The 5 children I have in my class all come from secure homes however they are severely challenged both physically and mentally. For such children leaving the enclosed environment of their home can leave them feeling very vulnerable and often unsafe, so throughout the day we are positively reinforcing their trust and confidence thereby enabling them to build positive relationships.
Each morning as the children walks into the classroom we greet the child warmly calling them by their first name making the greeting a personal greeting to that child. We greet the child personally and warmly to make the child feel that we are happy to see them, this secures a positive relationship between the teacher and child. We see this from Spodek, B., & Saracho, O. N. (1994). Right from the start: Teaching children age’s three to eight. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon who writes “…greeting children warmly when they arrive in the classroom … help establish secure relationships between teachers and children. “
After the children have sorted out their coats and bags we sit round the table and begin the day with news, this is a time for the children to share things that are happening in their life which they want others to know about, we give each child a chance to speak, while the teacher is listening intently showing the child they really care about him and his life. We know this is essential in building positive relationships “Demonstrating caring is one of the most powerful ways to build positive relationships with your students” (Kerman et al., 1980). This time around the