Promoting resilience is something that is a consistent focus within Mr. Azzur’s classroom. Because Mr. Azzur understands that young children develop and learn in the context of relationships. Mr. Azzur strives to maintain a trusting and caring teacher–child relationship as this is essential for children’s optimum development. Within his classroom, Mr. Azzur wants the children to feel comfortable taking risks, failing, and persist despite that failure until they reach a point at which solve the problem before them.
In Mr. Azzur’s classroom, you will hear the children express their feelings by saying things such as, “I am sad when you use hurting words!” Other times children can be seen showing empathy. One of the classroom children was observed walking over to another child and gently patting the second child on the head while saying, “Are you okay? Do you want to hold the teddy bear?” Moments such these did not occur overnight. It took time and effort for Mr. Azzur to create a classroom where scenes such these play out.
What got children to point where the needs of those around became important was thanks to two important concepts. These concepts are consistency and repetition. You may ask what was Mr. Azzur being consistent about and what was he repeating? It was a warmth, affection, respect, and caring demeanor around the children. Mr. Azzur exhibits this behavior no matter what is going on in the classroom.
Mr. Azzur will be seen displaying a pleasant facial expression throughout the day. He smiles when greeting children in the morning, says goodbye in the afternoon, and acknowledges children’s appropriate behaviors. Mr. Azzur always uses the appropriate tone of voice. His speech is at normal pitch and volume; his tone is relaxed and soft. Even when he must redirect a child’s behavior, he remains calm and warm to convey that his concern is with the behavior—not the child. Mr. Azzur will make sure to be physically close to the children and bend or crouches to be at the children’s eye level while talking to them. The families and colleagues of Mr. Azzur often overhear him using affectionate comments to show he cares: “I am so happy to see you this morning!” “I missed you yesterday.” He is careful to make such comments to all the children in his classroom. The result of this behavior from their teacher is the development secure relationships between children and Mr. Azzur.