Reflections and Struggles! This Is How I Am 'Struggling!'
I am a lead teacher at an elementary school.
From the dual perspectives of a teacher and a parent, I share 'educational tips that can be done at home'
.
Today's content is a record of my reflections and struggles in my classroom.
And, I am still in the middle of the struggle.
If you read this and it provides some kind of hint, I would be happy.
In addition, if you have any advice, please let me know, as it would be a great learning opportunity for me.
Trouble after trouble! An emergency situation.
Right now, a series of troubles are occurring in my class, centered around one child.
A boy who is not good at interacting with his friends.
He repeatedly does things that his friends dislike,
and the child who is on the receiving end eventually loses their patience and explodes!!!
This is the pattern that is occurring.
That boy is acting out of a desire to interact with his friends and to have them pay attention to him, but we are seeing behaviors such as:
・Clinging to others.
・Making comments while ignoring his own behavior.
・Being unable to stop even when told to stop.
During breaks, I sometimes feel anxious,
wondering if he might do something to someone.
Coordinating with staff. Coordinating with parents.
Naturally, I am coordinating everything regarding this matter
with the staff and the parents.
This is because I want everyone to face the same direction when interacting with the children.
So that we can watch over them with as many eyes as possible.
And so that the parents and the homeroom teacher can provide the same guidance.
I have tried various methods, but...
...that is the current situation.
Do not continue what is not working.
Previously, in an article,
I wrote about that.
As I thought,
I felt that my current approach and way of interacting with the child are not working.
The measures I am currently taking are:
・Increasing supervision (from the perspective of preventing trouble)
・Showing the child how to act in certain situations (presenting alternative behaviors)
・Sharing information with parents and providing guidance from the same perspective (aligning our approach)
These are the steps.
The reality is that these measures have not yet led to improvement.
So... starting around the middle of this week,
I decided to embrace their desire to connect with others.
I took action to change my approach.
Instead of monitoring or restricting the child's movements,
I proactively engaged with the child myself,
initiating physical contact,
chatting, and moving our bodies together!
I made an effort to create more opportunities for such interactions.
I feel that, just a little bit, only a tiny bit,
the child has started to be able to live more calmly.
(Well, it has only been a few days since I started.)
Thinking about it again...
I feel that I had lost the opportunity to spend time slowly with the children because I was too busy.
Of course, I believe I have been engaging with the children seriously until now.
But after changing how I interact over the past few days,
I realized that I really didn't have the space to interact slowly with the children.
It is true that I was busy with constant trouble and a heavy workload, but...
I feel that the aspect of managing the children had become too strong.
When you try to manage them,
you become unable to see the child's heart.
Facing the child's feelings.
To do that,
talking slowly is necessary.
I realized I want to cherish those things.
It's a three-day weekend.
While reflecting on the past,
I will refresh myself properly,
and do my best for the remainder of the first semester!