Communication Skills of Primary Childhood Educators - Essay Example

Running Head: PRIMARY EDUCATION Good communication skills are essential for primary childhood educators Name Institution Course Instructor Date Introduction Primary childhood educators play an important role in the primary education of young pupils, and according to Hayes (2010) the primary educators need to have strong and quality interpersonal and communication skills. The kind of work and nature of interaction that the educators have and experience is said to be demanding, therefore requires adequate communication skills that are characterised by patience, flexibility and dependability (Hayes, 2010). At the level at which primary childhood educators operate and the kind of pupils they deal with, it is important to note that effective communication skills are required in order to establish a long-term positive pupil development and learning process that also ensures the child’s confidence, self-esteem, motivation and academic success are not eroded (Grellier & Goerke, 2006). Based on these facts, the aim of the paper is to make arguments that support the position that good communication skills are essential aspects for primary childhood educators. Concise academic supportive evidence is provided to back this position. Primary childhood educators Pupils at the primary education level are described to express a lot of dependency and reliance upon their teachers or those they view as older to them. They always seek attention; feel the need to be recognized, appreciated and attended to. As a result, they are likely to enjoy and benefit from a supportive and interactive environment that is characterised by positive comments, feedback, appreciation, etc. In this manner, primary childhood educators should ensure an interactive environment exist that is characterised by supportive comments and showing of proper sense of decorum (Hayes, 2010). Besides, the educators need to be sensitive, avoid confrontation, express sympathy, and adopting a positive attitude when handling the pupils. All these aspects that make a primary educator successful are as a result of acquiring and exercising good communication skills. At the same time, it can be noted that effective communication networks are important and necessary since they enable the primary childhood educators to create a strong rapport with the pupils that increase and create a lively learning experience for the child (Mertler, 2011). For instance, it has been discovered that pupils at a tender age are in most cases interested and appreciate teachers who appear to be fair, show interest in them, appear to be transparent when handling them, are helpful all the time, and remain non-judgmental and non-confrontational during unsatisfactory situations (Sutterby, 2011). Therefore, in order for primary teachers to understand pupils properly in terms of the above perspectives, it is important for the educators to acquire and quality communication skills that enable them to constantly communicate and interact with pupils. Ashraf (2004) observes that primary education is concerned with development of body, mind and heart, where the child has opportunity to learn to adjust to the environment at home and society. In other words, the primary education concerns with developing a whole person of a child, which is a critical process that educators require adequate communication skills in order to understand adequately the process. It is a stage that is likely to succeed when educators are able to establish good relationship with the pupils through constant communication and interaction. It is a process that should impact into the children a long-term confidence, self-belief, self-esteem, etc., through quality positive communication from the educators. On the other hand, Radhike, Wyk & Staden (2005) observes that effective communication in primary childhood education is important and has numerous benefits to the lifelong development and learning process of the child. First, the authors establish that in order for educators to establish a quality communication environment, they need to integrate parents and guardians of the children (Radhike, Wyk & Staden, 2005). In addition, in situation parents are integrated in the larger communication network that educators create, children are likely to experience positive outcomes both in short-term and long-term as far as their education and development is concerned. Some of the recognised benefits that primary school children are likely to have when educators express god communication skills include obtaining higher achievements in learning, reducing levels of likely dropout rate, decline in behaviour problems, and likelihood of having academic persistence (Radhike, Wyk & Staden, 2005). Furthermore, Gestwicki & Bertrand (2011) ascertain that communication skills are particularly important for childhood educators given the complex and demanding environment they work in. According to the authors, educators in primary education have to work with multiple stakeholders such as parents, pupils, education officials and the community at large (Gestwicki & Bertrand, 2011). As a result, their interaction with others requires effective communication skills in order to be in a position to perform their roles more effectively. Besides, at this stage in the lives of these pupils, educators require assistance of parents in order to execute more successfully learning and development processes on the pupils. In order to establish a quality and productive relationships with parents, educators need effective communication skills that give them opportunity to establish the right rapport with parents. Besides, Deiner (2009) establishes that primary education functions in a life cycle with the primary educator at the centre. With this role, the primary educator is perceived to be very critical as the link between the child, parents and the community. As a result, educators are supposed to have adequate understanding of how families and communities affect the learning and development of children (Deiner, 2009). One way that is identified that educators can use to link families and community in the learning process of the child is through development adequate and useful communication skills. In addition, in order to ensure that pupils achieve the best, educators need to know what the families want for their children; in order to coordinate and deliver educational services to the pupils in a respectful way to all families (Deiner, 2009). Therefore, educators are supposed to create and demonstrate a repertoire of good communication skills that give them opportunity and ability to establish a good rapport with families, gather information they require, summarise the information, and plan for actions (Deiner, 2009). Isenberg & Jalongo (2003) observe that primary education is a period that is challenging to educators, parents and pupils. Challenges originate from multiple sources: school, peers, home, parents and communities, and they have great influence on the learning process of pupils. Therefore, success of primary education in midst of the challenges lies in the ability of the educator to identify and implement solutions that address multiple needs of wider environment in which the child is placed in (Isenberg & Jalongo, 2003). As a result, it is observed that communication remains the key and solution to meeting all other challenges that may be experienced during the primary childhood education. The understanding is that the ability of educators to cultivate, nurture and utilise effective communication skills is likely to shape and increase healthy of the parent-teacher relationship as well as family-school partnership (Isenberg & Jalongo, 2003). Moreover, effective communication skills are likely to enable the educator to ensure that he or she addresses challenges brought about by cultural differences that is live in learning institutions in the modern world. Lastly, New & Cochran (2008) observe that the primary education period for pupils is a critical and delicate period that positively or negatively impacts a child’s psychological, social, emotional and even physical status. It is a period a child is introduced to the actual world through various modes of interactions and relationships. In this process or critical journey, the primary educator assumes an important role in guiding, directing, correcting, appreciating, rewarding, etc., the pupil in a manner that should promote wellbeing and development of the child (New & Cochran, 2008). Therefore, effective communication skills are likely to help the educator understand and respond to the needs of the pupil in the most appropriate way (Arnold, 2005). Also, good communication skills at this point are likely to enable the educator establish strong and mutual relationships with pupils and parents based on respect and trust that later help the child achieve a holistic development and learning opportunity. Conclusion Primary childhood education is a period that is critical to the psychological, social and physical development of a child. As a result, the child is expected to experience both quality development and learning experience that have both short-term and long-term impacts in the life of the child. Therefore, the role of a primary childhood educator during this important process is critical. The educator needs to develop and foster a learning and development environment that add value to the life of the child. As a result, numerous stakeholders are supposed to take part in creating this appropriate environment. Presence of numerous stakeholders means that the educators has to constantly communicate with them in an effective and efficient manner, which therefore makes it necessary for the educators to have good communication skills. Besides, pupils at this stage are likely to develop confidence, self-esteem, positive attitude, and love the learning experience if the educator possess and execute quality communication skills. What is important is that primary education is a process that succeeds when constant, quality, and timely communication is present. Therefore, the educator as the principle in the cycle is supposed to demonstrate good communication skills that make the process successful. References Arnold, M. (2005). Effective Communication Techniques: For Child Care. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Ashraf, N. (2004). Dictionary of Primary Education. New Delhi: APH Publishing. Deiner, P. L. (2009). Inclusive Early Childhood Education: Development, Resources, and Practice. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Gestwicki, C., & Bertrand, J. (2011). Essentials of Early Childhood Education. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Grellier, J., & Goerke, V. (2006). Communication Skills Toolkit: Unlocking the Secrets of Tertiary Success. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning Australia. Hayes, D. (2010). Encyclopedia of Primary Education. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis. Mertler, C. A. (2011). Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators. London: SAGE. New, R. S., & Cochran, M. (2008). Early Childhood Education: An International Encyclopedia. Oxford: Greenwood Publishing Group. Radhike, B., Wyk, V. N., & Staden, V. C. (2005). Home-school Communication in the Early Childhood Development Phase. Education, 126(1), 60-77. Sutterby, J. A. (2011). The Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Grant: Research and Practice. London: Emerald Group Publishing. Read More