- They allow you to connect to people on a closer level
- You learn how to give and take
- You learn trust, dependence, love, and affection
- You have someone to keep you warm at night (for intimate relationships)
- You have someone to confide in and to keep your secrets
- Teach you how to be socially appropriate
- Provides stability and support (mentally, physically, and financially)
- Helps to set the foundations for new relationships
Identify several people with whom you currently have positive relationships
- My fiance Cameron, my sister and my niece, my dad and step-mom, my fiance's family, my co-workers, the students that I work with, and tons of friends
- These relationships are positive through the support, compassion, love, and affection that is shown between me and the ones that I am close with. Factors that contributed to developing and maintaining these relationships are patience, trust, loyalty, compassion, kindness, empathy, and forgiveness.
Insights regarding challenges to developing and maintaining relationships
- Some don't like to compromise because they are set in their ways
- Some are not willing to open themselves up to others
- Some find it hard to consider someone else's feeling other than their own
- Some have huge problems with communication
- Some have to be in control of everything -- dominating
What do you see as special characteristics of these relationships that make some, if any, partnerships?
- Similar personalities
- Common likes and dislikes
- Similar demeanor
- Ethics
- A common bond (ex. going golfing)
- Making financial together
- Consideration of the other persons opinion, feeling, and thoughts
- Honesty and trust
- Open communication
How might you experiences with relationships/partnerships, including your ability to be an active, reflective contributor, impact your work as an effective early childhood professional?
I have a lot of patience, and I am a people person. Having people in my life, such as friends and family, is hugely important to me. I am loving, compassionate, caring, trustworthy, and understanding. All of that will make me an awesome teacher. I currently work at a school district, with children of all ages. I find it very important to connect with them on their own level, and to build a trustworthy, yet authoritative relationship with all of them. I want to be someone that they feel comfortable with, yet at the same time I want them to know that I am their teacher and there are things that have to be done. My goal is to teach them not only to succeed in their educational lives, but also in their societal lives.
MaryJane,
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing your reflection on relationship. You share some keys components that some of us tend to overlook or take for granted in relationship with others. I can relate to some of the challenges you mentioned. I am the only child and can be very selfish and expect to get my way at all times. This was a result of me being spoiled as a child. Also, when I first met my spouse, who are a few years older than I am is pretty much set in his ways and not willing to open up emotionally. However, over the years with open and consistent communication he is compromising a little more and opening up emotionally. He acts and behaves that way initially because of the relationships he had with family and friends as a child. He now understands that those relationships have a major impact on relationship he has formed over the years. He is working on opening up more with others. We are both learning that everything is not always about us and compromising and communicating is the key to a positive relationship. As parents, teachers, or friends etc. we fail to realize that the attachment we form with our children, whether is secure or insecure at an early age will impact the rest of their lives. We have to set a positive tone in our children’s life from an early age. Great post!
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteI like the way you analyze the key components of the importance of relationship, the challenges to developing and maintaining relationships and so on. When I looked at the key points of the challenges, they made me reflect my working experience with parents. In my work I had once receive a special requirement from the parents which as a teacher trainee with whole class of students it is hard for me and my colleague to meet the parents’ demands. But the parents were unwilling to compromise and insist we as kindergarten teacher should have the duty to meet parents need. At some point I find it a bit discourage because of the mindset of some parents that ‘kindergarten teachers are patient and easy going ’, but they likely forget to consider teacher’s feeling and other children’s fairness. I think to work on this challenge, we really need to build a trustful and understandable relationship with families so that both sides can better understand and accept the reasons of ‘do and don’t’.