Communications 1: Interpersonal Competencies and Identity Formation

This essay, submitted by a student, explores the critical role of interpersonal competencies in communication, particularly focusing on identity formation and powerful interactions. The paper delves into how identity formation influences behavior, socialization, and relationship development. It discusses creating environments for powerful interactions, emphasizing the importance of presence, valuing individuals, and facilitating extended learning. The essay identifies four key areas for managing interactions: labels, positive verbal communication, descriptive language and feedback, and active listening. It provides examples of how educators can use these strategies to foster self-esteem, encourage positive behaviors, and build strong relationships with children. The assignment draws on various sources to support its arguments and provides practical insights into effective communication techniques.

Running head: COMMUNICATIONS 1: INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCIES
Communications 1: Interpersonal Competencies
Name of student
Name of University
Author note

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COMMUNICATIONS 1: INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCIES
Table of Contents
Identity formation............................................................................................................................3
Ways of creating an environment of powerful interactions.............................................................4
Four major areas for powerful interactions.....................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................7

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Assignment 4
Identity formation
The formation of identity is essential to understand own behaviors and attitudes,
furthermore facilitate the socialization process and allow people to make powerful interactions
through better learning, communication and development of relationships. The formation of
identity is essential for understanding who the person actually is, their characteristics, self
esteem, etc. The identity formation is based on perceptions of the people who describe own self
and at the same time, reflect on their own identity according to the gender, race, sexual
orientation culture, family, race, religion, etc (Dombro, Jablon & Stetson, 2011). The identity
formation makes clear representation of the story of a person’s life along with association with
other individuals and developing relationships with them such as parents, friends, relatives,
colleagues, etc.
There are various influences on identity including the gender and cultural aspects. It has
been seen that the children prior to entering into the elementary school often are guided by the
educators to understand what it means to become a proper boy or girl and how to make progress
with study and learning. The identity formation is facilitated with the process of self socialization
and allowing them to label themselves to become stable (Blaustein & Kinniburgh, 2018). The
use of environmental cues further could allow the children to gain relevant information that
could represent being a boy or girl, while the gender schemas are also considered as useful all
throughout. Identity formation is based on gender constancy that can be managed through
playmates communicating, people behaviors, values, activities while the environment is essential
for defining the gender roles and creating a healthy educational environment where interactions

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with the children are possible. The teachers should also guide the children in the right direction
and make the boys understand about being more physical, exploratory, aggressive and
independent while making the girls learn to become dependent, sociable and obedient, which are
basically the general traits and behaviors of individuals while identifying themselves (Erozkan,
2013). The maintenance of a good culture can also reflect each others’ identity and origin and
present about their behaviors and attitudes towards acting in responsible ways, in spite of being
either male or female.
Ways of creating an environment of powerful interactions
The identity formation is important as an early learning educator, because it improves the
self esteem and self dependence skills, which can further contribute to the management of social
interactions and understanding the most important values, morals and beliefs in life too. The first
step in Powerful Interaction is to be present, i.e., to understand how one is feeling and this will
assist the learning educator to make adjustments for fitting with the child. During the second
stage, the learning educator should act in such a manner that the child think that he or she had
been valued by the educator, furthermore making the child feel more confident, safe and open to
learning (Squires et al., 2014). The last stage is to manage extended learning where connection is
established between the child and the educator to facilitate development of skills, knowledge and
expertise to progress in their career.
A person would be able to be present when he or she should gain the interest to study and
learn. The learning educator could enable story telling in the classrooms to make them anticipate
something great and at the same time, life their morale and take up challenges responsibly. Te

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stories could make the children obtain relevant experience and shape those to make discoveries
through discussions (Domitrovich t al., 2017).
The second step enables maintaining connection with the children and makes them
understand that they are being valued by the educator. This could be an effective way to connect
with the children and establish good relationships, furthermore make them feel more confident
and secure to take up learning approaches and remain open to learning (Wilson, 2017). This is an
effective approach to extend their knowledge and skills while their ability to make decisions and
choices could be improved too.
The extended learning is the final step where strong communication is managed, which
enhances the individual’s ability to communicate verbally and non-verbally as well as design
their skills in such a manner to foster better learning and make progress.
Four major areas for powerful interactions
The four major areas for managing powerful interactions include labels’ usage, positive
verbal communications, descriptive language and feedbacks and active listening. The positive
verbal communications are establishing by sharing messages and information with the children
so that they can respond positively and it is the first step to develop self esteem. It could create
better physical awareness and enhance their general and specific capabilities to read, walk, learn
and gain faith on the educator too (Murray 2017). They would learn the values and beliefs and
become competent through consideration of their interests based on the conversations done.
The use of labels includes certain terms such as sweetie, pretty, cute, smart, gifted,
tomboy, mean, etc. The labels are communicated with the children by the educator though
communication, which can make the children perceive themselves, furthermore understand how

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to fulfill their roles and responsibilities appropriately (Massey, 2017). In case the children are
negatively labeled, it can be a de-motivating factor, which can lower down their morale and
make them feel less interested. The negative labels such as mean, helpless and other terms can be
replaced with energetic, persistent, etc. to keep hem encouraged and interested while the
strategies implemented should create more scopes and opportunities for the children to learn and
study. The responses of theirs should be considered and acknowledging their feelings are also
important for establishing good relationships and creating positive mindsets too (Cote & Levine,
2014).
The active listening enables gaining knowledge or learns various skills and knowledge
from listening rather than just talking. It goes much beyond just listening, but also understanding
the views and opinions of the individual who has been speaking, furthermore understanding the
speakers’ thoughts and feelings in own words. This can allow the listener to set examples of
what the speaker said and furthermore reflect upon the remarks or feedbacks provided by the
speaker. The active listening procedure enables understanding the feelings of a person, reflecting
upon his behavior, checking out the perception and then the learning educator can give the child
sufficient amount of time to provide a suitable response (Curtis., 2012). The main purposes of
managing active learning include gaining ownership of the issue; develop relationships with the
children and reducing the chances of issues and problems that the child might experience.
Descriptive languages and affirmations mean allowing the children to understand that
their activities are monitored and providing affirmation to facilitate positive behaviors. The
broadcasting or play-by-play approaches are effective approaches to affirmation while it could
make them feel more interested and secure through intrinsic motivation. Providing positive

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feedbacks to their activities could influence them to engage in participation and trust would
develop between them and the learning educator (Dombro, Jablon & Stetson, 2011).
Examples of demonstrating language that shall be used
Examples include appreciating the children for their work by praising their performances
for something. These could be positive feedbacks provided and these include:
“You have done quite better from last time”
“You have done so much for me dear”
“You are quite helpful dear and you have also picked up the blocks properly and stacked those
on shelf”
The use of children’s names on songs has been effective for making them feel inetersted
and special for developing a sense of trust between the educator and children. The examples are
as follows:
Willaby Wallaby Woo
Good morning songs
Ickity Bickity Bumblebee

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References
Blaustein, M. E., & Kinniburgh, K. M. (2018). Treating traumatic stress in children and
adolescents: How to foster resilience through attachment, self-regulation, and
competency. Guilford Publications.
Cote, J. E., & Levine, C. G. (2014). Identity, formation, agency, and culture: A social
psychological synthesis. Psychology Press.
Curtis, D. (2012). Helping Children to See Themselves and Each Other. Really seeing children
Dombro,A.L., Jablon, J., & Stetson, C.(2011). Powerful interactions: how to connect with
children to extend their learning. Washington,DC: NAEYC
Domitrovich, C. E., Durlak, J. A., Staley, K. C., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Social‐emotional
competence: An essential factor for promoting positive adjustment and reducing risk in
school children. Child development, 88(2), 408-416.
Erozkan, A. (2013). The Effect of Communication Skills and Interpersonal Problem Solving
Skills on Social Self-Efficacy. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 13(2), 739-
745.
Massey, K. (2017). The Power to Fight Bad Guys and Lift Heavy Things. Storytelling in the
classroom Exchange.
Murray, G. (2012). Creating a Culture that Acknowledges the Power of Words. Intentional
language exchange.
Squires, K. E., Lugo‐Neris, M. J., Peña, E. D., Bedore, L. M., Bohman, T. M., & Gillam, R. B.
(2014). Story retelling by bilingual children with language impairments and typically
developing controls. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders,
49(1), 60-74.

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Wilson, A. (2017). Honoring the essential self. Exchange Press, Inc.