1.1. Effective communication is important when communicating with children young pupils and adults within the school environment. Having good communication skills will help us develop better relationship with children young pupils and adults. We should be versatile also when communicating with children young pupils and adults this could be due to cultural differences or disabilities. Building a good relationship is essential we should always demonstrate to children and young pupils around the school environment how to be a positive role model. Developing positive relationships with children is the main key to a happy and calm environment. Without a positive and supportive attitude there will be no trust and honesty between yourself and the children. They will not feel like they can talk to you or feel insecure around you which may mean there would be a communication problem between you, which could affect their learning or social skills. Having good communication skills will help us develop better relationships with children and young pupils and adults. Some children and young pupils who lack in confidence may find it hard to communicate at all with us, so if we come across to children in a positive and gentle manner they are more likely to open up and talk to us. We would not like to be spoken to in a negative way so therefore we should also be careful of how we speak to others too.( Louise Burnham 2010. page 2 Supporting teaching and learning in schools states) Effective communication and positive relationships do not happen by chance.
Building a positive relationships with children and young pupils can take some time, in my school we reinforce this by greeting the children with a smile, ”good morning” and asking “how are you today”. I also listen to all their stories about their holidays or anything they would like to talk to us about this is a good way of communicating giving children a chance to express themselves. Also gaining their trust and making them feel included as part of the school environment. When communicating with children and young pupils we should also take into account of the child or young pupils age how we talk and their understanding of what we say we should speak clearly and ask the child to repeat it back and do they understand what is asked of them( nursery and reception).
Communicating positively with adults is an important part in helping build strong and trusting relationships with each other this helps to maintain a positive learning environment that benefits pupils, parents and staff. We should consider both how we approach other people and how you respond to them. Parents and other adults who come into the school are more likely to give beneficial support if communication is strong and effective as this in turn will benefits pupils. We should also check what we are saying so that they can understand what our expectations are in school.
It is important to be aware of how you may be perceived by others while communicating both verbally and non-verbally. Poor communication can cause confusion, create bad feelings, mistrust, lowers morale, anxiety and can lessen future communication
Verbal communication should be clear, concise and use age appropriate language to avoid misunderstandings or confusion. Words should be spoken calmly in a tone which is professional and shows respect to the recipient. Non-verbal communication such as hand gestures, smiling, nodding, raised eye brows, frown, eye contact, folding arms can be more powerful than verbal communication. Be very aware of how your body language may be perceived by the other person. By maintaining eye contact, smiling and nodding in response to a conversation, shows you are interested, ensures they feel understood and their opinions are valued. By folding arms you may appear to be defensive or bored with the conversation. Listening: It is an