Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and Adults

1.1 There are different ways of conveying and receiving information: verbally, non-verbally, formally and informally. Communication is described as the activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behaviour. For this to happen it is important to form and maintain relationships with children and young people that are both professional and respectful. This is because it will help the child feel happy and confident within the school setting. In order to be able to build these types of relationships, the child or young person first has to get to know you and for trust to be gained. Good communication is also important because in my experience, when clear expectations and boundaries are established and you make your point as plainly and as simply as possible then that leaves no room for explanation or misinterpretation and this creates a positive learning or working environment. When this kind of relationship has been established, a child or young person will be able to work, learn and develop to the best of their abilities in a comfortable environment that is caring and supportive. To establish and maintain professional and respectful relationships, we should:
· Show respect - this can be done in many ways such as remembering their name or respecting and allowing them to have their own opinions
· Be approachable - a relationship cannot be established if a child or young person does not feel they can go up to an adult to comfortably discuss any issues they wish to talk about
· Listen - by looking at a child or young person as they talk to you, even lowering yourself to their level, and responding to what they are saying, you are showing them that they have your full attention and are interested in what they have to say. This may be about a new toy or a serious matter such as reporting bullying
· Be polite - if a child or young person wishes to talk to you, do not ignore them, interrupt them rudely or talk over them and, if it is not convenient to talk at that time, explain why and ensure you allow them the opportunity to talk later. It is also important to remember to use good manners when asking a child or young person to do things such as asking them to fetch something or getting them to sit nicely
· Use positive body language - if you have your arms crossed, fists clenched or frowning, a child or young person is less likely to be comfortable around you than if you was standing with your arms by your side, hands open and smiling. It is also important, when establishing respectful, professional relationships with children and young people, to see things from their points of view as they often view and interpret things differently to adults. It is very important that if a person feels that what they say is valued this will be conducive to a positive communication experience, this can be shown by nodding, leaning forward, good eye contact and facial expressions. A person needs to be shown that they have your full attention; repeat, react, question and respond to what has been said and acknowledge their thoughts and feelings.
You have to adapt to the situation you are in, for example, if you are in a meeting you will be more formal then if you were having a discussion with another colleague it may be more informal.
As we have many other forms of communication such as e-mail, telephone message, we need to make sure we respond within a reasonable time scale. We also need to make sure the wording we use is polite and simple, as sometimes the non-spoken communication can be misread by others and cause issues.

1.2 We as adults, always need to think about how we communicate with others as one way in which children learn is by watching and copying others and this is why it is important to behave appropriately according. Children learn how to