Effective communication in the classroom

The observation I observed was in a preschool classroom between the teacher and the child and it was really quite interesting.  The children were writing in their journals about strawberries and drawing pictures to go along with their writings and one particular child was describing her strawberry in details with the colors she was using stating the yellow was the seed, and the green was the grass and the red is the actual strawberry and I thought it was interesting that the teacher would repeat what the child would say but put in into a question as to further scaffold her knowledge on strawberries they were studying that week.  According to Stephenson (2009), just being interested in what a child is saying can make all the difference in their world.  Communication with children is not always necessarily getting them interested into your ideas but you as the adult being interested in what they are saying.  Just the simple fact that the teacher took time to interact with the child for a few minutes and really understand her perspective made that child feel special, and though you cannot always put emotions on an observation it was clear to see by her laugh and smile she was enjoying the conversation and taking and giving the lesson she was teaching and learning at the same time. 

In the end, I believe what I have learned about children and communication is that it is better to be receptive and not put words in their mouth and let myself be surprised by their ideas and interest.  Communication with young children is about respecting and accepting them for who they are as a person (Laureate Education, Inc. 2011).  I am an advocate for developing the whole child however, I am guilty that I often initiate more than I should just watch and grow.  I need to learn that it is okay to sit back and learn from their perspective and not necessarily push curriculum based goals on their learning.  Words are empowering and communication will make all the difference in the world!

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011a). EDUC 6357-6 Diversity, Development, and Learning [Webcast]. Communicating with Young Children. Baltimore, MD: Author. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2819834_1%26url%3D

Stephenson, A. (2009). Conversations with a 2-year-old. YC: Young Children, 64(2), 90-95