The Power of First Impressions - A Moment of Trust in the Classroom

One of the standout moments in my teacher training year came from spending time with a TA in the early years classroom I had been assigned to. 

It was just after October half term, and a new child had started. Due to health reasons, he was unable to start with the rest of the class in September.

Having missed out on all the stay-and-play sessions and not attending the same nursery as some of the class, naturally, the young boy arrived feeling very nervous (as were his parents).  

We all know how busy and chaotic life in the early years classroom can be and the class teacher was having to deal with an incident in another class. 

Sensing the nerves seeping out of the young boy and his parents, Helen, the teaching assistant in the class, said, “Your son will be absolutely fine, he is in safe hands. Before we introduce him to the other children, I would like it if I could be first friend.” She then pulled out one of the tiny chairs you find in early years (you know the kind that leave you with backache for days if you lean forward too much) and said, “Hello, I’m Helen. I’m here to help you whilst you are in this class. I would love to know your name.”

The young boy who had been holding onto his mum’s trouser leg, began to let go and went and sat on Helen’s knee. “I’m Jacob,” said the boy. 

I then watched (somewhat open mouthed) along with Jacob’s parents, Helen give her undivided attention to their son. She found out he had a rabbit called Chester and that his favourite drink was strawberry milkshake. Helen helped Jacob relax, I watched as the nerves seemed to sink away, and he began to smile and look around at the rest of the classroom. Helen didn’t rush. She didn’t hurry Jacob for any answers. She didn’t take her eyes off him. She just let him know she was there. She let him trust her.

After some time, Jacob jumped down off Helen’s lap and said to his parents, “Look Mummy, I have a friend!” He then grabbed Helen’s hand and began to walk towards some of the children in his class. 

The lesson?

Never be too busy to develop trust in a relationship with your pupils. Helen knew exactly what to do in that moment, yes it comes from years of experience, but it also comes from a place of kindness and patience. Something we all can cultivate because the impact she made in that moment lasted for many years to come.