Saturday, February 11, 2012

Sharing Web Resources



Blog Assignment: Sharing Web Resources

The website of the early childhood organization/ news letter I selected is http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/every_child_magazine/every_child_index/about_bullying.html.  I followed one link that stood out to me because it is a major issue for my state which is bullying.
According to the website, bullying occurs when one child or a group of children deliberately hurt or pick on another child. ‘Children who are bullied will feel sad, alone and frightened, and can lose their confidence for learning and playing with others. Children who bully may feel temporarily important or popular but bullying is likely to be a symptom of feeling isolated, afraid and not good enough’ (Dolby, 2010, p.4). Both children need help from protective adults.
One solution to this problem is for adults to always listen to children and acknowledge their feelings and to educate our youth by providing them with strategies on how to direct their anger, and their need to feel accepted/self worth.

If a child tells you that another child is hurting them or won’t let them join in play, always listen and be curious about what has happened. Show that you understand how the child feels.
‘Thank you for telling me, now I understand why you have been upset and haven’t wanted to go to school.’
 As educators, we need to provide an ear to our students and make them feel safe and know that it is ok to discuss their feelings; for some children talking to an adult outside of the home is more beneficial than speaking to someone inside of the home and we need to make ourselves available so that each child knows that school is a safe loving and nurturing environment.
This website/newsletter has also provided me with information to assist me in being empathetic to the diverse social/academic needs of students.

Reference:
Nicky

1 comment:

  1. Nicky,
    Being aware of bullying and the appropriate way to deal with it is so important. I find that as children are forming friendships, choosing to play with those they have something in common with, which is developmentally appropriate they do not realize how hurtful they are to other children. I spend much of my day with my 3-4 year old children discussing kind vs. unkind words or behaviors. We talk about including everyone and understanding each others differences. Teaching tolerance must start very young. Thank you for sharing this important information.

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