Why Attachment Matters?
We know as teachers you will more than likely be aware of the amazing work, research, and insight that John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, alongside other famous psychologists/neurologists such as Sigmund Freud, have provided us with.
This is fundamentally one of the most important aspects of learning and will give you so much understanding of why some of the children in your classrooms act the way that they do due to how they attached in their early years to primary caregivers.
This article/research is one of the many out there that will help you learn about attachment and why it matters.
We all have our own unique attachment style and this shapes how we view the world and make relationships with others later on in life.
The Attachment Styles
Secure
- Can trust fairly easily.
- Is attuned to emotions.
- Can communicate upsets directly.
- Leads with cooperative and flexible behaviour in relationships.
Anxious
- Has a sensitive nervous system.
- Struggles communicating needs directly.
- Tends to “act out” when triggered.
Avoidant - Dismissive
- Downplays importance of relationships.
- Is usually extremely self-reliant.
- Can become more vulnerable when there is a big crisis.
Avoidant - Fearful
- More dependent in relationships than avoidant – dismissive.
- Strongly fears rejection.
- Has low self-esteem.
- Has high anxiety in relationships.