Relationships with Teachers

At
Marin Day Schools, it is the loving relationship with the teacher that is the
focus of the infant/toddler curriculum.
Infants and toddlers develop expectations about the safety of the world
by people’s behavior based upon how we treat them.  We need to be responsive and
affectionate, and in every way tell the babies that we value them and their needs
will be met.  It is important that
teachers get into the child’s world, warmly respond to the child’s
needs and respect children.  Our
mission is to engage each baby and give every child much love and sensitive,
responsive care.

Respect:

·
Relate to the
infant as a thinking person.

·
Recognize value
and support the individuality of the infant.

·
Learn each
child’s unique ways of communicating.

·
Give the infant
time to process information.

·
Talk with –
not at babies.  Talk about what you
are feeling, and experiencing.
Explain what is about to happen.
Keep a running dialogue.

·
Involve infants
in things that concern them.

·
Model the
behavior you want to teach.

·
Recognize
problems as opportunities to learn.

·
Build security by
teaching trust.

·
Trust that babies
are competent.

Attachment:

Young
children need physical and emotional attachment to a loving reassuring
caregiver.  One of the goals of this
special person is to give them the feeling that they are valued and important.  Infants (birth to eighteen months) are
learning to trust adults and that their needs will be met.  Babies depend on others for protection,
guidance, coaching and fun.
Attachment to caregivers is most meaningful.

·
Caregivers are to
hold and rock children.  Close
physical contact is important.

·
Caregivers are to
quickly respond to discomfort or tears.

·
Caregivers are to
make eye contact and communicate acceptance and caring.

·
Caregivers are to
sit on the floor with the children.
Be down in the baby’s world.

·
Caregivers are to
interact with babies.  Babies are to
be held and played with as much as they need.

·
Caregivers are to
give words to situations.

·
Massage babies
throughout the day.

·
Sing to babies
throughout the day.

·
Caregivers are to
be conscious of their body language and their tone of voice.

·
Caregivers are to
encourage babies to cuddle and touch people.

·
Build security by
teaching trust.

Primary
Care-giving:

All
children and families are to be assigned to one special adult, a “primary
caregiver”.  The Marin Day School goal of primary care giving is for the family and
teacher to form a strong bond and help the baby feel secure.  Secure early attachment is important for
healthy autonomy.  Both primary
caregivers and children gain through the special attachment.  Through this attachment a child feels
cared “about” – no just “for”.  Primary caregivers become a surrogate
parents and are to become so attuned to the babies that they can understand
what the children need at various times of the day.

Often
at MDS, because of faculty schedules, two primary caregivers will be assigned
to a family.  One of the main
functions of primary caregivers is to insure appropriate communication between
home and school.

Although
teachers are assigned primary care giving children, all caregivers work as a
team to nurture, support, care for and play with all the babies.  Caring for children in every MDS
classroom is a team effort and we all work together cohesively.

·
The primary
caregiver or the Head Teacher will make the initial contact with the parents
and reassure them that their child will be loved and given the best of
care.  The primary caregiver needs
to understand the cultural and child-rearing beliefs of the family.

·
The primary
caregiver helps orient the family to the environment.  She supports them during the pre-visits.

·
The primary
caregiver reviews the needs and service plan with the parents.

·
The primary
caregiver introduces babies to other people.

·
The primary
caregiver needs to be careful not to be too attached to only the babies in her
care.  All caregivers are to play
with, nurture and tend to the needs of all babies.

·
Upon arrival the
primary caregiver greets the family.
Whenever possible she is to change the baby and tend to the baby’s
physical needs.

·
It is the
responsibility of the primary caregiver to communicate with the parents.  In addition to chatting about the
baby’s day it is important to make sure the baby has ample clothes,
diapers, etc.

·
The primary
caregiver must inform the Head Teacher of everything that is happening with the
baby and family.