TDA 2.3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

1.1 Describe how to establish respectful, professional relationships with children and young people.
We need to adapt our behaviour and communication accordingly. It is important that we show we are approachable and able to work in an environment of mutual support as well as demonstrate effective communication skills.
We need to make sure that we make children of all ages, cultures and abilities feel secure and valued. In order to get these relationships right from the start, we need to establish ground rules and mutual respect from the beginning and discuss with pupils the factors that will be important when working together. It is crucial that we remember to start by talking about how we are going to work together. This will help develop a mutually respectful relationship with children and young people.
We need to have an awareness of the kinds of issues which are important to pupils, and take time to talk these through with them when necessary. By communicating positively with pupils and being involved we are showing them that they are a part of the school community.

1.2 Describe with examples how to behave appropriately for a child or young person’s stage of development.
When communicating with children and young people we should ensure that we take into account their stage of development. Children of different needs and ages will require different levels of attention and support according to their need and the length of time they can concentrate for. As we become more experienced working with children we will begin to recognise the features which we may meet with different age groups.
Below are some examples of how to behave appropriately at different key stages:
Foundation stage and key stage 1
Pupils at this stage are still very young and still developing their communication and language skills. When speaking to pupils in these stages, you should ensure that you get down to their level so that you are not towering over them, as this can be very intimidating for them. You may still need to remind them about the importance of listening to others and taking turns to speak. You will also need to be very clear and check that they understand after you have spoken to them. You could check this by asking them to repeat it back to you.
Key stage 2
When they go into key stage 2, many pupils will be starting to mature in the way in which they communicate. You may still need to remind some pupils about waiting their turn when speaking and this may start to become part of their personality, although this may still be due to immaturity. However, some pupils may be more considerate and invite others to speak first.
Key stage 3 and 4
Pupils of this age will be sued to formal and informal language. They will know and understand how we communicate with one another and will be used to different types of technologies which they can use to get in contact with one another. However, teenagers will often become self-conscious about speaking in front of others and may become embarrassed very easily. In some cases, you may need to give them more time to do activities in groups to regain their confidence and to encourage them to speak out.

1.3 Describe how to deal with disagreements between children and young people.
We may find that we have to deal regularly with disagreements between pupils and their peers. This would more than likely happen at break and lunchtimes but can also occur during learning time. When managing arguments we need to go back to the beginning and find out exactly what has happened and hear it from all sides. It is important for pupils to feel that they have been heard and got their point of view across. We need to establish whether one of them was in the wrong and