Wow! What a learning experience I had today. I found that todays big lesson was how to work with children that may be reacting to situations with strong emotions (such as relentless tears or anger, involving stomping away).
When these situations occurred, I watched in amazement as my TA handled these situations effectively. And possibly more importantly, I felt the students learned from what she had to say. Later on, I questioned my TA in how to handle difficult situations such as this, and these are some of the things I gathered from listening to her and observing her with the students!
First and foremost, although the child may be 7 or 8 in years, there social and cognitive ability may be at a much younger level. Remembering this fact allows us to hopefully lower the frustration that we may feel by realizing the child truly has not learned yet how to handle the situation in a more appropriate manner. How we deal with this situation may be a great learning experience for the child now and impact their future years (while also making our job as a teacher easier too, if the lesson sticks)! In some cases, if the child is reacting in such an extreme way to a situation, sometimes the best thing is to allow them time and space. This gives the child an opportunity to let their emotions calm and for their walls to come down. If or when the child is able to have a conversation, listen and understand what the child has to say and then help them understand the situation from a more mature point of view. Sometimes the child may be correct in their argument but even so, help them understand the idea of perspective. Allow them to notice that not all people see each situation in the same way. Also, if the severity of the issue is not as drastic as the child’s reaction may have made it seem, perhaps help the child question if it was really worth all the commotion.
On a positive note, I witnessed something today that truly warmed my heart. I witnessed two students resolve their own issue in a fairly adult manner without any interference! One student calmly let the other know that he wasn’t sure he should invite the other to his house anymore because of things that he said the last time he was there. The other student stated that he did not really mean what he had said and had just been joking. The first student then replied that if he was just joking, then it would be okay for him to still come over. After witnessing a few situations that students dealt with in a less developed manner, this light and friendly conversation really impressed me! I feel like this conversation could serve as a model to any age group. When a situation arises, it is best to express how you feel and why you feel that way to the person causing this feeling.
Of course, various strategies may be necessary depending on the situation and student. But I believe the things I learned today are all things that I will most certainly keep in mind. I am so appreciative of this day and all that it has taught me!
When these situations occurred, I watched in amazement as my TA handled these situations effectively. And possibly more importantly, I felt the students learned from what she had to say. Later on, I questioned my TA in how to handle difficult situations such as this, and these are some of the things I gathered from listening to her and observing her with the students!
First and foremost, although the child may be 7 or 8 in years, there social and cognitive ability may be at a much younger level. Remembering this fact allows us to hopefully lower the frustration that we may feel by realizing the child truly has not learned yet how to handle the situation in a more appropriate manner. How we deal with this situation may be a great learning experience for the child now and impact their future years (while also making our job as a teacher easier too, if the lesson sticks)! In some cases, if the child is reacting in such an extreme way to a situation, sometimes the best thing is to allow them time and space. This gives the child an opportunity to let their emotions calm and for their walls to come down. If or when the child is able to have a conversation, listen and understand what the child has to say and then help them understand the situation from a more mature point of view. Sometimes the child may be correct in their argument but even so, help them understand the idea of perspective. Allow them to notice that not all people see each situation in the same way. Also, if the severity of the issue is not as drastic as the child’s reaction may have made it seem, perhaps help the child question if it was really worth all the commotion.
On a positive note, I witnessed something today that truly warmed my heart. I witnessed two students resolve their own issue in a fairly adult manner without any interference! One student calmly let the other know that he wasn’t sure he should invite the other to his house anymore because of things that he said the last time he was there. The other student stated that he did not really mean what he had said and had just been joking. The first student then replied that if he was just joking, then it would be okay for him to still come over. After witnessing a few situations that students dealt with in a less developed manner, this light and friendly conversation really impressed me! I feel like this conversation could serve as a model to any age group. When a situation arises, it is best to express how you feel and why you feel that way to the person causing this feeling.
Of course, various strategies may be necessary depending on the situation and student. But I believe the things I learned today are all things that I will most certainly keep in mind. I am so appreciative of this day and all that it has taught me!