[Madhavi]

Smile , making eye contact created beautiful bond with the all children.

[Lorraine]

My fourth grade teacher smiled so much, she made us want to learn more.

[Megan c]

It gives children the feeling that you are easy to approach with problems, questions, or just for fun/attention. You want children to approach you, not be afraid of their caregiver

[Cora]

I remember being in Preschool. I was struggling with potty training and my teachers threatened to put me back in diapers and send me to the younger classroom. I definitely remember feeling bad and it’s one of my only memories of preschool.

[Laurie]

Smiling is great!

[Elizabeth]

Children feel energy!!!! a smile , huggs or high fives are a more welcoming and inviting gestures

stimulating activies like dance allows engagement as a group setting where they can express themselves infividually while having fun and being silly creating a positive vibe

[Deandra Knight]

nonverbal communication gives us all something in common to work with, which makes us more approachable at any age

[Katelyn]

Having those visual and verbal cues make a huge difference. I was once yelled at for laughing in class during a group project and it made me feel so uncomfortable that I stopped talking in class.

[Coach Hicks]

I am so blessed to work everyday with kids from 3-12 years old. Smiling everyday and making sure each child knows they are special and remind them how important it is to love who you are and enjoy the person they want to become. A gift to work with kids is my motto and watching them grow over the years in my program makes me very proud to have an impact of their lives.

[Shaniqua]

Growing up in a big city the teachers were always smiling and engaged with my classmates and I. Once my family and I moved to a small town area where I was born, the teachers had no expression and looked as if they didn’t like their job. It made me uncomfortable, and nervous to be in a setting where it seemed like they would get mad easily if I did something wrong.

[Deanna]

I know of many people who were affected by early childhood interactions. Personally I had a bad experience with a broken arm that led to a bad experience with being in the emergency room which has created a fear of hospitals in me and the hospital gives me a great deal of anxiety.

[Cashmire]

I think it’s very important to smile with the children in our care. I have experienced that when children start at our center if we greet them with a smile and have a positive attitude it can really make their first day in our care better

[Katy]

Positive encouragement gestures helped me feel safe to explore and reaffirmed me to grow in confidence of my own decisions and actions!

[Emily Olsen]

I cannot remember a specific teacher, but sure know the impact (and importance) positive communication and body language can have. It has shaped who I am today, and led to some hurdles to over come in my own teaching career.

[Samantha Macias]

A child that has been yelled at many times at a young age tends to feel more introverted and shy. They are afraid to do something wrong.