Communication_and_Professional_Relationships_with_Children,_Young_People_and_Adults.

Effective communication is paramount in forming positive relationships. Consideration should be given to how you approach people and how you respond to them. People that communicate well with colleagues and visitors to the school, whether they are parents or professionals are more likely to get a positive response from them if they should need to ask for help with anything. It is important to demonstrate good communication skills to children even in times of stress or excitement a lot of what children learn comes from watching adults around them. It is no good telling children they should not shout at people or speak in certain ways if that’s what we do. Children need to know the boundaries and what is acceptable. Positive relationships do not build themselves they need to be worked at. If people are comfortable in your company then communication is more likely to be effective. If people do not get along with you for any reason then the communication may not be good, they may not want to share information with you. Some people may even go to the extreme of deliberately not involving you in things. When trying to build relationships it should help to think about issues that may be personal to other people. For example if you know that they are concerned about something they may appreciate you showing an interest and offering to listen to their concerns but be sure not to come across as a nosy parker. They may also be in need of some advice either about work or their personal life. If somebody does confide in you about anything you should remember to treat it as confidential. Respect and manners cost nothing and should be used in building relationships with everyone. Show consideration for other people’s feelings and beliefs. Take time to consider why the child you are working with is reluctant to settle down to work. He may have had a bad playtime and need time to reflect on what has happened. When having discussions it is very important to be clear on key points. Ensure that all those involved understand the point that you are trying to get across. When talking to children it is often worth getting them to repeat back what you have said. Most of all for me is to have a sense of humour. It often helps to see the funny side of things. Laughter is also a good stress buster. Often when communicating with people within the work place we need to adapt how we communicate to suit the situation. For example the casual banter of the staff room would not be appropriate in a meeting. Face to face talking is not the only way that we communicate our body language and the way we dress also sends out messages. We also use non-verbal forms of communication i.e. email, letters and text messages. How we respond to these matters to people, if we do not appear to be attentive in responding to these people may take offence. “Different cultures will also have their own norms of behaviour which will extend to gestures, body language and eye contact. In some cultures for example it is not acceptable to look people in the eye when speaking to them.” (pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.) When communicating with children and young people we often use a wide range of skills without even thinking about it. We use our body language and facial expressions to show if we are happy about a situation. When speaking to younger children we often get down to their level so that they do not feel intimidated by us towering over them. By using facial expression we are also reinforcing what we are saying. You may be talking about a school trip that is coming up so therefore would look quite excited and happy but then change the expression to a more serious one when reminding the children about the behaviour that is expected during the trip. Good eye contact is very important in reassuring children that you are listening. If you are looking around at other things while a child is talking to you they may think that you are more interested in what is around than what they have to say and may lose interest in what they are saying themselves. Finding opportunities to engage children in conversations no matter how short is very important. Some children lack confidence when talking and worry about saying the wrong thing even intelligent children can clam up and become very shy. Asking children open questions so that they have to say more than just yes or no can help them to express their opinion. Responding positively to what children have to say encourages them to talk more. It often helps to repeat back to them what they have said and correct any speech or dialogue problems. Maybe the child uses the wrong words, he may say “I finded a ball” to which you could say “where did you find the ball” thus correcting the speech and encouraging the child to continue talking to you. Children should feel relaxed within the school environment and therefore happy to ask questions and express opinions without being judged for it. By using your skills at communicating effectively you will be demonstrating to the children how they should communicate with others. As adults we also adapt the way we communicate with children and young people to suit the age and ability of the child. Younger children often need more attention and reassurance to feel comfortable within the school environment especially when they are new to the school. This often leads to there being more physical contact with the child for example holding the childs hand when walking around the school or the child sitting on your knee when they feel in need of some reassurance. Older children are more likely to need time to talk through issues with you and help to reflect on their thoughts. When talking to older children you need to ensure that you interact positively you are the T A not their friend. Sometimes what we say needs to be adapted for the child’s age and understanding of the English language so that they understand us. Children of all ages often like to ask personal questions about you. For example how old you are or what your real name is, these can easily be dealt with by saying Miss Spencer is my real name. I often tell children that I’m 21, young children often believe you while the older ones often just accept that you are not willing to tell them your real age and take it as a joke. In a class of children of the same age you may still need to adapt the communication for an individual child. For example the child may have a hearing problem and may need things repeating or the assistance of sign to help them understand. A child may have a speech impediment which makes it harder for them to speak to people if a child stutters they should be given time to get the words out. Some children are just shy and clam up when asked to speak in front of people. These children need encouragement to talk and to be shown understanding for their feelings. All children should be given opportunities to talk that are appropriate to them. This could be with a friend within the setting within ear shot of an adult as children are often more comfortable talking to their peers than adults. Progress with this child should be made in small steps maybe the adult moving closer and joining in with the conversation. More children could be added to the group and given a task maybe role play. Alternatively the child may prefer to communicate with adults on a one to one basis maybe using pictures, objects or signs. It is becoming more common for children in schools not to be able to speak English as their first language. These children could be any age and have varying capabilities in speaking and understanding English. When communicating with these children you would also need to take into consideration any cultural differences and ensure you respect these when communicating with the child or their family and when you are making any arrangements for the child within the school. For example what food they are allowed to eat or are they allowed to uncover certain parts of their body. It is well worth doing your research on the child’s beliefs. If the child understands little English it can help to remove some words from the sentence and focus on the essential ones. For example if the class needed to line up at the door and the child appears not to have understood you may simply say “line Door” and use gestures to show what is expected. Children that do not have English as their first language can be very intelligent which they may find frustrating if the language is a barrier. It is worth arranging for an interpreter to come into school to help with any assessments with the child. Although we use the same forms of communication with adult’s young people and children we still need to adapt the communication to suit the situation and the person. When communicating with children or adults we would treat them with courtesy and respect, show and interest in what they are saying and respond appropriately and maintain good eye contact. When communicating with a pupil we need to remember our role and ensure that we stay professional at all times, no matter how well we know the child out of school. When communicating with children we need to ensure that we are clear in what we say to them. They need us to communicate well so that they themselves can pick up good communication skills. Ensure that you use vocabulary and gestures to help the child understand that is appropriate to the child’s ability. You should remember that physical contact with children should be discouraged at all times. This can be very difficult with younger children as they often initiate cuddles and holding hands. When communicating with adults we often adapt to their needs without thinking about it for example if they are hard of hearing we would ensure that they can see our face so that they can lip read. You may need to speak to a parent who speaks very little English either about an incident at school or just an event that will be happening soon. You may have the facilities to get the information translated so that the parent can understand you. You might try using signs and pictures to get the information across. For example if their child has shown an interest in joining the school football team you may show a football, a picture of children playing football, a calendar to show when it will happen, a clock for the time and some coins to show any cost of the activity. This would take quite a bit of preparing but it can be very effective. It may be necessary to use a translator for some communication with these parents. Schools often send out written communication to parents through letters, emails or text messages. Sometimes parents may not respond to these and you may need to find out why. Often they would just say that they forgot or lost the letter, if you see a pattern forming with a particular parent never responding to this form of communication you might need to consider the point that they may not be able to read themselves. In this case you would need to be sensitive in your approach towards them if you need parental consent for a trip you may approach them with a spare letter and ask them to sign and tell them what it is for there and then. If you suspect that the parent cannot read but have not had it confirmed you may simply find time to build up a relationship with the parent and ensure all information is passed on verbally when they are dropping of or collecting the child. This is not as easy as the child gets older and comes to school on their own. Within your role as a T A you will need to help children resolve disagreements this can include hurting each other physically as well as saying things that have upset each other. Each child would need to be given time to say their view of what has happened without being interrupted. They may need help to understand what is not acceptable in what has happened or why the other person got upset. You may need to offer the children a way to resolve the situation or give the children punishments that are in line with the school behaviour policy. Sometimes you may come across disagreements with adults within the school these are often caused by poor communication. If information has been misunderstood or not passed on it can cause conflict. This should be easy to resolve by clarifying the correct information it may help to apologies on the schools behalf if a parent believes that the school have failed to have informed them of something. We all have our own ideas and expectations of how things should be done sometimes this can cause conflict between adults. We need to be willing to compromise and take on other people’s ideas on how things could be done. External factors can affect the way in which people communicate and it is only as we get to know them personally that we would know if they are acting out of character and therefore offer support if needed or even just make allowances for pressures that they may be under. Sometimes people come across as being aggressive this may just be their general demeanour or it may be because they lack confidence and are out of their comfort zone. They may not know any other way to handle the situation some people feel they need to shout to get their point across. If you feel uncomfortable dealing with this person you should try to ensure you are not alone with them. If it is a planned meeting you could arrange for a colleague to be with you or even just the door being open and knowing that someone is outside the room could make you feel at ease. While your own safety is important you still need to be sensitive to the needs of the other person if they lack confidence having another person in the room could make them feel more pressured. If you are dealing with a parent who is known to the school for having aggressive reactions to situations you may be able to diffuse the situation before there becomes one. For example I was in school one day when a child’s parent came to collect her for a dentist appointment. At the time the child was not in school as she had been taken out with the choir to sing at an old people’s home. I informed the deputy head who then tried to contact the head teacher and T A that were with the children but both had their phones on silent. She then tried to contact the residential home while I went to talk to the parent. I told her that her daughter had been taken out of school and that I would take her to collect her daughter and then drop them off at the dentist saving them the time of getting the bus. Before the parent had time to react to the problem she had been given the solution therefore did not get annoyed. She was just grateful that her daughter could take part in the choir and still get to the dentist on time. As a school we sometimes have different expectations of children than that of the parents. You may need to work with the parents to help them understand why things need to happen in a certain way in school so that they in turn can encourage their children to do what is required in school. All staff within the school needs to understand legislation, policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information, including data protection. “Legislation is an area which is constantly under review and you will need to keep up to date with it by reading relevant publications.” (pearsonschoolandfecolleges) “Every Child Matters (England 2005) based on the Children Act 2004. This Green Paper stresses the importance of more integrated services and sharing of information between professionals.” (pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.) The document outlines the five key points that the government aim to improve for children. Being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being. By doing this it is hoped that the gap between those that achieve and those that don’t will become smaller. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, any organisation which holds information on individuals needs to be registered with the Data Protection Commission. Schools ask parents and carers a variety of information but they are only allowed to ask for information which is directly relevant to the child. For example medical information, previous school details and records for children with special education needs. All of this information is confidential, if it needs to be passed on for any reason then parental consent will be needed, parents are usually asked to sign a consent form. There are eight principles of practice which govern the use of personal information. Information must be: ● processed fairly and lawfully ● used only for the purpose for which it was gathered ● Adequate, relevant and not excessive ● Accurate and kept up to date where necessary ● kept for no longer than necessary ● processed in line with the individual’s rights ● kept secure ● not transferred outside the European Union without adequate protection. As a T A working in a school you will have access to information about a wide range of children you may also have children disclose information to you. You will need to know who to pass this information on too, if you are unsure your first point of call should be your line manager. You may also need to pass information on to the SENCO, class teacher, learning mentor or other teaching assistants within the school. At all times you should remember your professional role any information that you have must not become gossip. Parents and children may need reassurance from you that information they have given you will be treat as confidential. You may need to ensure that they are aware of the limit to this confidentiality. Some schools like all staff to be aware of certain information for example children with medical conditions or behavioural problems. Schools that share this information though out the whole school do so in the child’s best interest although parents may not be happy about this you should try to explain how this would benefit the child. For example the school may have found a particular strategy that works for a child who regularly has problems on the playground. If this information is shared with all school staff then it should not matter which staff are on playground duty when the child has a problem the situation can be quickly diffused. Although any information that you know must be treat as confidential there are times when this confidentiality may need to be broken. For example if a child has disclosed that they may be at risk from harm you would need to reassure the child that you are going to do your best to help sort this out but you may need to talk to another adult about what they have told you. Some children may beg and plead with you not to tell anyone else what they tell you and ask you to promise not to tell anyone else but you must never promise a child not to tell and then break their confidence as they will see this as betrayal. Author, Kamen T Date of publication (2012) Title Teaching Assistants handbook NVQ & SVQ levels 2 & 3 Published in London. Publisher, Hodder education. www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/FEAndVocational/Childcare/NVQSVQ/NVQSVQSupportingTeachingandLearning/Samples/Level3PrimarySTaLISCandHandbooksampleunit/Level3PrimarySupportingTeachingaandLearninginSchoolsUnitTDA3 1.pdf