Over the past two weeks, Emily and I had a bit of a challenge. She didn’t want to put on her snow pants and jacket by herself during our outdoor time. Even though I knew she could do it, being in pre-kindergarten, she felt a bit unsure.
One day, when she asked for help, I decided to try something different. Instead of helping right away, I asked the other pre-kids to show us how they put on their stuff. I told Emily and her friends that they were all very capable. I avoided looking directly at Emily to make it more casual.
Most of the pre-kindergarten kids came forward and demonstrated how they could do it on their own. Emily watched and seemed to get inspired. She decided to give it a shot, putting on her snow pants and jacket. She only asked me to zip up her jacket, and with excitement, I said, “Wow, Emily, you did it!
I understand that directly telling her, “No, you can do it by yourself,” might overwhelm her. Instead, showing her that I’m here to support her and ready to help will give her a better sense of comfort.
Educators work in relationship with children , and strive to ensure children feel safe , confident, motivate, and listened to . BC ELF page 18
As an educator, I recognize that each child requires individualized care, and I strive to understand their unique needs by implementing various approaches.
March 17, 2024 at 11:49 am
Yeah, Zahra you did a wonderful job of trying to think from the child’s perspective, using the support of the other children ( Vygotsky) and of allowing her the time to do it herself. In many of our programs we tend to hurry children to get ready to go outside and this can cause the push back and resistance. When we wish to support children becoming independent then we need to provide experiences like this to give them time, modelling from other children and no pressure ( no eye or direct contact). Well done!
March 21, 2024 at 10:19 pm
Yes, it depends on the number of educators available. Sometimes, we experience a shortage of staff, and tasks like making beds or preparing meals become challenging. However, I am fortunate to have supportive coworkers. In most daycare settings, there isn’t enough time to engage in meaningful conversations with children.