How Teachers Fall in Love With Children

Building positive relationships  with young children is an essential and foundational piece of good teaching. All children grow and thrive in the context of close and consistent relationships that provide love, security, and responsive interactions. An investment of time, affection, and unconditional valuing by the teacher pays off with beautiful connections and trust-filled relationships.

“An environment of relationships is crucial for the development of a child’s brain architecture, which lays the foundation for later outcomes such as academic performance, mental health, and interpersonal skills.” National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2004)

Program Practices that Build and Strengthen Relationships Between Children and Their Teachers:

• Consistent Staffing — minimizing the number of different educators who work with  children.
• Using a Primary Care Model — one caregiver takes the main responsibility for a small group of children, communicates with their families, and becomes knowledgeable about those children.
• Managing Transitions — thoughtfully supporting children when they move to another group. Easing children into a new setting allows for new relationships to begin slowly, over time.
• Providing Plentiful Opportunities for Play — a play-rich curriculum model allows adults and children to engage with one another authentically while they explore, discover and have fun together.