Part Knowing a Child

Student learning is a process that requires collaboration between parents and teachers who should work together as partners. Partnerships between parents and teachers lay a good foundation for a cooperative relationship toward improving student learning and outcomes. Through such partnerships, teachers get to know the child better and formulate teaching strategies that meet the needs of each individual student. Without proper knowledge of the student, teachers will develop and utilize teaching strategies that are ineffective in promoting student learning. In light of the need for collaboration and partnership between teachers and parents, the teacher has a right to know a child.

Teachers have the right to know a child as such knowledge is essential in shaping teaching strategies. The right to know a child is linked to the fact that each child brings unique skills to the classroom. By knowing a child, teachers understand these unique skills in order to effectively target teaching towards the learning needs and styles of each student (York, 2014). Existing evidence demonstrates that different teaching strategies in elementary reading have varying effects because of the childs unique needs and skills (York, 2014). This implies that teachers can only effectively target instruction towards the unique learning needs of students based on their knowledge of the individual student.

According to Penn State Extension (2015), knowledge of children is vital for teachers in terms of designing and creating the learning environment. Knowledge of children provides a general framework to teachers to design learning experiences, prepare the learning environment, teach and interact with children, and consider curriculum. There are several benefits associated with the right to know a child including providing the foundation for planning for children, serving as the best starting point for planning for a new child, and supporting childrens progress. In relation to Chapter 5, teachers have a right to know a child as it empowers them...…the application of disciplinary power and techniques.

One example from my work in early childhood education of the application of disciplinary techniques is educating children on social rules and desired behaviors. Children were educated on desired behaviors and actions when interacting with their peers. They were given information on what constitutes inappropriate actions and the consequences of such actions. After the education, any student who engaged in inappropriate behaviors or actions was asked to stop the action and reminded of their consequences on others. During this process, the children were asked to share their feelings as means of giving them an opportunity to express themselves and identify the reasons for the inappropriate action or behavior. Teachers would then set clear physical and verbal limits to prevent the reoccurrence of such behaviors or actions. Children were provided alternative courses of action that would help them avoid engaging in such actions or behaviors in case such situations reoccur. This enabled children to learn social rules…