Judy Jablon, Amy Dombro, and Charlotte Stetson responded to a selection of questions and comments during an online event September 26–30, 2011. Read the questions and their responses below!
Welcome to a conversation about the interactions you have with children all day, every day. We wrote our book, Powerful Interactions: How to Connect with Children to Extend Their Learning, for teachers like you because your interactions with children have the potential to make a big, positive impact on their lives, both today and in the future.
We define Powerful Interactions this way: Powerful Interactions are exchanges between teachers and children that extend learning hand-in-hand with nurturing positive relationships. The combination of relationship building and instruction creates the optimal condition for children to learn. When teachers are intentional and purposeful about doing both, they create Powerful Interactions!
Our book is grounded in the reality of your everyday life as a teacher. It is also grounded in research on effective teaching and child development. In it, we offer a three-step process that will transform some of your everyday interactions into Powerful Interactions and specific, manageable strategies to help you incorporate all three steps into your practice.
The three steps of Powerful Interactions are
Step One, Be Present – In this step, you pause to prepare for a Powerful Interaction. To do this, you tune in to how you’re feeling and consider how you might need to adjust to create a “just right fit” with the child.
Step Two, Connect – In the second step, you deepen your relationship with the child by letting him know that you see him, are interested in what he is doing, and want to spend time with him. You help the child feel safe, confident, and open to learning. Staying connected and observant allows you to make the most appropriate decision about step three.
Step Three, Extend Learning – In step three, you use your strong relationship with the child as the basis for stretching his knowledge, skills, thinking, and/or vocabulary and language.
We hope you will enjoy this reflective guide that contains everything you need in order to understand what Powerful Interactions are, why they are so important, and how to achieve them. We look forward to reading your questions and participating in this online conversation about our new book.
— Judy Jablon, Amy Dombro, and Charlotte Stetson
Comments
Many thanks to the authors
Amy, Judy, and Charlotte,
I wanted to thank you for leading this Q&A on Powerful Interactions. Lots of interesting questions and thoughtful responses. Also thanks to all who participated. Check out our upcoming events at www.naeyc.org/onlineevents.
- Susan Friedman, Executive Editor, Digital Content
A must read for nannies too.
Hi,
I got this books so easily, and it helped me recharge and re-engage with the children in my care.
I am on discussion boards etc with other private in home childcare providers, and sometimes I sense their ruts, burn out, boredom, lack of motivation, etc. I think to myself yes but how are you really interacting with the children. (I also used to work in childcare centers and can think of coworkers who have gone through the same.)
Recently on discussion boards we talked about what we were reading, and I mentioned this book. It openned up conversation on this topic and NAEYC too. :)
Thanks again.
Peace,
Lisa
For nannies too
Thank you, Lisa, for sharing our book with your nanny colleagues. I know those feelings of boredom and burnout from when I worked with babies and toddlers. And that it can sometimes be a challenge to "be present" and engaged with young children -- especially if you are the only adult around for long periods of time. One of the powerful things about Powerful Interactions is that when you start to have them, you can truly see the interesting, amazing and at times funny things children say and do, then decide how best to respond which makes your work more effective and fun. We hope that nannies and teachers in group settings who may be feeling depleted find our book fueling and try out Powerful Interactions to make a positive difference for children, families and themselves.
Classroom environments
Should ECE classrooms be full of the traditional, bright primary colored posters and decor? Or should we strive for more of a "homey" feel, similar to a Montessori environment (natural wood items, many plants, etc)?
How do you balance making the room look FUN for kids but also not overstimulating them?
Classroom Environments
Although this book is not specifically about classroom environments, we have given quite a lot of thought to how the physical environment of a classroom affects teacher-child interactions. Teachers have told us repeatedly that one of the biggest obstacles to having Powerful Interactions with children is the hectic atmosphere and fast pace of their classrooms. Taking the first step of a Powerful Interaction, Be Present, can be hard to accomplish in that type of climate and will certainly be easier in classrooms that are calmer and slower-paced. Anything teachers can do to make Powerful Interactions more possible, including keeping the decor of their classrooms beautiful, uncluttered, and organized, will have significant benefits for both children and teachers.
Charlotte
ELLs
What if the child is just starting to learn English?
Powerful Interactions with second language learners
Thanks for your important question.
Cryer and Harms (2000) affirm for us that a vital ingredient for language learning is the quality of the relationship that the child has with the adult who is helping her learn the second language. A close, nurturing relationship, in which a child feels loved and safe, helps her feel comfortable using new language skills, making mistakes, and trying again. Our colleague, Karen Nemeth, an expert in supporting children who are second language learners, says that the strategies we use to observe children, build relationships with them, and and have positive interactions apply to all children including those who are second language learners. Let’s look at the three steps of a Powerful Interaction as it may apply to teachers’ interactions with children whose home language is different from her own.
Step 1: Be Present. Pausing to be present allows you to quiet the static that you may be thinking or feeling about how to support a second language learner. Might it be uncertain or afraid of not knowing what to do? Unsure of how the child might be feeling? Pausing to be present also allows you to find the just right fit for the child. Perhaps you will use a softer voice, fewer words, or more gestures to help the child feel safe and secure.
Step 2: Connect. To connect with the child, learn a few words in his home language. Focus on words that capture her interest. Smiles, gestures, and your tone of voice go a long way in helping to convey that you are interested in deepening your relationship with the child. If the child is building with blocks, point to the detail that you notice. Nod your head and smile to affirm what the child has created. Then tell the child what you see using one or two words. Your facial expression and gesture will help the child understand your words. The more you slow down and be there for the child, the more he or she will begin to trust you and take some beginning risks using English words to talk with you.
Step 3: Extend. There are many ways to extend children’s learning besides with language. As you read the extend strategies in the book, you’ll notice, for example, that laughing together is exercise for the brain. Inspiring imaginative play by offering a new prop or taking a role to help the child develop a story line in the dramatic play area will help to extend learning.
We look forward to hearing from you as you experiment with Powerful Interactions with second language learners.
Step 3 Extend Learning
I can see how clearing your mind and connecting with young children are important, so I get Steps 1 and 2. Can you talk a little more about Step 3? Can you give an example of how a strong relationship with the child helps you to stretch his knowledge, skills, thinking, or vocabulary and language? Thank you!
The link between a strong relationship and learning
Dear Claire,
I wish you could have been with us the day we discovered for ourselves that Powerful Interactions go beyond building relationships to using the relationships we build with children to fuel their learning. When a child feels safe and secure in a relationship with a trusted, caring adult, that child is more likely
to explore, experiment, discover and learn. Knowing that a teacher ( or parent) is " there" and tuned in, fuels the child's confidence allowing the child to move out into the world. She ( or he) can count on
the adult to guide and organize the child's behavior when needed - to keep the child safe physically, emotionally and cognitively. (Carollee Howes and Sharon Ritchie write beautifully about this in their book: A matter of trust: Connecting teachers and learners in the early childhood.) Feeling safe within a relationship lets a child take the risks of trying out new ideas, words and skills that are prerequisites to learning. I think the same is true for adults too. Is this helpful? If not, please write again. Best, Amy
Teacher-child interaction
I did an unpaid internship at a previous college and how I learned to interact with the preschoolers( around 2-3 and a half) was proved in this excerpt you provided. You're right about positve and direct interaction with children is that they responded to me better when I greet them when I come to work, playing with the children with toys, reading to them, serving them snacks, talking about how their day went, linking colors and shapes to objects around them, keep reminding them to think how their friends feel when thery hit them without yelling and/or scolding them, comfort them immediately when they're upset, and applaud them when they do something cool and/or smart.
Teacher-Child Interactions
Dear Arielle,
Thanks so much for sharing your intern experiences with us and relating them to our book about Powerful Interactions. It's heartwarming to hear that our words validated what you learned about teacher-child interactions. When you have another internship or employment opportunity with young children, we hope you will explore our book further and try out the three Powerful Interaction steps and some of the strategies in the book.
Good luck!
Charlotte
This chapter was really
This chapter was really helpful and very informative. The fact that such subtle things such as a simple smile or a friendly expression can make all the difference in a relationship blows my mind but is so interesting.
This chapter was really...
Hello Julia,
Thank you for responding to the chapter you recently read in our book about Powerful Interactions. To hear that readers like yourself are finding the book "helpful," "informative," and "interesting" is very gratifying to us. It seems like you had a specific reaction to the importance of Step Two - Connect. You're right. Establishing a personal connection with the child through a smile, a friendly expression, or any of the other strategies we offer in the book often DOES make the difference between a child learning through the interaction or not. We hope you explore the rest of the book as well and continue to find it stimulating and informative.
Charlotte
Powerful Interactions
Reading this chapter was very interesting. It had a strong reason as to why interaction between an elderly and a young developing child is very important and beneficial. It obviously helps a lot in the development of a child. Having interactions will definitely show positive changes in a child. I hope that teachers, or anyone in particular, can use this book with an advantage. I enjoyed reading this.
Powerful Interactions
Dear Freeha,
We appreciate your response to reading one of the chapters in our Powerful Interactions book. It is clear from your note that you understand one of the book's most important overarching messages - that children learn from ALL interactions with adults, so, as teachers, we must work hard to make our interactions as positive, purposeful, and intentional as possible. We hope you find the rest of the book as enjoyable and interesting as the chapter you recently read.
Charlotte
Great inspiration and reference
I managed to get a look at this book by one of my professors and I must say I'm glad I did. Your techniques on being a teacher were really helpful. I too hope to one day become a teacher and this book has been a great reference. I'll be sure to show this to the rest of my friends who wants to do the same.
Great inspiration and reference
Hi Alex,
It's very satisfying to hear that you're finding our Powerful Interactions book to be both inspirational AND helpful. We tried very hard to create a book that validates teachers and encourages them to keep learning and growing. We hope your journey to becoming a teacher is engaging and enjoyable. Good luck!
Charlotte
Powerful Interactions
I really enjoyed the first chapter of this book! I will share this information with others and apply it myself. What will challenge me the most will be, being present or in the moment. As a previous preschool teacher, I remember feeling like I was being pulled in several different directions. Do you feel that having Powerful Interactions are more challenging in a classroom with a large volume of children?
Dear Jolie, Thanks for
Dear Jolie, Thanks for positive words about the first chapter of our book and we commend you for reflecting on your practice in this way. You are definitely not alone in feeling challenged to feel "present" in a busy preschool classroom. It's difficult, but not impossible. Our advice is to start slowly and have reasonable expectations of yourself. Probably the biggest hurdle is to develop the habit of making an intentional decision to be present. When you pause for even just a few seconds to slow down, quiet your static, and think about the child you are about to interact with, you make the possibility of a Powerful Interaction much more likely.
Powerful Interactions.
I went through your excerpt and can relate to it so well as I was going through a similar situation last week. My daughter was having trouble connecting with her teacher. The teacher identified this and asked to see her before class. I can see a positive change in my daughter after this interaction. It is so true that these interactions make a positive difference in the lives of children and their families as I was stressed out as well. This interaction was so powerful that I can see a change in my daughter's attitude in general.
Powerful Interactions
Hello Archana,
Thank you SO much for sharing your own story about the power of positive interactions between children and their teachers. As you continue to read our Powerful Interactions book, you may find that sharing some of its ideas and strategies with your daughter's teacher will be a way for the two of you to build a strong partnership that will help make it a great school year for all of you!
suggestion of reading
My professor Susan Johnson suggested we take a look at this book haven't read it yet but will this week and will post a better posting.
Suggestion of Reading
That's great, Jeff! We surely hope that you find the book readable and thought-provoking!
Reply to exsport
I dindn't have time to get or download the the book due to other responsibiliteis, however I did get great info when reading the export such as being present to the child to me that means making eye contact and speaking to them at their level. Great facts and will make this a must read for my kindel. It is kindel downloadable correct? Well happy weekend to you.
Powerful Interactions
From reading your excerpt, I agree with your example of negative interactions when the teacher continually say, “Don’t run”, “No touching,” and “Shhh,” to 2 year old, Fiona. At this stage children are experimenting and learning new things. They want to express themselves with all the new words they are learning and "shhhhh" is not the best way to tell them to wait and make them feel that what they have to say is important. "No touching" should either come with an explanation so the child understand why they should not touch an object and also be followed with a "please".
Powerful Interactions
Dear Ingrid,
Thank you for sharing your reactions to one of the vignettes in our Powerful Interactions book. We hoped that vignettes would bring the ideas and strategies in our book to life and help readers apply them in their own classrooms, so your comment was very confirming. As you read further into the book, we hope you continue to find stories, ideas, and strategies that validate and expand your own thoughts and experiences.
Powerful Interactions
I just want to say that I agree with your steps. And that positive interations are an important part of childrens growth and develoment.
Powerful Interactions
Dear Linda,
We're very glad that you agree with the basic premise of our book - that teacher-child interactions play a critical role in children's learning and growth. And thank you for confirming that the 3 steps will make Powerful Interactions possible!
Powerful Interactions
I too have found this book to be extrordinary!!!! I wish there were further supplements to go along with it, I plan on using the material for my next staff training day.
Powerful Interactions
Hello Merideth,
We are thrilled that you find our book "extraordinary!" Your idea about further supplements is very interesting and if you have some thoughts about what would be most useful, we'd love to hear them. You can communicate with us through the Powerful Interactions website.
Thanks for your comment,
Charlotte
Powerful interactions
I received this book last week and have not been able to put it down! It is my favorite go to book right now. I have used it with teachers to help them get ideas, what they could say or how they could extend the learning. Thank you for writing it! I wish there could be training provided based on the book to get a further understanding and helpful tips to make this become the natural way of teaching.
Powerful Interactions
Hello Prema,
How exciting for us to read about how you are using our book with teachers. We hope very much that your teachers will gradually adopt some of the Powerful Interaction strategies in the book. As for training, here are a couple of suggestions: If you are planning to attend the upcoming NAEYC conference in Orlando, Florida, we will be doing a presentation at 10 AM on November 4th. You can also communicate with us about training through our website: www.powerfulinteractions.com. Thanks again for your enthusiastic note!