FACILITATING STUDENT-TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS: KINDER TRAINING June Hyun, Seattle Pacific University

FACILITATING STUDENT-TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS: KINDER TRAINING June Hyun, Seattle Pacific University Abstract A meaningful student-teacher relationship has been considered an important factor in students success in school. When classrooms become more ethnically diverse and have more at-risk populations, support for teachers as they strive to build and foster meaningful relationships with students is necessary. Kinder training is a consultation model for teachers to facilitate their relationships with students in the classroom. Based on Adlerian tenets and the structure of filial therapy that have proved to improve child-parent relationships, Kinder training is recommended as an intervention tool for broadening teachers perspectives on students in class, increasing teachers self-confidence in classroom management skills, and fostering positive student-teacher relationships. Keywords: Kinder, student-teacher relationships Facilitating student-teacher relationships: Kinder training Research has proved that the student-teacher relationship plays a significant role in students success both in academics and social/emotional development. Ray, Henson, Schotterlkorbm, Brown, and Muro (2008) emphasized in their article the importance of student-teacher relationship by listing many studies that indicate the influence of a positive relationship between a teacher and students on the students academic achievement. In addition, difficulties in student-teacher relationships seemed to affect both the students academic success and social/emotional development negatively. According to Survey Reports done by National Center for Educational Statistics (NCER) (2007) through many years, K-12 classes have become more ethnically diverse. The percentage of ethnic minority has increased from 35.5 percent in 1995 (NCER, 1999) to approximately 43 percent in 2005. With the increase of ethnic minorities in primary and secondary classes, the concern is that the dropout rate in the ethnic minority remains still high, especially with the Hispanic population. While dropout rate decreased from 14.1 percent in 1980 to 8.7 percent in 2007, the dropout percentage in Hispanic population stayed at 21.4 percent from 35.2 percent. (U.S. Department of Education, 2009). While classes are ethnically more diverse and have more students at risk, and while underrepresented students are more likely to struggle academically, teachers perceptions on students do not seem to be positive. In the survey on pupil behavior in England (Department of Children, Schools, and Families, 2008), 42 percent of primary school teachers and 54 percent of secondary school teachers

reported that they felt the general standard of students behaviors worsened both marginally and substantially. There were some variances according to the length of teaching experiences and ages, but this thought was prevalent for all age groups of participating teachers. In the same study, more than 90 percent of teachers reported that they agreed they were well prepared for classroom management. However, only 36 percent of primary school teachers and 34 percent of secondary school teachers agreed that appropriate training is available for teachers in their school who are struggling to manage pupil behavior. Another interesting result of this study is that 68 percent of teachers agreed with the statement that negative pupil behavior is driving teachers out of the profession. It seems that a lack of training support and the results of inefficient management of negative pupil behaviors influenced teachers professional commitment negatively. The correlations between classroom management and teachers stress seemed to be internationally similar. There must be many other reasons for teachers to leave their profession, but it is important to note that challenges by students in the classroom play a significant role for teachers work stress. A study in Australia (Clunies-Ross, Little, & Kienhuis, 2008) showed that teachers spent a large amount of time on classroom management dealing with students misbehaviors, and teachers reactive classroom management strategies were correlated to increased stress. In the United States, a significant correlation between teacher stress and teachers negative relationship with students was found (Yoon, 2002). It must be dangerous to correlate between the increasing number of ethnically diverse students and at-risk children in class and teachers frustration in class. However, it is important to note that students from ethnically diverse groups and teachers are struggling in the classroom. Challenges that ethnic minority students face negatively affect their level of attainment, coupled with teachers somewhat negative perceptions in a challenging classroom environment; in this regard, much effort has been done in England to narrow the gap and provide more meaningful education. One of the factors that might contribute to higher achievement by ethnic minority students is positive attitude. Research (Wrench & Qureshi, 1996; Fitzgerald & Finch, 2000) indicated that, in England, a positive attitude toward education among both black Caribbean and Bangladeshi young men and their parents could play a significant role in their academic performance. In addition to providing a positive environment for students, so-called successful multiethnic schools strategies as responses to underachievement have included reviewing and strengthening the schools relationships with students, parents and the community, encouraging them to set high expectations for both teachers and students, and enriching a curriculum that is more culturally sensitive to their pupils (Blair & Bourne, 1998). In providing a positive environment and strengthening the relationship with the students, meaningful and positive student-

teacher relationships have proved to be a significant impact on students success both academically and interpersonally (Birch & Ladd, 1997; Burchinal, Peisner-Feinberg, Pianta, & Howes, 2002; Pianta & Stuhlman, 2004). Other researchers (Batcher, 1981; Goodenow, 1991; Harter, 1989) suggested that a positive student-teacher relationship can help students, especially ethnic minorities, engage in the classroom, feel supported, and achieve better success in academics and social/emotional development. As teachers expressed that there was not enough support for teacher skill improvement, it is important that teachers continue to receive training for improving relationships with students and feedback on their skills. One of the ways of helping teachers obtain support is Kinder therapy/training. Coming from the word kindergarten, Kinder training is a teacher consultation model aligned with Adlerian concepts in the structure of filial therapy (White, Flynt, & Draper, 1997). It s an ongoing consultation process led by school counselors to help facilitate a student-teacher relationship in-class for students success in school. Viewing teachers as therapeutic agents, Kinder training draws teachers into the center of the process of intervention in the classroom (White, Flynt, & Draper). Adler (1930) believed that children s behaviors play a critical role in achieving a level of satisfaction regarding their inherent sense of belonging to the society. To find their unique place for belonging in society, children shape their individual lifestyles and understanding from their interaction with the world; this is crucial to help them succeed. Play is children s universal language. In play therapy, a child s nonverbal and verbal behaviors help the counselor understand the child s purposes and interactions with the world. Based on these Adlerian tenets, school counselors and teachers are able to observe children s lifestyles and help them become who they truly are with a clear understanding of what each child strives for (White, Flynt, & Draper, 1997). Counselors trained in Adlerian play therapy use four basic skills: tracking, empathy, encouragement, and limit setting (Kottman & Johnson, 1993). The counselor s tracking of the child s behavior and restating the content let the child know that the counselor is paying attention to him/her. The counselor s techniques let the child know that their nonverbal and verbal behaviors are important to the counselor, which leads the child to trust the counselor and helps build a therapeutic relationship between them. The counselor s encouragement also helps build a relationship with the child. Emphasizing the efforts and the process rather than the results, encouragement in play therapy consists of respecting the child s assets, having faith in the child s abilities, and recognizing efforts and improvement. (Kottman & Johnson, 1993). In being recognized and encouraged by the counselor, the child s self-esteem and confidence are expected to increase.

The last skill of Adlerian play therapy is the counselor s attempt to teach limit-setting in a nonjudgmental manner for the purpose of helping the child learn boundaries. Mistaken goals are considered to be roadblocks for building positive relationships goals such as the desire for attention, the struggle for power, the need to retaliate through revenge, and the decision to withdraw (Dreikurs & Soltz, 1964). From the counselor s verbal language consisting of three steps: (a) reflecting the child s feelings, (b) acknowledging the purpose of the behaviors, and (c) helping the child generate alternative behaviors (Kottman, 1995), the child can feel that his/her feelings are validated and that their behavior is understood. In generating alternative behaviors and choosing one of them, the child ultimately can feel empowered. In addition, children are able to learn logical consequence of behavior through the counselor s limit-setting in play (Kottman). Basic Adlerian tenets understanding the purposes of behaviors and emphasizing encouragement and strengths are taught in filial therapy, developed by Guerney (1964) to help parents as therapeutic agents in the family. Structured in a 10-week program (Landreth, 2002), filial therapy utilizes a group format for parents to encourage one another and learn from other parents as well (Landreth). In the first two sessions, parents are introduced to the goals and objectives of the program. Parents learn the importance of play, reflective listening, and skills of communicating in an attempt to understand. They also get a chance to visit a playroom and learn tracking and empathy skills. In the third day, parents learn more skills through role-playing and video demonstration. After the third day, parents begin their sessions with one child at home. In the fourth session, parents are encouraged to share their experiences and learn a limit-setting skill through role-play, practice, and homework. In sessions five to nine, parents share their experiences with their child and receive feedback from others. In the last session, parents report their experiences and are encouraged to continue their special time with their child. Following filial therapy structures based on the fundamental tenets of individual psychology, Kinder training consists of the following steps (White, Flynt, & Draper, 1997): (a) the school counselor trains the teacher in basic principles of nondirective play therapy and Adlerian concepts (b) the school counselor models a play session with the identified child, while the teacher observes either in the playroom or from another location (c) with the school counselor present, the teacher interacts with the student utilizing play therapy techniques in the playroom

(d) the school counselor provides feedback to the teacher in the form of education and retraining which could serve to improve the teacher-child relationship in the classroom as well as prepare for the next play session (e) the school counselor connects Adlerian principles to the nondirective play techniques now mastered by the teacher (f) the school counselor provides follow-up sessions to maintain the continued successful application of this model (p. 39-40). In spite of its short presence in school, Kinder training/therapy has emerged especially in elementary schools, and research on its effectiveness burgeoning in the past 10 years. In a pilot study (White, Flynt, & Jones, 1999), six teachers received one-day training that included an overview of Kinder therapy, the importance of play in the healthy development of children, the basics of child-centered play therapy, the individual psychology concepts, and practice sessions. Then, those teachers practiced play sessions with a selected student for six weeks. Researchers conducted observation with four instruments in the teachers classrooms before and after training. The observation results indicated that teachers showed changes in their comments filled with more encouraging statements and goal disclosure statements to the students. And regarding the students, it seems that appropriate social skill behaviors tended to increase. Based on the similar structure of the pilot study done by White, Flynt, and Jones (1999), Draper, White, O Shaughnessy, Flynt, and Jones (2001), an expanded study was conducted to examine the impact on students as well as teachers. In an experimental design, the study examined the effects of Kinder training on students behavior, social skills, and early literacy skills in kindergarten and first grade students, in addition to teacher behavior in the classroom, using seven assessments, observations, and interviewsn. The participants were seven kindergarten teachers, four kindergarten paraprofessionals, three first grade teachers, and fourteen selected students in Georgia. The results showed that children s problem behaviors tended to decrease, adaptive behaviors were more likely to increase, and early literacy skills seemed to improve, based on teacher perceptions before and after the intervention. Moreover, teachers verbal encouragement that focuses on the process rather than the results increased, and their perceptions of children have broadened through the relationship built in the playroom during the training. Post, McAllister, Sheely, Hess, & Flowers (2004) explored the effects of child-centered Kinder training on at-risk preschool children. Child-centered Kinder training is based on child-centered play therapy rather than individual psychology. This study used 10-week filial training with nine teachers

from 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old classrooms to examine the effects of child-centered Kinder training on selected at-risk children s behavior and teachers play therapy applied skills such as following the child s lead, responding to feeling, returning responsibility to the child, responding to the child s efforts, and limit-setting. Using a quasi-experimental nonequivalence group design, the study indicated that children whose teachers participated in the training tended to increase positive behavior in class and show less anxiety and depression. In addition to showing increased empathy and appropriate classroom management skills, teachers reported that they felt their views on children had changed positively. A year after this study, a follow-up study (Hess, Post, & Flowers, 2005) was conducted to examine the differences between participating teachers and nonparticipating teachers on play therapy skills and empathy. There were no differences between participating and nonparticipating teachers on play therapy skills and empathy in the classroom. However, Kinder training was effective on teachers perceptions on self-confidence even in the long-term. While teachers play therapy applications in class tend to diminish in the long run without continuous consultation, teachers perceptions are more likely to become positive and holistic by Kinder training. The results of Solis (2006) study on African-American preschool teacher perceptions were consistent. Solis studied teachers perceptions of the process, effectiveness, and acceptability of Kinder training using a qualitative method with six African-American preschool teachers in the southeastern United States. The participants reported that they felt children s self-esteem improved and their on-task behaviors increased. The participating teachers also indicated that Kinder training is acceptable as a preventive intervention for preschool students. While a necessity of additional training and deeper understanding of Kinder training was considered to enable better service for students, the impact of Kinder training on a student-teacher relationship and improvement of child competencies seemed to be very promising (Draper, Siegel, White, Solis, & Mishna, 2009). Ray (2007) found that teacher-student relationship stress significantly decreased in three groups that received child-centered play therapy only, teacher consultation only, and both child-centered play therapy and teacher consultation. The study was conducted with 93 students and 59 teachers from three elementary schools in southwestern United States. Teachers selected students who they felt have emotional and behavioral difficulties in the classroom. Doctoral-level counselors did teacher consultation for ten minutes every week, completing eight sessions. In the last 10 years, approximately 10 empirical studies were published on the effects of Kinder training on teacher, students, and the student-teacher relationship. It is evident that Kinder training (a) helped teachers look at students from more positive and holistic perspectives and improve their

classroom management skills, (b) tended to facilitate a positive student-teacher relationship, and (c) played a significant role in decreasing students inappropriate behaviors and increasing positive appropriate social skills. Crane and Brown s study (2003) examining the effectiveness of an undergraduate human services course based on Kinder training consisting of Landreth s 10-week filial therapy model and Adlerian principles on the undergraduate students attitudes and empathetic behavior toward children indicated that Kinder training could be implemented in the pre-service teacher programs. The result of the study (Crane & Brown) showed that the training based on filial therapy and Kinder training significantly improved the undergraduate s knowledge of play therapy. In addition, the undergraduates in the study demonstrated empathy and increased a positive attitude toward children. As continuous efforts to support teachers as they seek to be more effective therapeutic agents in classroom, Helker, Schottelkorb, & Ray (2007) developed a CONNECT Model, an intervention model of applying child-centered play therapy to classrooms to facilitate a positive student-teacher relationship. CONNECT Model consists of the followings: Convey acceptance through words and actions Offer understanding by reflecting feelings and wishes Notice child s behaviors and actions Negotiate choices Encourage self-esteem Communicate limits by ACTing (Acknowledge the feeling, Communicate limits, and Target the alternatives) Trust yourself to be genuine (p. 37) Teachers can learn skills through in-service training with administrators and other school staff, teacher consultations, and school counselors classroom guidance. In this model, school counselors play an active role as a change agent by providing consultation with teachers and administrative staff. Teachers can be more active therapeutic agents with assistance of school counselor. Conclusion In past 10 years, characteristics of classrooms have changed. Not only have students in primary and secondary schools been more ethnically diverse and challenges students have faced have had more layers in them, but teachers frustration has grown with classroom management challenges and a lack of support. Kinder training based on the filial therapy structure and individual psychology has emerged in the U.S. as support for teachers in getting connected with students and has promoted a meaningful

classroom relationship. Research over 10 years has shown that Kinder training had influence in increasing students positive behaviors, changing teachers perspectives more positively, improving teachers classroom management skills, and reducing teacher-students relationship stress. Kinder training is a hopeful tool for fostering student-teacher relationships for students success in class. While filial therapy s, whose structure and basic skills are foundations for Kinder training, has proved to be significantly effective with ethnically diverse populations in improving child-parent relationships and increasing positive behaviors of children (Glover & Landreth, 2000; Grskovic & Goetze, 2008; Solis, Meyers, & Varjas, 2004; Guo, 2005; Chau, Landreth, 1997; Yuen, Landreth, & Baggerly, 2002; Lee & Landreth, 2003; Jang, 2000; Edwards, Ladner, & White, 2007; Kidron, 2004), research on Kinder training with ethnically diverse populations is scarce. Research to examine Kinder training s effectiveness with ethnically diverse populations would be beneficial as a support for teachers in school. Moreover, a longterm effectiveness of Kinder training on teachers classroom management skills would help implement Kinder training in a school setting. Further, an evaluation on Kinder training implementation in preservice teacher programs might be wisely recommended as future research.

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