Enjoying Children

In Simple Advice: Enjoy the Kids from @DavidGeurin Blog, David Geurin shares,

“The quickest way to change another person's behavior is to change your behavior towards them. Kids are going to make mistakes. But if you make it a point to enjoy being with them, and treat them with great respect and care, there is almost no mistake you can't correct. They'll be far more open to your feedback when they feel that you like them and enjoy them.”

Whenever I get frustrated with students, I remember the success I had with a student when I changed my own behavior. When I realized it was impossible to change his behavior until I changed mine. I had to change how I reacted to his behavior. Once I did this, I was able to see more clearly what I needed to do to help the student change his behavior.

I am currently a volunteer at our state park and my husband and I lead second graders on nature hikes. Every time I do this, I get nervous because I don’t want to mess up. I want to make sure I give them the right information on life cycles. I want the teachers to be glad that I’m leading the hike. I want the children to enjoy the hike and the learning. I’m so caught up in what I want from their behavior that I have to make myself stop. I have to remind myself why I like doing this.

I like children. I like being around all of their energy and excitement. I like hearing the questions they ask and seeing the wonder in their eyes when they see something new. I love how they share their observations with each other.

I realized that once I relaxed and focused on enjoying the children, I had a much better time. I knew I was well prepared and I’ve done this many times so there is no reason I should have worried. I was focusing too much on myself instead of the children.

I think new teachers tend to worry too much about themselves. They need to take a less serious outlook on their newness. I’m not saying that they shouldn’t be well prepared. They need to be well prepared but once know they are, they need to take a deep breath. It is time to enjoy the children!

When was the last time you enjoyed your students? Please share.