Chapter Two- Part Four- Helping Children Relate Positively to Others

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Judy Jablon at an inservice about using her book in improving standards-based classrooms. She said that in primary classrooms you should see:

• A welcoming atmosphere and environment (teachers and children using each others' names, smile, and interact respectfully)
• Children taking turns, sharing materials, and giving and receiving help from one another
• Lots of conversations and interaction related to work and play experiences
• A meeting area large enough to accommodate all children
• Evidence of children using social problem-solving strategies

Isn't that a great picture of a classroom? But, of course, you don't see these things over night. You must teach children how to relate positively to others. It takes a lot of modeling and direct instruction. This means treating children with same respect they give adults.

Think about when and how you talk to your students. Greeting students each morning is a great way to connect with each child on a personal level. try to think of something specific and personal to say every day. In the same way, sending a child home each day at dismissal with a positive message is just as important. During the day, find ways to be a good model of respect. Teach your students what to say and do and set your standards high. Research confirms that when teachers convey high expectations, children are more likely to be successful. So, treat mistakes as learning opportunities. Look for students who have difficulty making and keeping friends. Collaboration fosters learning. So, it is important to teach students how to work collaboratively and facilitate working together to reach goals.

What are some activities that you use to promote collaboration? You may want to google "Kagan Cooperative Learning". You will find some good strategies that they try to sell to you... but you are probably already doing a lot of them. Leave a comment and tell us about collaboration in your classroom!

Whitney