Friday, 22 November 2019
Some Important Rules for Children That Every ECE Teacher Must Teach
Children can only grow and learn if they have freedom. However, child safety is also important. It may sometimes become difficult to handle toddlers if they are not taught restraint. Here are a few things ECE teachers can teach children to keep them safe.
1. Always Remember Your Address:
Make sure all your students memorize their house address and their guardian’s phone number. They should be able to easily share this information during any emergency. Children have a habit of wandering off. So, it is best to get them to learn important information.
2. Do Not Let Your Students Walk Off Alone
Young children should always have firm boundaries. They should never be allowed to walk off without adult supervision. This rule may change as the child grows but should be strictly implemented when they are young.
3. Rules About Talking to Strangers
Every child should be taught this basic rule. Never speak to strangers, never get into a car with a stranger and never accept anything from strangers.
4. Stay Put When You are lost
If a child gets separated from her parents, she must learn to stay put instead of running around hysterically. This will make it easier for the parents to locate her. Children usually get lost in big stores. They must be taught to seek help from a mother with children or from a store assistant.
5. Fire
Children are curious by nature, but they should learn that it is not okay to play with fire. Flammable materials and cigarette lighters should always be kept away from the reach of children.
6. ClimbingoverFences
Children should know that fences should not be breached. If a child’s ball goes over the boundary, she must be taught not to impulsively climb over the fence to retrieve it but instead should inform an adult. It is dangerous to go over fences. Moreover, you never know what’s across the boundary.
7. Never Let Anyone Touch You
You must teach your student from a very early age that secret touching is wrong. You do not have to get the point across by making it frightening or too descriptive. Use simple terms and make the child understand that no one has the right to touch her body. Children must also be taught to tell their teachers or parents if such an incident occurs.
8. Putting Personal Information on the Web
Apart from teaching children, the parents must also be advised to refrain from posting too many pictures and personal information of the child online. Criminals can easily track their whereabouts through pictures.
9. Instinct
Always teach children that if something does not feel right to them, then it probably isn’t. Teach them to trust their instinct and encourage them to not follow their friends blindly. Every human is born with a gut feeling and can know instantly when something is not right. They must be taught to say ‘no’ when they are uncomfortable.
Every ECE teacher must teach these basic safety rules to their students. Apart from explaining these rules, the teachers must also stress on honest and open communication.
1. Always Remember Your Address:
Make sure all your students memorize their house address and their guardian’s phone number. They should be able to easily share this information during any emergency. Children have a habit of wandering off. So, it is best to get them to learn important information.
2. Do Not Let Your Students Walk Off Alone
Young children should always have firm boundaries. They should never be allowed to walk off without adult supervision. This rule may change as the child grows but should be strictly implemented when they are young.
3. Rules About Talking to Strangers
Every child should be taught this basic rule. Never speak to strangers, never get into a car with a stranger and never accept anything from strangers.
4. Stay Put When You are lost
If a child gets separated from her parents, she must learn to stay put instead of running around hysterically. This will make it easier for the parents to locate her. Children usually get lost in big stores. They must be taught to seek help from a mother with children or from a store assistant.
5. Fire
Children are curious by nature, but they should learn that it is not okay to play with fire. Flammable materials and cigarette lighters should always be kept away from the reach of children.
6. ClimbingoverFences
Children should know that fences should not be breached. If a child’s ball goes over the boundary, she must be taught not to impulsively climb over the fence to retrieve it but instead should inform an adult. It is dangerous to go over fences. Moreover, you never know what’s across the boundary.
7. Never Let Anyone Touch You
You must teach your student from a very early age that secret touching is wrong. You do not have to get the point across by making it frightening or too descriptive. Use simple terms and make the child understand that no one has the right to touch her body. Children must also be taught to tell their teachers or parents if such an incident occurs.
8. Putting Personal Information on the Web
Apart from teaching children, the parents must also be advised to refrain from posting too many pictures and personal information of the child online. Criminals can easily track their whereabouts through pictures.
9. Instinct
Always teach children that if something does not feel right to them, then it probably isn’t. Teach them to trust their instinct and encourage them to not follow their friends blindly. Every human is born with a gut feeling and can know instantly when something is not right. They must be taught to say ‘no’ when they are uncomfortable.
Every ECE teacher must teach these basic safety rules to their students. Apart from explaining these rules, the teachers must also stress on honest and open communication.
Friday, 15 November 2019
Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Helping a Pre-Schooler Avoid Learned Mistakes
If you are an experienced early childhood education teacher, you must have already discovered that while some learning comes
easy and immediately, other kinds of learning are tough and require repetition.
A very important thing that you must realize, is that "unlearning" mistakes
is difficult and should be avoided.
This does not mean the child should not make any
mistakes. The truth is that mistakes are also important, but learned mistakes
should be avoided. Mistakes should not be repeated without being corrected.
When children are constantly made aware of their mistakes, they tend to learn
from them and get better.
![]() |
Image Courtesy: Pixabay |
The Technique of Repetition and Its Significance:
According to research, a human brain learns skills
related to survival more easily than other kinds of skills like for example the
reaction to touching something hot. The primary purpose of the brain is
survival, learning non-survival skills is a difficulty for the human brain. The
significance of making use of "brain-friendly" methods with the
child, is hence important. One such technique
is known as repetition or practice.
Repetition is necessary for several kinds of learning
to happen but the amount of repetition may vary. Three decades ago, educators thought
a skill could easily be learned by repeating it 4 to 7 times. However, recent research
has placed the figure much higher. It is now accepted that repetitions of 20 to
50 times are required to learn anything.
The good news is, preschoolers like redundancy.
They have a tendency to listen to the same music, read the same books and play
the same sport; every repetition tends to help learn vocabulary, skills, and
facts. However, mistakes that are practiced can become learned and may get
difficult to unlearn. It may take a teacher more than hundreds of right
repetitions for "unlearning" a mistake that has been learned. Basically,
it takes time to correct a bad habit.
How can early childhood education teachers
help their students?
It means that they should supervise everything
their students do and correct the mistakes lovingly when the mistakes do happen.
It is not a good idea to criticize the children for the mistakes they make. Directing
them gently to discover the right response and then awarding them is an extremely
successful technique. This also means you should not let the students work on workbooks,
worksheets or computer programs without close supervision. All such tools, when
used unsupervised, may cause the child to make mistakes. Preferably, you should
never utilize any of these with a preschooler. With just a little effort, you
can make sure that the students you are responsible for learn the right things
and do not make the same mistakes repeatedly. You are responsible for the learning
needs of the children and can easily prevent learned mistakes if you are
vigilant.
Early childhood education teachers play a very important role in ensuring their classroom
blossoms with new learning. With their expertise and knowledge, they can mold
young minds into becoming well-rounded individuals, helping them get better not
just in academics but also in every other sphere of life.
Monday, 23 September 2019
Educating a Child with the Help of Stories
It is not easy to
teach young children. However, it is an extremely important responsibility and
must not be delegated to an amateur. Making use of stories for teaching is an
effective method. When a teacher reads to children, he or she does not confine the
student to academic excellence but expands into their behavioral and emotional learning.
Here are a few reasons which explain why making use of stories for teaching is a good idea.
One of the best ways by which early childhood educators can teach is through storybooks. They offer a lot of insight and help a child grow.
![]() |
Image Courtesy: Pixabay |
Here are a few reasons which explain why making use of stories for teaching is a good idea.
The Child Will Not Feel Threatened or Bored
When the teacher
reads, he or she is able to tackle a particular situation in a very
non-threatening manner. What does threaten mean? Here are a few examples of some
phrases that are utilized when teaching a lesson:
"You must never
lie."
"You should
not be scared."
Normally, this is
said in an angry or accusatory tone. When there is finger-pointing, children
hear the disapproval and the whole situation gets tense. However, if one uses stories
for teaching, the blame is taken out and lesser emphasis is placed on problems.
Solutions are discussed in a positive way.
Working Towards "Cure" and "Prevention"
By making use of stories
for teaching, children can be helped through situations that they might be experiencing
at that time. It also helps teachers prepare the children mentally for
situations that could possibly arise. Children tend to gain a lot of indirect experience
from the stories that are read to them. For instance, teachers can read a book on
bullying to teach children how to handle such situations.
Children Look up to the Characters in the Stories
That Are Read to Them
Children tend to
connect with the story characters and like to relate with them. The teacher can
further ask questions like:
1. Can you relate to anyone in this story?
2. Do you think this character is like you?
3. Why do you like that character?
4. Is there any character you aspire to be?
Relate such
lessons to the child’s experiences and life. For instance, in the story of ‘The Three Little
Pigs’, you can ask the
child what he/she can do to make their house really strong.
Children Are More Likely to Remember a Story Than
a Reprimand
Scientists
believe that the assimilation of information inside a story is an extremely
natural brain process. To summarize, neuroscience has found out that our brain
is made in such a way that it organizes, retains and accesses information with
the help of stories. This means that teaching with the help of a story will
help little ones remember information more easily and they will also be able to
apply it effectively. Perhaps this is the reason why children can recite
dialogs used in their favorite shows with ease.
Permits Critical Thinking
One of the safest
ways for students to explore behavior and emotions are through stories. There
are numerous children books that teach children about the significance of holding parents’ hands when out. Thought-provoking questions related to the story will help in identifying feelings and problems.
One of the best ways by which early childhood educators can teach is through storybooks. They offer a lot of insight and help a child grow.
Friday, 23 August 2019
Early Childhood Education: How Has It Grown over the Years?
Since time immemorial,
education has transcended generations, sometimes in stereotypical ways. However,
as time progressed and knowledge became more complex, human beings created a multifaceted
education system comprising of an array of professionally trained individuals
working with a range of students. Within that framework, were certain practices
that have subsisted for over a century. These practices include the use of blackboards,
theoretical exams, grading and also the curriculum pertaining to different
courses.
The education system in the United States has a crotchet going
on, making it extremely generalized wherein each child has to pass through the same
series of levels to finally be called educated. This problem of ‘generalizing intelligence’ has defeated
the whole purpose of education, which was to teach, assist and support children
so that they can reach their potential and enjoy the education that is being imparted.
![]() |
Image Courtesy: Pixabay |
The early years of
the child are postulated to be the most significant years in his/her cognitive
and emotional growth. The skills and knowledge gained during this period become
the foundation of the child’s adult intelligence. Hence, it is extremely
important to equip children with the tools they need to learn these skills. However,
what has to be kept in mind is that every child is cognitively different from
the other. While some children may have stronger linguistic intelligence,
others may be more inclined towards music while still others could be
mathematically inclined.
Unfortunately,
most institutions and parents in the United States give precedence only to
linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence. In fact,
our society as a whole grades kids according to this prejudice, considering the
linguistically/mathematically intelligent kids as smarter. The truth is, every
child is built with different sets of strengths and weaknesses and has the
potential to be successful in different walks of life. Also, an education
pattern that may work for one child may not necessarily work for the other. Therefore,
there is a need for a customized approach.
The new early childhood education
courses for aspiring teachers are dedicated to altering conventions and revamping
the system to make it more children friendly. It aims at developing programs
that cater to the varying needs of the children, in turn, helping them reach their
highest potential.
The idea behind such
educational programs are to teach strategies to teachers that can help them decide
the starting point for the children and continuously help them raise the standard for themselves. The teachers are taught how to enhance a child’s self-confidence
by exposing him/her to their strengths rather than making them blindly compete with
their fellow mates.
The main objective of students should be to become the best they can be by setting the
bar higher each time they reach a particular goal. This makes the children do
well as they recognize that they are their only
competition and that they have the power to decide the pace of their own education
and set their own goals.
Hence, parents should be open to changes and
recognize the importance of making learning easy for their children. When the flow of information coming to the
children is through a stream that is easy for them to grasp, children will
learn and catch up quickly.
Tuesday, 23 July 2019
Creating an Impressive Resume: Tips for Kindergarten Teachers
There
is no career more fulfilling than teaching. It can be extremely rewarding in
every way to help children gain knowledge, build newer skills and become
appreciative of learning.
To begin
your journey as a kindergarten teacher or to get a job at a better paying
school, you should have ready an impressive resume. The tips given below can
assist you in writing an impressive resume that appeals to prospective schools
with the right information needed in order to make a decision in your favor.
![]() |
Image Courtesy: Pixabay |
1. Selecting an appropriate format
Select
a format that is most common in the teaching industry. The main reason why it
is best to use a commonly accepted format is that employers are well versed
with the template and can easily find the information they need without any
frustration.
Also,
make it a point to include all the main sections in the resume. The main
sections include heading, aim, education details, work experience, accolades,
and affiliations.
2. Using action keywords
Use
keywords that are industry-specific, typical of teaching like ‘age-appropriate teaching’
and ‘informal and formal assessments’. With such keywords, display your ability
to assist children in understanding concepts, solving problems, and building critical
thinking capabilities and your enthusiasm for meeting the expectations of the
school.
This
way you are able to direct your Curriculum Vitae toward a particular target.
Being vocal about your enthusiasm and passion for teaching will give you an
edge over the others.
3. Highlighting your accomplishments
Your accomplishments
are the creditable achievements that distinguish you from others, competing
with you for the same position. Other things being equal, your CV that
highlights appropriately your accomplishments would impress greatly the
appointing authority to consider you favorably for the position of early childhood education teacher.
4. Proofreading your resume
A resume
that has several errors is generally considered evidence of shabby work of a
shabby candidature. Probably you never even get a call letter for a one-on-one
interview. It would be a great pity to be out of the competition even before
entering the contest.
Never
put your own self at a disadvantage relative to others because of silly
mistakes you commit in your resume. Proofread your CV several times and make
sure someone else to does it for you with great care.
If
you are looking for a job as a kindergarten teacher, the first thing you have
to do, therefore, is to create a CV that will impress on your potential
employer. A CV can either help you grab a great opportunity or shut the doors
for you; if the latter happens, it will be of your own making.
Make
sure you write it with all your writing skills at play, and that should
compellingly appeal to prospective employers in order to call you for
interviews. Nothing can be more rewarding than the happy position that you can choose
from several job openings. Nothing can be more satisfying than the realization that
it is due to your well-written CV.
Monday, 24 June 2019
Importance of Preschool Activities
Imaginative preschool activities can help in laying a firm foundation for success in school
performance. Preschool is not just about fun and naps, finger painting, etc. It
is also about developing learning skills that enhance learning potentials through
appropriate activities.
Apart
from being fun, preschool activities promote skills that will help the kids in
all kinds of achievement throughout their adult life. Moreover, preschool
activities are launch pads for the visual development of children.
![]() |
Image Courtesy: Pixabay |
What can preschool activities develop?
Early childhood education
teachers can successfully make use of vision therapy activities for developing
skills like focus, convergence, visualization, tracking, visual memory, sequencing
and coding, and fine motor control.
It is
a proven fact that correct vision therapy exercises can develop such important skills
in preschoolers. Consequentially, they help achieve long-term success by offering
an edge over others. The creativity is in producing the therapies in fun tasks so that the little ones will do the required exercises, and make the most of the
overall experience.
Activities that help
After
in-depth researching, behavioral optometrists have come up with powerful fun
exercises, designed for capturing the enthusiasm and attention of young
children. They are intended to cultivate
the visual skills needed for achieving success in their educational career. Simple
techniques when applied smartly during games can result in exciting preschool
therapies. Such exercises do go a long way in assisting cognitive development
of children. Given below are a few such exercises.
1.
Musical Chairs
Musical
chairs help students sharpen their listening skill by testing how alert they
are in distinguishing between silence and sound. It teaches as well preparedness
for quick responses, self-regulation, and lightning-like reflexes.
2.
Hide and Seek
Hide
an object in the classroom and then give the kids specific instructions such as
these: “move two steps backward” or “walk towards something red”, to lead them
to the hidden object. This game not only reinforces listening skills but also
gives practice in carrying out verbal instructions. Furthermore, it has a wider
scope for teaching children colors, positional words, shapes and the like.
3.
Art and Craft
Coloring,
drawing, finger painting, cutting, and pasting are all art and craft exercises
that are designed to develop fine motor skills of preschoolers.
4.
Sock Puppets Show
Students
can come up with hand puppets created out of socks and together put up a show in
the class. Creating puppets helps again to develop fine motor skills. In
addition, talking to others with the puppet helps to develop communication and language
skills. It also helps in teaching children how to resolve conflicts using words.
Thus,
imaginative fun activities and games for preschoolers can develop powerful
skills in them. This is important in early
childhood education as it is capable of laying the foundation for all their
achievements later in their life.
A
note of caution: the fun activities and games should be designed carefully to
kindle real interest and fun in the children. If not the efforts made will not
lead to the expected outcome.
Thursday, 23 May 2019
Stress Relief for Preschoolers
There
was a time, when children from infancy to five years implemented natural stress
relief strategies with no special initiation into preschool stress support.
Women who stayed home to raise their family never felt the need for ‘special
strategies’ for coping with and managing anger of kids. Most adults just made
use of common sense to help the little one’s cope.
Due
to drastic changes in the external and internal environments today, preschool teachers require knowledge of modern stress relief techniques for
their young kids. Unfortunately, however, for lack of that knowledge, they
amplify instead of reducing the stress of the kids.
![]() |
Image Courtesy: Pixabay |
Definition of preschool stress
Preschool
stress is essentially a young child’s response to the spiritual, mental,
physical, and emotional demands made by situations. When the response is positive,
the child experiences eustress. On the other hand, when there is a negative
response, the child suffers distress.
Things stress relief should focus on
1. Preschool stress is not about the
teacher's demand on the child to make her/him sit quietly for the story circle.
It is the child’s response to the requirement. It is important that stress
relief focus on the response.
2. Preschool
stress is not about the teacher's attempt to make the child count 1 to 10. It
is the child’s response to the requirement. It is important that stress relief
focus on the response.
3. Preschool
stress is not about the mother's demand that the child stop crying at
preschool. It is the child’s response to the requirement. It is important that
stress relief focus on the response.
Preschool stress and stressors
Most
teachers confuse stressors with stress. Preschool stressors are certainly an
inescapable and inevitable part of the child’s life. However, it is important
not to view stressors as the reason of stress. The former are merely demands
made on the child to learn, cooperate, comply with, share, and more.
On
the contrary, preschool stress is the response of the preschool child to the
demands made on them. In case the child accepts demands willingly and
cheerfully, s/he will feel a sense of eustress. It releases endorphins, often
called ‘feel good chemicals’ into the bloodstream. There is no need for any
kind of stress relief for eustress.
However,
when the little one rejects and rebels against demands, a sense of distress
takes charge. It is a negative situation that causes the release of adrenalin into
the bloodstream. The child gets fearful or combative, and completely
non-compliant. There is a definite need for stress relief here.
The
primary reason for a child experiencing "distress" instead of
"eustress" is their internal response to giving up to control or not
having anyone in control.
Like
adults, preschool children also need control in their life. They also require
boundaries. However, they do not want anyone to take control of or dominate
over them. They prefer handling situations on their own.
The
popular expression "terrible twos" came from the ‘terrible’
developmental stage of two-year olds who cry aloud ‘no’ to any control,
throwing tantrums. At the same time, they require someone to cling to. The ECE teacher should understand this sensitive psychology of the
kids and help them feel reassured, not confused and stressed out.
Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Should Early Childhood Education be Academic, or Play-based?
Kids
perceive through all their senses all that happens around them. Every sensory experience
is an instance of some active learning for them. This is how they gain
knowledge of the world. Hence, it is important for early childhood education
teachers to include play-based educational activities in their curriculums.
![]() |
Image Courtesy: Pixabay |
Learning is better through play
Research
findings have proved the following:
- The preferred method of learning for a young child is through
movement.
- Play promotes creativity, better problem-solving ability and
improved levels of reading, and higher scores in IQ.
- Optimal learning takes place with the integration of all body
systems.
- Lessons experienced physically have an immediate impact, and
happen to be longer lasting.
- Retention of quality information depends upon the number of
senses utilized during the learning process.
There
is definitely a very strong connection between performance of physical activity
and mental associations.
With
all the mounting evidence, it is pretty clear that play-based learning is far more
superior in comparison to that through plain academics. Unfortunately, in spite
of the findings of such research studies, most educators continue to focus on
the need to ‘educate’ the child. Thus, preschoolers fill more sheets and
perform more seatwork. These were originally designated for first-graders or kindergartners.
Why learning through seatwork only?
A big
part of this tradition comes from the society's belief that brain functions are
more important than body functions. Moreover, many of us have lived with the misguided
belief that body and mind are two separate entities. Hence, schools continue to
train human minds through ears and eyes only.
The need to go back to basics
Early
childhood education teachers created in the past programs to meet the developmental
requirements of children. They believed that active play promoted active learning;
some of the play-based activities included:
- Stacking and sorting blocks and other such manipulatives
- Dancing and singing, or acting a story out
- Exploring outdoor areas, and growing plants
- Trying different roles and speaking to one another during
social studies classes.
However,
many parents and educators are in a hurry to feed children with as much
information as they can. This tends to affect the overall experience of
children.
The
truth is, children from kindergarten to third-grade should be more active in learning
because they're still too young to be forced to sit for hours. Conversely,
early childhood education happens to be less appropriate to all-round development.
Recent
research studies on the brain have confirmed what early childhood education teachers have
upheld for long: the body and mind are strongest when integrated rather than separated.
Physical activity helps in activating the cells of the brain much more than seatwork.
Sitting
can increase fatigue and decrease concentration. Movement helps in feeding oxygen,
glucose and water to the brain, enhancing its performance. Moreover, learning through
activity creates neural networks within the brain and all through the body,
making the whole body an instrument for learning.
Saturday, 23 March 2019
Advantages of Using Preschool Worksheets
Most children do
not have a chance to reap the benefits of preschool worksheets. However, for generations,
educators have been using worksheets for developing lingual, logical,
problem-solving and analytical skills.
The fact is kids
are quick learners during their formative years. For this reason, educators
give importance to training children in the age group of three to seven years,
as they can be molded easily to become confident learners.
![]() |
Image Courtesy : Pixabay |
Here are some benefits
of using worksheets:
1
Make easy foundational concepts
Imaginative
worksheets for children, created by professional teachers, can be utilized to
make English and Math concepts intriguing and easy, in a fun format.
2 Boost and
motivate
Completion of a
set of worksheets, rewarded every time by stickers for example, can boost and
motivate the interest of the kids.
3 Help kids express creativity
Coloring
worksheets offer the advantage of giving children the opportunity to give expression
to their imagination; at the same time, kids enjoy the use of colors as they
like.
4 Prove to be effective forms of learning
One worksheet a
day helps in keeping away the need for private tuition or extra help. Children
have a very little attention span. Every worksheet can be finished within seven
to ten minutes, and that leads to effective learning.
5 Improve learning potentials
Educationists prepare
worksheets according to the child’s level of understanding. Therefore, they are
a great way to enhance a child’s learning potentials. They help children apply
the knowledge they gain from their teachers in the classroom.
6 Can be customized
Worksheets for
children suit every group, and can be upgraded easily to match varying
applications and demands of each child.
7 Usable from a very early age
Worksheets are an
important resource for learning fundamental concepts, irrespective of the subject.
Therefore, it is a good idea for educators to start early with worksheets and
help children build a solid foundation.
8
Simplify the learning process
Educators use
extensively worksheets, especially the ones designed for children in preschool,
kindergarten, first grade and second grade. Following the right plan and
offering rewards at every level of completion help motivate the children finish
their tasks, and make the most of the process of learning.
9 Reinforce concepts
Preschool
worksheets are one of the best ways for reinforcing learning, which is done for
important subjects including, phonics and English, Math, GK, and life skills.
Most children today
are addicted to gadgets and digital devices, as the lure of the technology is irresistible.
It is important for them to keep away from the digital world, and activate brain-stimulating
activities. They need to be occupied in valuable lessons, transforming their
experiences of learning into these simple and creative fun sheets.
Worksheets serve enhancing
effectively students’ intellect and imagination simultaneously. They help as
well in improving the handwriting and finer motor skills of the children. Early childhood
education teachers themselves can
learn a lot by preparing suitable worksheets from the interactions they have
with the kids on a day-to-day basis. Learning is the other side of teaching!
Friday, 22 February 2019
Dealing with Disruptive Behaviors: Reflective Practices
Disruptive behavior in the classroom
is one of the primary concerns of teachers around the world. According to
statistics, more than forty per cent of childcare professionals quit their jobs
in just five years: they find it hard to handle unsettling behaviors in the
classroom.
Troublesome behavior is
essentially any kind of demeanor that acts as a threat to productive learning situation
as well as successful performance of a teacher. This definition is useful in
that it helps to make a distinction between the types of behaviors occurring
within the classroom. Here are a few ways in which a reflective practitioner
can handle such behaviors while teaching.
![]() |
Image Courtesy: Pixabay |
Reflect
on action before action
Take some time to ponder on
all common disruptive classroom behaviors you may have to face: distracting
other students during the class, gossiping, not following directions, showing
aggression, being rebellious and so on. This is extremely important to staying
proactive and planning strategies of management.
Thus, you are better prepared
to handle situations as you have reflected on action before action. Think
critically about your experience and personal knowledge of strategies utilized for
reducing disruptive behavior. You would do well to learn from the strategies
employed by senior colleagues in school.
Reflect
in action
When a disruptive behavior
happens right before your eyes, you need to reflect in action. Plans to handle
recurring behaviors like the ones mentioned above will be useful at times; when
you 'frame' the 'issue', think critically 'on the spot' about the context
(classroom), students, experience and personal knowledge of strategies employed
for preventing disruptive behavior.
You should follow the policy
of the school on handling disruptive behavior. Moreover, you need to be clear
about strategies to manage violent, confrontational or critical behaviors such
as using tools in a workshop as weapons of ‘war’, throwing tantrums thereby creating
anxiety in other learners, or showing defiantly no inclination to follow rules.
Understand the hidden message of violent communication
Almost
all behaviors are a way of communication, particularly disruptive behaviors.
However, violent communication of small children may be extremely difficult to
understand. To avoid such behavior, you
must try your best to understand the unclear and unknown message of such communication.
Patient perseverance is the key here.
Connect with all your students
Try
to connect with all the children so that they can build a strong relationship
with and trust in natural authority. This is important before you expect them
to display their best behavior. You can make a class behave using brute
authority, but the costs will be heavy.
That
might turn even a quiet child a ‘militant’. A warmer and stronger connect with
them will be more productive. The first reaction of the teacher after managing
the misbehavior must be to play more with the child, give quality time, and
make her/him feel important, relaxed and
at home in the classroom.
Evaluate the reaons
Evaluate the
reasons that caused the disruptive behavior. Was the class noisy? Was the group
time too long? Was the child hungry? Are there any disturbing issues at home
that the child faces? Is the child having a hard time establishing friendships?
A reflective early
childhood education practitioner will ensure a good connect with
all children, as they know they are being understood
properly with immense love and taken care of.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)