Working with children is, beyond all doubt, one of the most rewarding occupations. However, being engaged in the duties of everyday work one sometimes fails to notice dozens of precious moments that happen around. Curtis’s article “Seeing children” makes one speculate upon the importance of understanding children’s perspective, their initial needs and intentions (Curtis 38). Inspired by Curtis’s initiative to get a better comprehension of her young students’ behavior via studying their pictures, I also decided to take a few photos and try to look at the children from a different angle of approach.
The pictures were taken at the playground that we generally visit before the lunchtime. I wanted to capture Lilly, Jack, and Lew entertaining, as when they play, they are fully involved in the process, and their personalities are ultimately revealed. The first picture was not exactly what I had expected – the camera drew the children’s attention, which slightly confused them, this is why they look a bit tense in it. However, they soon lost interest in my shooting and managed to relax, so that the second photo looks more natural in comparison with the first attempt.
I did not edit the pictures as I wanted to be able to observe the kids the way they were at the moment of the footage. I shall admit I was happy to see all the three together as it had taken me a lot of efforts to help Lilly get integrated into the boys’ team. Unless I decided to perform this experiment I could have missed the fact that there was some progress in the children’s relationships.
Carter, Civandes, Curtis and Lebo in their article “Becoming a Reflective Teacher”, suggest that one can apply the so-called “thinking lens” to perform a careful analysis of any class issue (Carter et al. 3). I decided to take a try and answer the key questions of their checklist, basing on the example of Lilly’s difficulty with her relationships within the team. Lilly was new in the already established team, and she chose to join Jack and Lew while they would reject her point blank. My first reaction was to have a conversation with the boys and to persuade them to accept her. However, I soon realized that their unwillingness was motivated by the fact that they did not see the advantages of letting someone inside their company. So I decided it would be more efficient to show the benefits rather than to describe them. I began creating the situations where Lilly’s assistance was truly significant for the boys. The tasks I gave them were to be completed in the groups of three so that they were obliged to enlarge their team. In the course of time, the cooperation brought the children together; they began experiencing a natural need for each other’s presence. I was glad I had not given in to the initial impulsion to talk to the boys as it might have provoked their protest and complicated their relationships even more. Therefore, it is crucial to see the child’s point of view and to understand the real reasons why he or she does not want to do something. This experience has taught me to use a more practical approach in my work – I now prefer modeling illustrative situations for my students instead of providing them with long descriptive explanations.
Works Cited
Carter, Margie, Wendy Cividanes, Deb Curtis and Debbie Lebo. “Becoming a Reflective Teacher.” Teaching Young Children 3.4 (2009): 1-4. Print.
Curtis, Deb. “Seeing Children.” Exchange Magazine 26.2 (2008): 38-42. Print.