It takes confidence to turn everyday interactions into Powerful Interactions. To be present, you have to be willing to step back, take an honest look at yourself, and adjust to the children rather than expecting them to always adjust to you. When you are confident, you trust yourself to make decisions about how to connect with each child, even those who push your buttons. And finally, with confidence, you will try a new strategy to extend a child’s learning, observe to see how the child responds, and make modifications when necessary. Confidence comes from reflecting on what you do and acknowledging the importance and effectiveness of your work. Imagine this! You're watching football or basketball on TV. Thanks to instant replay, you see pivotal moments in the game replayed again and again, as commentators analyze each little action in the quarterback’s touchdown throw, the outfielder’s spectacular catch, or the tennis player’s amazing serve. What would it be like if the important work you do as a teacher was given this same kind of attention? After all, what you say and do with young children influences how they feel about themselves, their attitude toward learning, how they develop, and what they learn. What more important “game” is there than helping to shape the person a child grows up to be! And what if, like that quarterback, outfielder, or tennis player, you could watch and analyze instant replays of your interactions with children as a tool for further improving your already-expert performance? We invite you to share your stories with us. It’s one way of playing back what you do and say during your interactions with children. (You’ll find others in our book.) You can reflect on the decisions you make, appreciate your skills, see how new strategies are working for you, and consider ways to refine your practice. You can learn from others. Stories are powerful forces of growing, learning and change. We look forward to hearing your stories and sharing your “voice from the field” in features to be developed for visitors to this page. Here’s what a few teachers told us about having Powerful Interactions with children: Having Powerful Interactions helps me know my students so much better. Powerful Interactions have really opened my eyes! Now that I'm more purposefully connecting, I can respond more effectively to individual children. And, I'm often surprised by how much children know. (Liane) When I sit with a child now, I am really concentrating on what the child is doing. I am more engaged and it seems like the children are more engaged too. (Kim) Now that I’m being more intentional, I am really taking the time to focus on a child. Having Powerful Interactions is a way to "raise the bar" with each child, which I have always believed to be an important part of my job. (Diane) Since you introduced me to Powerful Interactions, my assistant and I find that we are teaching with intent rather than on autopilot. The result is that we have a greater understanding of each individual child's development and can respond in ways that are appropriate for them. (Corrine) These stories are positive and speak to the some of the potential positive impact of Powerful Interactions. We are grateful to these teachers for sharing their experiences and launching this feature on our website. In the weeks and months to come we invite them and you to share other stories about Powerful Interactions in your setting. Stories of success, challenges and lessons learned … all are welcome. Amy, Judy and Charlotte