A few weeks ago my co-teachers we gone, not at the same time, one right after the other. I have to say it’s hard being down a co- teacher. The quality of my care just drops and drops and drops. I was worrying about everything and finally my fiancé said to me “that seems like a lot of energy you’re putting into worrying.” He’s right! Why waste my energy worrying when I could use it to be a better educarer? Changing my perspective on how to use my energy and time, changed everything!
I had another powerful perspective changing moment last week. A child woke up from nap pretty upset and started crying for a long time. I admit that I was annoyed, I have to remind myself that crying is supposed to be an irritant, it’s supposed to grab out attention. As I listened to the crying continue on and on, I thought about the child and how their week had been. My perspective on the situation changed I went from thinking this is so annoying TO this child is REALLY calling out for attention. Since I changed my perspective I was able to walk over to the child, pick them up and just hold them. Eventually, I started talking to the child calmly and they were able to tell me what was wrong. Changing my perspective allowed me to be more emotionally responsive than I have been in a long time!
If you’re feeling like you’re in a rut, grumpy or getting frustrated with a child easily, try changing your perspective. This might help you rethink how to respond, how to use your energy more efficiently and be, over all, more respectful.
On a side note: Changing your perceptive isn’t always easy to do. It’s helpful if you have people in your life that can reflect with you on situations. I’d love to be that person if you’re looking for one 🙂
Advocate for Infants 
Becky, your posts are so inspirational! I really needed to have this influence and am glad I got it before going into work tomorrow. Thanks!
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Thank you Melisa! I’m so happy it was meaningful. Thank you for reading my post and the comment 🙂
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No problem! I wanted to share a little something with you that I read a while back. One of your previous posts (Being Authentic While Still Leaving Our Feelings at the Door) really made me think about it and so did this one. The following is straight out of a text book I have called Safety, Nutrition, & Health in Early Education by Cathie Robertson.
“Good modeling uses reinforcement through observation and discussion with children. A teacher’s actions set the stage for children to learn from those actions. Children often mirror what they see and hear.
Haim Ginott (1972) described the effect that a teacher’s actions can have on a child:
I have come to a frightening conclusion. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, a child humanized or dehumanized.”
I just found that to really powerful and thought it went well with your posts. 🙂
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Wow! That really paints a clear pictures of how much our feelings and attitudes, even if we aren’t aware of them, affect the classroom and children. It totally is scary and very powerful! Thank you for sharing Melisa 🙂 I love a good book that makes you really think about yourself and teaching practice. Just from that little section it sounds like that text book is pretty helpful. What do you think of it so far? Would you recommend reading it?
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