"A friend should be one in whose understanding and virtue we can equally confide, and whose opinion we can value at once for its justness and its sincerity."
Robert Hall
Relationships develop through social skills. I believe that creating relationships is an important piece of who we are. My circle is very small, but throughout my life I do not know where I would be without the people that are in my life. This week we discussed the importance of building relationships among educators and parents. In my discussion post I stated
"Family partnerships are essential to effective programs and practices within the early childhood field because when all components are placed together, it creates a well-rounded child. Parent and teacher relationships are vital to a child’s success within the program. Yes, there are isolated situations where children are successful regardless of their environment and family situations, but those are rare. A child needs support and encouragement in order to grow to their full potential. Research states that “A primary purpose of frequent communication between parent and program staff is to establish and implement shared goals for a child.” (Powell ,146).
Even though there is a need for parental and educator relationships, there are some programs that do not share this focus. Powell states that “At a deeper level, there is considerable variation between and within different types of early childhood programs in the quality of connections with parents. Head Start program standards and resources for forming partnerships with families typically are not found in child care programs, for example, and most of the field’s innovations in working with families have not been widely adopted.” (Powell , 141). Some child care facilities do not focus on involving the parents in their programs. Their curriculum is set and all they want is for the parents to receive the results of the activities. Some parents are more focused on convenience and affordability. Not on curriculum and quality child care.
Positive relationship are crucial in the development of a child. Children model the relationships that they see, so it is of the most importance that parents create a positive relationship with teacher. “The essential features of the environment that influence children’s development are their relationships with the important people in their lives – beginning with their parents and other family members, and extending outward to include child care providers, teachers, and coaches – within the places to which they are exposed – from playgrounds to libraries to schools to soccer leagues.” (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004, p. 4).” (Edelman, 2004).
My own biases are critical to developing effective partnerships, because they will guide me in creating my relationships. Biases are defined as “ a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly: a strong interest in something or ability to do something” (http://www.merriam-webster.com). I believe that parents are a child’s first guide in creating and sustaining positive and effective partnerships. This is my bias, my belief, and because of this belief I will do all that it takes to develop effective partnerships.
The factors that I will explore further to be completely open to forming effective partnerships with every family is to be as open, caring, and compassionate as I can be. I want to be able to reach every family that enters my center. I will also research new and inventive ways to reach out and create community relationships as well.
Resources:
http://www.merriam-webster.com
Edelman, L. (2004). A relationship-based approach to early intervention. Resources and Connections, 3(2). Retrieved from http://olms.cte.jhu.edu/olms/data/resource/1144/A%20Relationship-based%20Approach%20to%20Early%20Intervention.pdf
Powell,D (nd).Relations Between Families and Early Childhood Programs. Retrieved from http://ecap.crc.illinois.edu/pubs/connecting/powell.pdf
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Young children develop in an environment of relationships. Waltham, Mass; Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University."
The most important people in my life are:
My Mother
My Husband
My two Children
My Aunt
My Best Friends
Relationships are about giving and taking. In order to maintain a relationship one must be compassionate, open minded, and wiling to at times sacrifice.
In relationships one can not go into a relationship with a closed mind, judgement, or predisposed notions.
Building relationships is what I've always been good at. I believe that if you are transparent and you are non-judgmental you can build any relationship. Open communication is key, and it is equally importance that one practices active learning skills as well.
Ashley Wilkins-Miller
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