Final answer:
The educator is using the tool of proximity to offer support and reassurance to the student, which is a non-verbal strategy to build connection and reduce anxiety.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tool that an educator is using when they sit close to a child and calmly talk to them in a reassuring tone, allowing them to feel their presence, is proximity. This approach is about physically being near the student to offer support and reassurance. Proximity is a strong non-verbal tool which can help reduce anxiety and build a connection between the teacher and the student. It is a strategy that encompasses human connection and can have a calming effect on students. It's often used in everyday classroom situations to start conversations about routine matters, such as whether a student has washed their hands or finished their homework, as well as during structured observations like those in the Strange Situation by Mary Ainsworth, which evaluates attachment styles through observation.