1.How_Would_You_Build_and_Maintain_an_Effective_Relationship__•with_Children_•with_Young_People_•with_Adults

To build up a friendship that is on an equal footing you would take time to get to know the person or people you are building the relationship with. You would talk with them and probably get to know intimate details about their lives. You may have similar interests that help make communication easier as you have a common ground. Within a school setting you have a professional role so it is essential that you build strong relationships with children you work with. Building these relationships is not an easy task nor is instant. Thought and effort will have to be put in, in order to build and maintain the relationship with the children. In the long run, this effort will be worthwhile because if you build a strong positive relationship with a child then they will probably: • Feel they can trust you. • Form relationship / friendships with others. • Gain confidence and cope with problems life throws at them. • Respect you and respond to your direction about how they behave. The foundation to a good relationship is showing an interest in the child as though they are an individual. Each of us is unique, different from all other people as we have our own characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. Stereotyping can be the key obstacle to treating each child as an individual. Making assumptions can often lead to inaccuracies. Part of building a relationship is to be prepared for give and take. Show a child that we all make mistakes. If you do something wrong, admit it, apologise and learn from that mistake. Children’s opinions should be taken seriously, you should listen to what they want and find ways of responding positively to their wants. A relationship with a child changes as they grow into young people and the opportunity for them to take control of more aspects of their lives should be given. Effective relationships are assisted by qualities like punctuality, honesty and consistency. If you can show the child under your care that you are punctual and will be there when you say you will be then this will help build the relationship. Understanding what children or young people enjoy outside school and getting to know their interests can be helpful. It gives you the opportunity to engage in conversation with the child or young person whilst they are relaxed and this shows the child that you are approachable and they are more likely to build up a relationship with you. Effective relationships are also helped by effective communication. This doesn’t mean just listening, but also giving clear suitable and wherever possible clear cut instructions or messages. Even speaking clearly and not mumbling when unsure will help. Another way in which you can build and maintain effective relationships is by trying to understand the child, by having a positive attitude e.g. by trying to see the good in each child even if they have behavioural issues. (It is the behaviour that is not liked, not the child.) The child or young person must be able to retain their sense of worth and feel that they can still work with you after a telling off or sanction that they might have been given. You need to be consistent. Whenever you can be caring and encourage the young person to develop the things they are good at and show their personal qualities where they can. The adults that you are most likely to build and maintain relationships are other adults within the school setting and parents or guardians of children. Whichever it is you need to look at it from their point of view and think about how you would like to be treated if you were in their shoes. What would / do you want from a professional involved in the life of your child' You would expect to be treated as an equal, someone whose opinion is respected and listened to. Following on from this you would you begin to build up the relationship with the parent by not only being the professional in the conversation but also by being a partner involved in mutual sharing of information in order to facilitate the best result for the child and not for the parent or the teacher. The key to building and maintaining the relationship with other adults is mutual respect and the acceptance that although tactics may vary all people involved are working towards the same end – the education and wellbeing of the child. The relationships are also built on trust and any information given in confidence remains that way unless there are concerns about safety. If relationships are not strong there may be a chance that information may not be passed on accurately or withheld because we may not be trusted. Where parents are concerned it is crucial that we build positive relationships so that we can work closely together so that the child benefits in a variety of ways.