TEY 13.2

Teachearlyyears.com 13 I ’m going to cut right to the chase here. I’m sure that if we all cast our minds back to our own early educational experiences, we will know exactly where we sat. Be honest now: you were a smart- kid-teacher’s-pet-nerdy-type (less adept with practical applications like tying shoelaces); or you were a physical- playground-dominant-type who struggled more with the academic intricacies of reading and writing; or perhaps you were a shy- wallflower-child who didn’t want to put themselves forward in any situation, within the classroom or without; or maybe school made no sense to you any which way. The truth is, of course, that you were a specific individual, unlike any other, with your own preferences, prejudices and proclivities, as is every human being. Now, I’m not judging, I know how challenging and hectic an EYFS classroom can be, but isn’t it true that as teachers we do tend to apply “types” to our children? (Even to ourselves, if you found a slot for yourself in the previous paragraph.) You know what I’m talking about; I’m sure I don’t have to supply a list! I don’t know if you relate to this, but on occasion I would find myself in charge of a child that I really struggled with. They may or may not have been difficult or disruptive. That wasn’t really the issue. More often than not, it was just that I couldn’t find a connection – I found it hard to warm to their personality. In short, if they had been an adult NIKKY SMEDLEY IS A WRITER, EDUCATOR AND PASSIONATE ADVOCATE FOR THE CHILD human, we would not have been friends. Naturally, this is a horrifying realisation and one that my professionalism railed against in the strongest terms. In order to compensate for what I saw as a personal failing, I would endeavour to make an extra effort to interact with any individual I felt this way about, in order not to allow my feelings to get in the way of my teaching. I’ve picked an extreme example to illustrate the fact that we are not machines in the classroom. We are humans, and quite often, humans under pressure. It’s easy and understandable to be drawn to the more capable and confident children, or to go the other way and wish to support the underdogs, or like myself, to try and overcome personal preference and then end up over- compensating. However, there are always children who sit in the middle, who can fall through the cracks. Perhaps that’s how you identified yourself in the memory of your own childhood? In the turbulence of any given day at school, how do we ensure that every child in our care feels seen? In some ways, I think this is our most important job. Every child deserves – and needs – to feel seen. The fact that you can really see them should be communicated physically, socially and emotionally. That’s a big job, but it needs to be done. If you fully communicate with a child through all these channels, if you take care to truly see each child and to make sure they understand that you do, then the self- labelling that poor old P in the quote above is in danger of taking with her throughout her whole life is less likely to occur. Being sensitive to different areas where different children can shine, or at least feel comfortable, brings a variety and diversity to your teaching that can only benefit everyone. Including you. Nikky’s book Create, Perform, Teach! (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, £15.99) is available now on Amazon. See everyone HOW TO SPEAK CHILD LEARNMORE WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE IN SCHOOL? “I don’t get chosen to do stuff.” P (female) Nikky heads up the How to Speak Child initiative and has been collecting interviews with children about how adults communicate with them. To find out more, you can... Head to the How to Speak Child blog, at howtospeakchild.com/blog Join her Facebook page at facebook.com/Howtospeakchild Every child deserves – and needs – to feel seen