Not all decisions have a positive outcome, whether they simply fall short of our expectations or negatively impact another person. These scenarios help children develop other skills, such as problem-solving and conflict resolution, and show them how to learn from previous experiences. Knowing who you are — your abilities, talents, and limitations — helps make you successful in life. As children make decisions, discovering what they enjoy and what they dislike, it helps them develop their sense of identity and purpose.
At SRV, one of our curricular priorities is to help students build higher-order skills such as decision making. We have built choices into our curriculum so that students can be active participants in their education and learn healthy decision making skills in a safe, structured environment. We empower children to make decisions through:. What is your function within the space? Do the educators within the service exist to entertain?
Function as security and crowd control? Do the educators see themselves as transmitters of knowledge, as co-creators with the children, as learners alongside? Once educators reflect on their role, it opens space to think more deeply about how they can support children to take on ownership of space and issues relevant to them and their becoming.
As educators, we sometimes feel powerless — as though we are at the mercy of policy and leadership and politics — imagine, then, how much less powerful the children in our care feel — at the mercy of rosters and leave, parental comings and goings, educators who are instrumental in establishing the physical and emotional rhythms of the day. When educators provide children with real choices, they empower children to take some ownership, modelling the serenity to accept the things they cannot change, the courage to change the things they can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
No more one plate, two plate, red plate, blue plate — just real opportunities for children to be active participants in shaping their world. Thank you for bringing this important topic to the forefront. I also see how our preschool children are able to arrive to their classroom, decide what they would like to do, and immerse themselves in meaningful activity with little adult guidance.
Most Montessori schools practice choice in this way and the results in later years are phenomenal. Your email address will not be published. Respond to children based on your knowledge of them: relationship, relationship, relationship The more deeply you know your children and families, the more authentic your responses to children will be.
Finding out what has value in your environment for the children What experiences are revisited repeatedly by children in your spaces? Reflection on the role of the educators What is your function within the space? Power and control As educators, we sometimes feel powerless — as though we are at the mercy of policy and leadership and politics — imagine, then, how much less powerful the children in our care feel — at the mercy of rosters and leave, parental comings and goings, educators who are instrumental in establishing the physical and emotional rhythms of the day.
What opportunities exist in your service for children to feel powerful? Empowering children helps them believe that their strengths can flourish and that they can survive inevitable setbacks and failures. Simply put, empowerment means guiding your child in a manner that encourages their belief in their own abilities and potential for positive growth. During their school years and when they move into adult life, children will need to rely on their inner strength and sense of self-belief to meet and overcome difficulties.
You probably already know that children are masters at absorbing every little nuance in their environments. We could also use mirroring to encourage practice for any kind of skill or talent. For example, when we see a child interested in drawing, we may talk with them about how great it is to see their skills improve with every picture they create. That means letting them encounter challenges, which can mean facing failure.
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