Attachment for Teachers: An Essential Handbook for Trainees and NQTs

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Too often, attachment is seen as something only between a child and a primary carer - usually the mother. Initially, that can be the case, but it is by no means the whole story. Attachment develops as children get older.

You are going around, feeling no one understands you, thinking, ‘I’m all on my own. I can’t trust anybody. I can’t listen to anybody.’ And that sets you off on the wrong foot. And that would make you a difficult child to teach because you don’t trust the knowledge that comes from the other.” Teachers are very aware of drop-off in the morning, and separation, when the children are very young,” he says. “But what I would emphasise is that separation responses in the morning are much less meaningful than reunion behaviour at the end of the day. Insecure attachments develop if early interactions between a child and their parent or caregiver are more negative, more inconsistent or more insensitive. They can also develop if the parent is unresponsive, inappropriate or unpredictable. This can have unfortunate consequences for a child’s achievements in school. Insecurely attached children invariably have lower academic grades, have reduced social competence, are less willing to take on challenges and have higher levels of ADHD and delinquency. Separation anxiety – when separated from parent or carer the infant shows distress; and upon that attachment figure’s return, a degree of proximity- seeking for comfort.McDowell, N (2017) The association between adverse childhood experiences and educational outcomes among children ages 6-17. Thesis, Georgia State University ( pdf) Your accreditation is given value by the fact of over 150,000 people having attended APT training. See APT accreditation for full details. safe haven - returning to their primary caregiver for comfort and safety if they feel afraid or threatened

Create calm, predictable transitions. Transitions between activities can easily trigger a student into survival mode. Some teachers will play music, ring a meditation bell or blow a harmonica to signal it’s time to transition. The important thing is to build a routine around transitions so that children know: a) what the transition is going to look like, b) what they’re supposed to be doing, and c) what’s next.Recognize that a child is going into survival mode and respond in a kind, compassionate way. When you notice that a child might be having a difficult time, start by asking yourself, “What’s happening here?” rather than “What’s wrong with this child?” This simple mental switch can help you realize that the student has been triggered into a fear response, which can take many forms. We can see in gangs, and little clusters of children that get formed, where they feel so lonely that they then have to form relationships,” he says. It just takes one The signs of attachment issues can be similar to indicators that a child is experiencing other challenges, such as: Rose, J et al. (2015) Emotion coaching - a strategy for promoting behavioural self-regulation in children/young people in schools: a pilot study. The European Journal of Social and Behavioural Sciences, 13(1) pp.1767-1790 ( Open Access) The quality of implementation of social and emotional learning programmes was important for positive outcomes