Communication in Action

Jacob is a two-year new to my program.  He attends two days a week.   At first glance Jacob appears to keep to himself and is extremely quiet.  Visiting the classroom I could see that Jacob likes to observe his environment, taking things in however keeping his interactions to a minimum.  The particular day that I visited I was rather surprised at what I saw.  Jacob was walking back and forth from the dramatic play area carrying in his had a piece of plastic food.  He would walk up to the teacher, hold it up towards her face and wait for her response.  The teacher would say, “Those are grapes, grapes”, and Jacob would walk back to the kitchen and return with another item, “That is a tomato, tomato” said the teacher.  This exchange continued for some time in this simple manner; Jacob focused on his task and the teacher simply identifying each item he carried.   The teacher allowed the communication exchange to evolve as Jacob saw fit.  She did not grow tired of the activity nor did she try to interject her own idea of how the exchange should occur.  In addition she did not try to encourage Jacob to go play with his peers, nor did she encourage him to open the experience up to other children.  At some point I thought she would ask Jacob to try and repeat the words she was saying, but she did not.  Somewhere in her observation of Jacob she realized that Jacob had something in mind and that she had to “…relinquish” her “own narrow agenda…to hear other messages” (Stephenson, 2009).   I think that not only did the teacher show she valued Jacob’s form of communication she also recognized and valued his desire to spend “…time with an adult who was keen to listen” (Stephenson, 2009). 

Although Jacob did not use verbal language to communicate he was using the physical interaction as a form of communication.  “Children tend to actively participate in conversations that they initiate, that are relevant to them” (Dangel, & Durden, 2010).  Jacob’s actions were a way of building trust between Jacob and the teacher and Jacob’s needs were validated as he was not turned away from the teacher or re-directed based on what the teacher thought she should be teaching Jacob. 

As I observed the interaction I kept waiting for the teacher to ask Jacob to identify type of food he was holding.  I wanted to know if he knew and was able to label different foods.  I also wanted to hear him use words.  I was growing frustrated, wanting her to take Jacob down this path and it was difficult holding myself back from intervening.  I felt she was missing a teachable moment, letting it slip between her fingers especially as it pertained to this quiet little boy.  I was allowing my own personal perceptions of the situation take the lead without slowing really examining the teacher’s intentions or Jacob’s intentions.  I was focused on my own intentions and I feel I would have communicated with this little boy in an ineffective manner.  Communication is a two way street that has to take into account all the parties in the communication exchange.  I need to “deconstruct…schemas” that tell me children don’t know how to communicate (O’Hair, & Wiemann, 2009), whereby creating new schemas or views of children as capable communicators and in order to do this I need to be reflective in my exchanges giving children the reigns as it pertains to messages they want to share. 

References

O’Hair, D., Wieann, M. (2009).  Real Communication.  Boston, MA:  Bedford/St. Martin’s

Rainer Dangei, J., & Durden, T. R. (2010). The nature of teacher talk during small group activities. YC: Young Children, 65(1), 74-81. Retrieved from http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/lo

Stephenson, A. (2009). Conversations with a 2-year-old. YC: Young Children, 64(2), 90-95. Retrieved from http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login