Reading with Mrs. Shivers

Observing communication means stopping to focus and listen to interactions without judgement. To truly understand children necessitates setting aside our pride and agenda to hear their messages and communicate our commitment to their interaction through active listening and then reflecting. In short, we must follow the child where they lead (Stephenson, 2009). Often, though, in the midst of a busy day with schedules pressing, 30 kids in the classroom, and standards that must be met, the story a student tells gets rushed, or brushed aside. Unfortunately, when that same child then struggles in the classroom with work or behavior, we bear part of the responsibility for not understanding their needs in our push to accomplish our plan. The observation I completed this week was in a more relaxed atmosphere within our school. I went to spend a part of the day with our summer enrichment program. This program is meant for students who we consider at risk based on their previous years academi...

         This blog assignment is timely in that I am currently in the midst of setting up a classroom. In making decisions about what to include, there are important considerations that make the difference between a traditional environment and an anti-bias learning community. First, setting up a home center involves creating an area to welcome families. Both the family and the child must be comfortable with the arrival process in order to ensure a positive experience. To meet the varied needs of families, I would set up a board detailing what we have planned for the week, and how they can be involved. Purposeful planning gives parents a chance to know what is going on in their child’s care, and also allows them to preplan opportunities to participate in the center around their schedule. In addition, in the arrival area, I would add a small seating area in case the child is uncomfortable or unready for their parent to leave. This gives the myself and t...