Guidance Approach to Teaching: Creating a Nurturing Environment for Early Childhood Development

This article discusses the guidance approach to teaching and its principles, including positive classroom relationships, solution-orientation, and collaboration. It also explores the evident classroom needs in case study 1, such as the lack of belongingness and sufficient adult attention, and suggests ways to address them.

GUIDANCE APPROACH TO TEACHING 1
Guidance Approach to Teaching
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GUIDANCE APPROACH TO TEACHING 2
Guidance Approach to Teaching
Introduction
Early childhood experiences play a vital role in defining an individual’s adulthood. Such
is often the case as this developmental stage relies heavily on psychological and emotional
support from the parents and teachers. Furthermore, it is a transitional phase in which the child
shifts from a private subjective relationship (with family members) to a more dynamic social
environment. Clearly, such a scenario is bound to trigger psychosocial stress that might
jeopardize the child’s ability to learn. The guidance approach to teaching demonstrates sufficient
knowledge of the teacher’s role during such a crucial developmental stage. This framework is
based on various principles including positive classroom relationships, solution-orientation, and
collaboration (professionals and parents). Porter (2016) defines five fundamental goals of the
guidance approach. First, it assists the learners to practice responsible personal autonomy.
Second, it allows educators to perceive the children’s behaviors as expression of their individual
needs. Third, it promotes emotional regulation and social competence. Fourth, it assists children
to understand their actions from a causal perspective. Lastly, it allows teachers to view the
children in the present rather than what they might become. On that note, it appears wise to
assert that the guidance approach fosters early childhood development through the creation of a
nurturing environment.
The Evident Classroom Needs in Case Study 1
When reflecting on the scenario presented in case study 1, it is apparent that the two
children are lacking fundamental developmental needs. One of the unmet needs in the scenario is
belonging. Porter (2014) argues that children often feel the need to belong to a community.
Fairly speaking, the feeling of belongingness is often pursued by adults as well; hence, it is an

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intrinsic human need. A similar perspective is held by Kiraly (2014) as he claims that the
transitional nature of early childhood education necessitates social inclusion. One would be right
to agree with such a postulation since children must feel wanted so that they can partake in
activities taking place in the environment (Porter 2016). As far as the case study is concerned,
the children are new in the classroom. Furthermore, one of them is unfamiliar with the English
language. These factors set them apart from the rest of the students; thus, they are highly unlikely
to demonstrate productivity in the classroom activities. The teachers can resolve this challenge
by encouraging their attempts to fit into the new environment. Focus should be placed on
interpersonal skills such as communication and teamwork.
Another unmet need noted in the provided case study is the lack of sufficient adult
attention. As stated in the story, the classroom has approximately 22 students and 2 teachers. A
keen observer would agree that the student-to-teacher ratio is quite unbalanced. For the sake of
this argument, the reader is urged to reflect on the typical child-parent relationship. One can note
that a child receives intense attention from the parent. Such a relationship is crucial for an
individual seeking to understand his/her place in the society (Porter 2014). The fact that the
children lack experience and skills in matters pertaining to interpersonal relationships
necessitates attentiveness on the teacher’s side (Kiraly 2014). Perhaps, additional instructors (one
or two) can be added to enhance the children’s transitional phase. Such a line-of-thought
explains why the children are defiant during meal, rest, and morning transition hours: note that
these periods are often characterized by intense parent participation in the home setting.

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Bibliography
Kiraly, D., 2014. A social constructivist approach to translator education: Empowerment from
theory to practice. London, UK: Routledge.
Porter, L. 2014. A Comprehensive Guide to Classroom Management: Facilitating Engagement
and Learning in Schools. Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin.
Porter, L. 2016. Young Children’s Behavior: Guidance Approaches for Childhood Educators (4th
Ed.). Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin