a parent shared a picture of her duaghter putting all her barbies into yoga positions. It is interesting I always thought of yoga as an excellent movement activity and a tool to use on those days when the children have lots of energy and we cant get outside. I didn't think of it as a powerful interaction till reading your posts.
ReplyDeleteWe do Yoga too! We used to do it daily with our letter box as it is ABC Yoga. It really helps ground the kids and you can see the stress and tension melt away. It definitely helps connect the mind and body.
DeleteI absolutely love the quote and like to refer back to it and have to remind myself that the children are learning and watching things that we are even planning on teaching like how we manage our own stress or deal with situations with other children. They are great observers and are learning even if we do not realize that they are doing so.
I think one of the keys to having the children see themselves as thinkers is to be there to guide them, but not completely solve everything for them. Even in class, when we're working on a craft and cutting is involved. The children are at all different levels of this fine motor skill. As I remind them of the proper method of cutting, they themselves are finding this out by performing the task. So, hands on involvement keeps them in the moment and they are learning on their own with guidance and support.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all children are constantly learning everyday. It is are challange as educators to keep the love of learning in the classroom. I agree with the quote written By Haim G. Ginnott shared by Jim. If we are in the moment with children when teaching children at their ability of learning and connect with each child in a group setting. Then we can extend the learning to the child and also the educator. I also agree with Stephanie about "ZYGOTSKY"(ZPD) and Bandura (Modeling) in teaching children with guidance and support.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is so important that children are constantly enabled to do things they think they cannot. I remember a specific incident with a student that had clear behavior issues, and this transferred to class work as well. He had difficulty writing his name, so I told him that if he wrote one letter in his name, I would write the next, and so on. While this is a temporary solution, it allowed the child to succeed, and to be praised for completing the task presented. Allowing a child to success, and then noting the success, is key to love of learning.
ReplyDeleteI believe the role of the teacher is that of a guide first. The most important work of the teacher is to model a joy of learning, and to create an environment where children can thrive and learn in a structured yet free atmosphere. If the teacher is present, the children also have a better chance of being the same. It is no mistake that on days when I feel my best; my classroom goes well too! The growing challenge seems to be maintaining the ability to be present, quiet, and alone with the introduction and prevalence of electronics our lives. That constant connection (false and shallow on many levels) and the loss of practice with being alone and quiet is a challenge. I notice it’s affect on children more and more in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI love that statement by Haim G. Ginott. I am typing it up and posting it in our class. It is a powerful statement and so true and it's message really says a lot about making a child's life human or de-human. I is a great reminder when you are encountering a difficult situation. The books ideas about "Being present" before encountering a PI can also be used when you are about to approach a difficult situation. Taking a minute to take a few deep breaths and reflect upon Hiam's statement will help me approach a difficult as well as a positive interaction. with children. No one benefits when a teacher looses it an becomes too emotional over an issue. We had a mindfulness training in our program. I do recommend getting a chime and letting the children stop, close their eyes and raise their hand when they hear the chime end. I have been doing this since our training and it helps the children and myself to stop and get in the moment. You feel much more clear headed and focused when the chime sound ends.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful quote by Ginott. How true it is. We as teachers are role models. We have to be mindful of every move we make, be mindful of words we say ( and how we say it ) and our reaction to behaviors. For example : One day a little boy pulled a plant off a shelf sending it crashing to the floor. There was dirt and pottery everywhere. I quickly jumped up ready to scold the child ( after a very long day of incidents ) but quickly noticed everyone frozen in time watching me. I then asked the child if he was okay and asked him how we could clean it up. We all worked together to get the job done.
ReplyDeleteWith a mixed age group the older children and I are always mindful in the classroom and present in the moment. The older children try to include the younger ones in their game, modifing the rules or being patient. They also become very excited when the babies are sleeping and we can have our time for PI and ask to play games or art activities. The older children are also aware of manipulaitives the younger ones shouldn't have and figured out where and when it is appropriate to use them.
The children love to play outside but its not always easy to get everyone ready. The older children are aware of this and will try and do as much as they can by themselves. After many PI's with each child everyone over the age of three can fully dress themselves for outdoor winter play ! When they are finished getting ready they turn and help me with the little ones. It amazes me that when their parents pick them up the instantly forget how do do anything !!
I'm reminded of two sayings. One is "If you're not making two or three mistakes a day, you're not trying hard enough" (source unknown). And the other is something I picked up from Janine Fitzgerald, where she says she never allows a child to say "I can't", transforming it into "You can't...YET."
ReplyDeleteA lot of empowering children to see themselves as knowers, I think, comes down to how we treat the "errors" we witness. Just as Dan Gartrell got us to stop saying "misbehaviors" and start calling them "mistaken behaviors", we have to value conceptual errors from children as their current point on the learning trajectory, and realize that correcting them at that moment will do more harm than good. I tell my students they have to eliminate their "gambler's tell", so the children can never tell from their reaction whether they think the answer they just heard was correct or not.