Treating Young Children of Diverse families in stereotypical ways

Treating Young Children of Diverse families in stereotypical ways

There are diverse strategies that the teacher will employ in order to ensure that her classroom is welcoming to these children and their families. First, the teacher should the employ positive behavioral supportive (PBS) strategy. The PBS strategy is crucial because it helps in eliminating challenging behavior in the six-year-old girl. This strategy focuses on issues such as lack of skills and inappropriate behaviors. It teaches more on appropriate behaviors and provides contextual support that is significant for successful results. This strategy will help the girl to develop a positive attitude that will make her to adapt to the situation.

Secondly, the teacher should employ effective student socialization strategies (Bronfenbrenner, 1974). This is crucial because it will help both seven-year-old boy and the six-year-old girl feel welcome in the classroom especially when they interact with other children rather than being isolated. The teacher will educate them on the importance of social skills. She will identify poor social skills and educate these children on the ways of improving effective social skills. She will carry out programs and train the children on those skills that will promote good relationships with others in school. Social skills are vital because they will enable these two children to become interactive with other children in the classroom.

Parental orientation is also crucial because it will act as one of the strategies through which the teacher and the parents of the seven-year-old boy will meet and discuss matters concerning the welfare of the child. Tracy and Ainsworth (1981) comment that teachers need to work together with parents in order to help the children achieve their goals. Thus, a teacher should involve the parents of the child in school activities and make sure they are aware of what their children are doing at school. She should be on the parents and send the child home with a note demanding she reports to school accompanied by the parents. The teacher should make follow ups of the boy’s parents and know exactly if he has parents and the reason for them not responding to the parental invitation to school.

A number of strategies would help these two children to feel like real members of the class. First, the teacher should help the child to deal with his or her feelings about the issues they are facing by advising them. This will help the children to cope with the situation. It is sometimes difficult for a teacher to predict the way a child will react upon hearing about his or situation but it is better to make them aware of it. Thus, teachers should make an effort to help the child deal with his or her problems for better and smooth learning environment. The teacher should also help the child deal with the normal life as possible (Gauvain and Cole, 2000). She should not fear to share with the children the problems they are facing. Thus, it is vital for a teacher to create friendship with these children and discipline any child who may prejudice them. This will help the children feel appreciated and that they are part of the learning community thus making their learning environment conducive.

The teacher should also let other children help them and prepare the two for reactions from others. Although, this is difficult, it sometimes helps the children not to be affected too much. Preparing them to be ready for any reactions from others and encouraging other children to help them is vital. This is because it will make the children feel like real class members. She should look for role models that can work closely with the children. Many children brought up in single families or whose parents are usually absent feel different and isolated from others (Crittenden and Claussen, 2000).Thus, the teacher should develop a plan to help the children by sharing with them and encouraging them to cope up with the situation.

References

Bronfenbrenner, U. (March 01, 1974). Developmental Research, Public Policy, and the Ecology of Childhood. Child Development, 45, 1, 1-5.

Crittenden, P. M. K., & Claussen, A. H. (2000). The organization of attachment relationships: Maturation, culture, and context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Gauvain, M., & Cole, M. (2000). Readings on the development of children. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Tracy, R. L., & Ainsworth, M. D. S. (December 01, 1981). Maternal Affectionate Behavior and Infant-Mother Attachment Patterns. Child Development, 52, 4, 1341-43.