Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults free essay sample

Depending on whether you are building a relationship with a child or adults you will need to change/adapt your behaviour and communication skills. You need to show skills that make you approachable; children need to feel secure and happy to be around you. In order to gain respect from children you need to set ground rules and stick to them, it is important that you do this from the start. It is also important that you talk to your work colleagues and discuss how you are going to work together to gain a good working / professional relationship and for everyone to develop mutual respect. It is important to adapt communication to include all children. In my class the children are always greeted with a smile, good morning and how are you today. Some of the children have news to tell us. I get down to their level and have eye contact and listen to what they have to say. It is the adult’s responsibility to ensure they know that they have done something wrong but the child should be given a choice. For example, â€Å"a child is not listening and is too busy talking and they are unwilling to do their work, in this case they should receive a choice by asking them â€Å"do you want to miss playtime or do you want to finish your work before that? † By this way, the child has acknowledged the choice and would make up their mind about finishing their work so they don’t actually miss their playtime. The child is satisfied by this as this method is quite efficient and they don’t get upset with the adult as they are given a fair choice. This builds up the relationship between an adult and a child as the child is now beginning to listen to instructions without holding any grudges. However, it is equally important on how an adult interacts with the child. An adult must give the child respect and be friendly by using their name when they call them, a child doesn’t like it when the teacher doesn’t even know their name. When a learner practitioner has become aware of how an child behaves and interacts; an child always require attention or prompts to tell them they are doing well. A teacher or adult must always have good manners and interact in a way the child would feel comfortable in. For example, â€Å"the child is sitting down in their chair doing work, you come to help them but you have no chair to sit on, instead of towering over them it is best to kneel down on your knees to their level†. This way the child does not feel intimated. When an adult interacts with the child they must always remember that it is important to engage the child as much as possible as the child would be able to focus more on the task if they enjoy themselves. (1. 3)Describe how to deal with disagreements between children and young people Children frequently have disagreements. This usually happens in the playground and sometimes in the classroom, specifically during group work activities. In a case of sorting out an argument between young children, it is necessary to find out what has actually happened but both sides need to be considered. It is important to make a pupil realise that they are being listened to and that their opinion is valued. It is essential to find out who is wrong and even if the teacher is wrong, it is their duty to apologise to the child by admitting that they made a mistake. Sometimes children need to know how their behaviour can affect others and their work. It is the teacher’s responsibility to explain and inform the child about this. For example ‘I know you feel a bit tired doing writing but don’t you think its better if you focus and finish the task at a quick pace because then you can draw on the white board before playtimes? ’ It is important to encourage children so they feel confident and build up their self esteem. A good way of doing this is by engaging pupils in a group circle on the carpet. This way the whole class is sitting together and they are all working together. They become aware of new things, such as; listening to others, talking their turn, to be patient and respectful towards others. This would improve how they interact with each other and therefore lead to fewer disagreements. (1. 4)Describe how own behaviour could: †¢Promote effective interactions with children and young people †¢Impact negatively on interactions with children and young people The way in which a practitioner interacts with young children can affect them in an adverse manner or in a positive way. It is very important to be a good role model for young pupils. Young children will always follow what adults do and will always observe how adults interact with them. It’s vital to behave in a positive way. For example â€Å"if two adults are talking amongst each other and the child is asking for help and then adults ignores them†; then the child will feel as if what they are doing is not important. This will then lead to negative behaviour. If the way a practitioner interacts with young people is efficient, communicating with parents or other adults will allow parents to support their children. This will improve how a parent and teacher interact with each other, which then helps the child. It is very important for children to realise how to communicate effectively with other peers so they work well in a team. Practitioners must express themselves clearly and be cautious when they are excited or stressed so that children can understand what is expected from them. It is quite vital for adults to understand and follow the boundaries they set for children themselves so children will find it reasonable and fair to obey them. 2. Know how to interact with and respond to adults 2. 1. Describe how to establish respectful, professional relationships with adults Practitioners will interact with the following people in the workplace: teachers, teacher assistant, office staff-receptionist, nurse, safety guard, dinner ladies, cleaners and head teacher. Communicating with teachers will mean practitioners must listen and follow directions in an enthusiastic approach and consider their opinions with respect. When establishing a good relationship with other TA’s, it is important to listen to their suggestions. When practitioners talk to office staff they must greet them with a smile and always inform them about absences before hand; by phone or face to face. 2. 2. Describe how communication with children and young people differs across different age ranges and stages of development It is important for a learner practitioner to be a good role model for young pupil. How learners behave would have an affect on the pupils, because young children follow what adults do and attend to copy them. If learners behave in an appropriate way the children will also behave the same way. Children will enjoy school and will have a will to learn if they have a good relationship and if other adults interact with each other in a positive way. It is very unfair for adults to do a particular thing if they told children not to do that. Children will react in an aggressive manner if adults react negatively. 3. Know how to communicate with children, young people and adults 3. 1. Describe how communication with children and young people differs across different age ranges and stages of development. 3. 2. Describe the main differences between communicating with adults and communicating with children and young people. There can be many differences between associating with young children and adults. There are quite a lot of comparisons to consider when communicating with children and with adults. There are some things, which are very important to consider; eye contact and showing enthusiasm, showing a clear reaction, always treat others with the same courtesy and respect that one would expect from others and to approach them in a positive manner by smiling and to be friendly. When a practitioner is with a child, their behaviour must always be professional in school. It is important to give them the correct message, that a child would be expected to follow. Adults can’t tell always tell a child what to do; sometimes they need to figure it out on their own. A child needs to learn to think for themselves, adults are only there to guide and prompt them into making the correct choice. Adults’ must not use complex language as children will get confused and won’t understand at all. It is important to ensure adults ask children questions or to make suggestions when explaining to ensure they understand. Communication varies with different age groups and stages of development. Children learn how to interact and make friends; starting from a young age, first as infants, then as juniors and then eventually as seniors. Infants †¢As infants they are in the age range of 2-3 years. At this stage they begin to learn to pronounce words. They may begin to ask questions as they are beginning to become curious. Juniors †¢As juniors they are in the age range of 4-8 years. At this stage they start using language to develop relationships with others in school; the teachers and their friends. Senior †¢As seniors they are in the age range of 8 – 16 years. At this stage they are able of using more complex language. They also can improve their body language skills and are aware of verbal skills. 3. 3. Identify examples of communication difficulties that may exist. Difficulties facedRelative examples Special needsA child may have difficulties physically affecting their learning; hearing problems, unable to participate in sports. Cultural reasonsA child has been taught differently at home and at school. At home they are encouraged not to maintain eye contact with anyone, whereas at school most activities involve developing efficient body language skills. Lack of communicationThe parents who are not very well speakers in English, would have some difficulties what their child is explaining to them. Another case would be when letters are sent home but parents are not checking them; miss an event and blame the teacher for not informing them. Different expectationsSome adults would have different viewpoint and may not agree with the choice made. It is important o respect the suggestions made. A person must always give their opinion in a way that it is effective to others and the workplace. 3. 4. Describe how to adapt communication to meet different communication needs. Communication issuesRemedies to utilize Language issues as English is not first languageTo keep a translator specially for that particular child Variety of ages and experienceTo consider who the person an adults is talking to. When communicating with a child simple language must be used. Adults who find it hard to communicateIt is vital to adapt to the situation. The way a person would react to other will automatically become normal in a day to day basis. No response to letters sent homeTo speak to parents, but careful to understand their needs, especially if they are sensitive to the matter at hand. 3. 5. Describe how to deal with disagreements between: The practitioner and children and young people. The practitioner and other adults. Between child and practitioner †¢It is essential to understand a child’s needs and the way they behave It is important to understand dilemmas and find out solutions and to know what went wrong and what caused it. A good practitioner will always be determined to sort out issues effectively and find out who is wrong even if that person may be them itself. It is imperative for them to apologise if they are at fault. It is equally important for the child to understand and admit they were wrong if they did make a mistake. Between practitioner and adult †¢It is very important to understand what went wrong and what actually has happened. †¢It is necessary to understand and consider both sides of the situation. A person can’t judge others, if they are not aware of the whole situation. Adults must always be ready to apologise if they are wrong. It only makes colleagues feel better when a person admits their mistake and solves the issue quicker. †¢An adult must never make issues personal. They should approach matters in a way that is appropriate and professional. †¢It is important not to discuss issues in front of the children as this can lead to an adverse affect on them, as children always follow and learn from adults. 4. Know about current legislation, policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information, including data protection Identify relevant legal requirements and procedures covering confidentiality, data protection and the disclosure of information Legal requirements ?A teacher or any staff must not take photographs of children for portfolio and if they use photos for display, they must seek parent’s permission first. ?Staff must not tell other children confidential information ? Information must be told to other parents ?Information must be told to other professionals without seeking permission from parents ? Information mustn’t be told to visitors Procedures to cover confidentiality, data protection and disclosure of information Procedures Information must; 1)Be fair and precise.. 2)Be correctly used 3)Be issued clearly and covered in enough depth 4)Be updated regularly 5)Be kept for a limited period 6)Be set according to individual rights 7)Be protected 8)Not be transferred to other countries without enough data Data Protection Act (1998) It is the schools principle to ask about certain information about a child so that they can update the schools record. It is important for the school to know about certain things so they will be aware what to do in the case of an emergency situation; regarding health issues the child maybe suffering from. All the information told to the school is confidential and therefore will only remain in the school and only told to specific people in the workplace. If information does need to be given to other, parents must give their permission and sign the consent form. Disclosure of Information Any individual working in a particular setting must always keep information about the school to themselves only. Information about the school must not be leaked or told to other schools or third parties. 4. 2. Describe the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults of the confidentiality of shared information and the limits of this It is important to reassure children that the information they share will not be given to anyone else. However, one must never promise a child that they won’t tell anyone but still do so, this will be breaking their trust and they may feel upset and face difficulties. If an adult for some reason can’t keep information to themselves, they must explain to the child the reason and pacify them. However, a teacher will need parent’s permission to disclose information about the child. But if the issue is about risk from parents, then it is best to follow the school legal policy set. It is important to notify someone else in the school if the child is at risk. 4. 3. Identify the kinds of situations when confidentiality protocols must be breached Kinds of situations where confident protocols must be breached are when: A school policy follows the safe guarding procedure A child is at risk or threat Someone has been abused