2016 Volume 54 Issue 2 Pages 71-82
The purpose of this study is to clarify the process of building relationships between novice teachers and children through the pursuit of mutual understanding, and to find out if there is a turning point or a determining crucial factor in the process. The researcher interviewed Mr. Koichi (a novice teacher) about his understanding of Taiki (a 4-year-old-boy) once a month, from May 2013 to March 2014. The process was classified into following five stages, namely: 1) the mutual repulsion stage; 2) the confusion stage; 3) the stagnation stage; 4) the conflict stage; and 5) the acceptance stage. In conclusion, it was suggested that building mutual understanding with children was influenced by the teacher's past experiences and by the ability of the teacher to control his own emotions. It also became clear that the turning point for building the relationship varied when the teacher had a strong motivation to understand child's mind more deeply.
