8082 MD2 DIS1

4

Module 2

8082 Module 2 Discussion 1:

Colleague Responses

Assignment Task Part 2

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond to two of your colleagues’ postings in 125 word response each. Address one of the challenges presented by a peer, and use your experience or a resource to suggest a solution. Provide a rationale for why you feel this is an appropriate action to overcome this challenge.

Cite appropriate references in APA format to substantiate your thinking.

Note:  Throughout the week, continue the professional dialogue by answering questions your colleagues have asked.

Colleague Response#1

Crystal  Brewington 

Top of Form

Why is it important for early childhood professionals to focus on positive classroom culture and community?

 

It is imperative that educators create a positive classroom culture and community because it sets the tone and determines the warmth of the classroom environment. Classrooms opposite of this are not conducive for learning as it does not provide a space for students to feel supported, safe and comfortable with sharing their ideas. One misconception is that culture=management, which is incorrect. Management is interpreted as the way one disciplines and the sense of order or control one has in a classroom, whereas culture reflects an atmosphere of kindness, dignity, and mutual respect. 

 

A positive classroom environment is a non-threatening atmosphere where students feel that they are able to speak, offer ideas and take risks without fear of reprisal or mockery. Teachers and students alike, contribute to a classroom’s culture and community. It is important for educators to create this space so that students of all genders, sizes, and races feel empowered and feel that their voice matters. All voices should be supported, all ideas and concerns should matter and everyone feels valued. 

 

Children’s social and emotional skills are deeply connected to learning especially in early childhood. Classroom culture is built on community. Strong communities have members who have shared goals and experiences, who feel empowered to contribute, who trust in one another, and who feel understood and capable as individuals. These attributes enable teamwork, cooperation, a willingness to negotiate, and the ability to draw on one another’s skills.

Bottom of Form

Colleague Response#2

Kelli Barnes 

Based on my learning thus far, I have been able to appreciate the importance of a positive classroom environment and identify several critical components within a classroom's culture.  Within a classroom, the most significant components are trust, respect, and intentionality.  A strong teacher-child relationship must be established before there is trust and respect.  In addition, these two key components must be set before any lesson is ever taught.  Each teacher must have the intention to build a strong connection with each student to foster each developmental domain, not matter what age a student is.  Furthermore, once a teacher role is identified, the involvement of a child's family is one key to continuing  the work in establishing a positive classroom culture (Dorsey, 2021).

   In our education system today, we see many more broken homes, social-service cases, and unfortunately, more cases of neglect than ever before.  However, the one relationship that can be constant is the teacher-child bond that is developed within the walls of a classroom.  Community involvement is also a contributing factor when considering the overall development of a child.  Whether that impact be through outreach or food banks for the less fortunate, a teacher is the bridge to those support services.  However, the teacher is the initial point of contact that knows each student.  It is the teachers' responsibility to ensure that each child is provided with care and equitable instruction and or support that can be provided outside of the classroom (2020).  It is essential that we as educational professionals place our students and the positivity of our classrooms as a priority.  Before students can learn, they must feel welcomed, cared for, and supported.  In turn having students feeling a sense of acceptance and show trust, their is more respect within the classroom and creates less behavior to manage. 

  While building relationships in the classroom is critical for positive classroom environments, language and culture barriers can create a challenge for teachers and students.  In addition, when a language barrier is not an issue, impeding on a family culture or tradition is a consideration that teachers must keep in mind.  Building relationships with students is always a step in the direction of promoting positive classroom culture, but a teacher must be respective of different cultures and build relationships accordingly.  For example, the Hindu culture is one where emotions and relationships are not outwardly expressed often.  Thus building a relationship with a Hindu student would require learning about the culture and respecting the culture as a whole.  In addition, it could involve additional students from he same culture to make the students feel more confident and build important social skills needed for overall development (Ahmad, et al, 2015).  All in all, the most important concern would be the impact of the relationship and the role it plays in a positive classroom culture. 

References 

Ahmad, I., Said, H., & Jusoh, A. (2015). Empirical evidence on the relationship between democratic classroom and social skills development of students. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(2S1), 18–27.

 

Dorsey, C. R. (2021). The pre-school teacher experience of social skills for early education success (Order No. 28773168). Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University. (2596941333). Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/pre-school-teacher-experience-social-skills-early/docview/2596941333/se-2?accountid=14872

 

National Association for the Education of Young Children (2020). Creating a caring, equitable community of learners. In, Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A position statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (pp.15-17). https://www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/dap/creating-community