Using Powerful Interactions with Colleagues to Promote Powerful Interactions with Children

Article Link: http://www.exchangepress.com/article/using-powerful-interactions-with-colleagues-to-promote-powerful-interactions-with-children/5021075/

As we have worked with and learned from teachers about Powerful Interactions, we made a discovery: The most effective way to promote Powerful Interactions between teachers and children is to model Powerful Interactions in our work with teachers.

In this article we share five lessons learned and welcome you into a conversation about how Powerful Interactions can support you in creating a strengths-based approach to your work with ­teachers. We hope it is a conversation that you will continue with colleagues and with us.

Powerful interactions begin with you. To transform some of your everyday inter­actions into Powerful Interactions, take three steps:

• Be present
• Connect
• Extend

As we describe each step below, we will share what we have learned about each one.

Be Present

This brief pause before interacting to ‘quiet the static’ and to think about how to connect with ­teachers will make your interaction purposeful or intentional rather than automatic.

Lesson 1:
What you decide to say and do ­matters. How you are models for teachers, how you want them to be with children.

Every interaction you have with a teacher is an opportunity to show that teacher she is heard, respected, and appreciated �" which is how we hope children ...