One of the most important things for a teacher to remember is that each child has a different background and has encountered different experiences. As we discussed in class, every experience a child has helps them grow and develop in some way making it impossible for any two children of the same age to be on the same developmental level. To achieve social competence, you must establish a feeling of trust with the child which will build self esteem. Depending on the child's background and family life, it may be easier to build that relationship of trust with some and harder with others. The important thing to keep trying and proving yourself worthy of the child's trust.
There are so many important things to be aware of when using nonverbal communication with your students. You must be well-informed of the child's culture as nonverbal gestures and movements can mean different things in different cultures. Nonverbal communication can be used to show authority, give praise, encourage a certain behavior, show affection and so much more. It's important to know each child's limits and levels of sensitivity when communicating this way. One child may only need a stern look when misbehaving when another child may need more than that to get back on track. I never noticed how much communication actually is non verbal. It can be used as a great teaching tool.
