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I've been working with kids in a psychiatric instititute as a part of a class I am currently taking on art therapy. I am having a bit of a hard time, thus far. For the past two weeks, we've just been pairing up randomly with a child, and it seems like none of the kids want to be my partner. Next week, we will be officially paired by the staff's choosing (they try to choose personalities that will mesh together well from observing us and knowing the kids).

I'm a bit concerned that I am doing something wrong, or perhaps that I'm just not the type of person to be doing this sort of thing, since I'm very reserved, and the kids often gravitate to the more outgoing people in our class. I'm also the only one without any experience working in this way.

Does anyone have any experience working with kids like this or have any advice they can give me?

I realize I have to compromise, Ares. I'm doing my best. It's not that I'm opposed to being outgoing or fooling around, it's just that I'm not that great at it.

Some things don't come to people naturally. You'll have to push yourself. Try thinking of topics of conversation the night before. Maybe write about them a bit to get yourself prepared. You might want to look up some getting-to-know-you type games to play with the kids. Also, if you can, bring stickers. Kids will do anything for stickers. Find unique ways to express your personality that don't require a lot of extroverted behavior. I've always had teachers who wore a different tie every day to get kids' attention.

But what it all comes down to is that this is part of your learning experience. You'll have to assume the role that the kids like as much as possible. It is hard, but you may be able to set up some mental triggers to help you remember what to do and how to behave.

(By the way, I don't have a problem being outgoing, but my disorder does make it hard for me to display emotion on my face sometimes, so I have trouble getting kids to like me, too. I have to find other ways for kids to think of me as a warm and caring person.)

It sounds like you'll get the hang of things.



Absolutely. I've learned I can't force facial expressions. I have to use verbal means of expressing warmth and liking for a child, instead.

I have the joking problem too. I have a hard enough time putting together sentences quickly in my mind without people using sarcasm. But after a while, even casual aquaintences get used to that side of me and just think I'm silly.

When you make them happy, things go well. Praise works wonders, in that respect, as does SAlex's stickers.
On the topic of praise, stickers are a good way to express that, but indirectly... but soon they will know you primarily as a source of stickers, not as a "teacher". confused
I'm also a reserved guy, but a teaching setting, where there's a semi-formal boundary between teacher and pupil often opens up plenty of things. Involving yourself, as in your painting/art setting, can help thin the boundary.
I remember being a recess aide in a AS school, and the main idea was to make sure the kids don't thwack each other with bats. So, I keep them busy with other projects, be it swings or "bigToy"... To regress, keep a line of talking going, even if it's one-liners. You can't have their attention forever, since they're working on art, but as long they know your prescence and that they're welcome to talk...
I dunno. A year of recess duty... confused

Ok, I'll work on that. My conversation skills are pretty poor, but I don't think kids mind that quite as much, anyway.



All right. I was sort of doing this already, so it's good to know I was doing atleast one thing right!

This week, we got paired up with the kids we'll be working with for the rest of the semester. We actually got to choose, and I'm hoping I made the right choice, not for myself, but for the girl I am working with. She was really upset when we got paired up, and refused to work with anyone for about 45 minutes, so I just went around to the other pairs and worked with them for a few minutes each, hoping that the girl would eventually come over. She's five, so you can't really force her to do anything, or reason with her too easily, either.

She did eventually approach me, and subsequently had another fit over something I couldn't control, but after that, she calmed down quite a bit, and things went well.

The thing that gives me confidence with her is that apparently, I am the only person she has worked with thus far, other than my teacher, who took her on last week because she refused to have a partner. When we get working on the projects, she tends to focus very well, and, though sometimes grudgingly, she does talk to me. She's a very intelligent kid, and I'm hoping that I will be able to break through the walls she's put up atleast a little bit, to get to know her.