A change in
family dynamics can be hard to handle for a child. The loss of a love one,
separation/ divorce, or a parent that are always working can have a big impact
on child development. These changes
sometimes will have this individual to shut down or withdraw from people. Also, children that do not know how to
express themselves verbally will tend to act out in the classroom for
attention. These social emotion skills can have an effect on their cognitive
skills. Research has indicated that, in conjunction with cognitive competence
(e.g., reading, writing, and critical thinking skills), social-emotional competence
(e.g., collaboration skills, motivation, and study skills) is an important
predictor of academic achievement (Ashdown and Bernard, 2012).
We as educator have to beware of these changes and
the environment that are children are living. Building these relationship will
allow the students to feel safe and secure in your classroom. So as educators:
How do you build these
relationships with your families?
What steps can be taken if we now
there is change in family dynamics?
Clarissa,
ReplyDeleteJust recently one of my pre-kindergarten students has had to deal with yet another change in her already complicated family structure. Due to this, her behavior in the classroom has become quite unpredictable and out of character for her. My assistant and I are trying are best to understand her situation and to provide support for her in any way that we can. I believe that the daily schedule that is established in my classroom does help her, as it provides her with some stability for at least part of her day.
I think that as educators the most important thing that we can do for our students and their families in these situations is to just listen, and not just to their words but to their actions. Often times, a child's behavior in the classroom will change if something is happening outside of school, and it is our responsibility to be observant every day in order to notice these changes. We must then be cautious with our response, and only ask questions to the family that will help guide us in how to best support the student in our classroom.