Should I Be A Preschool Teacher? Quiz

Children generally want to please adults. They don’t mean to be bad, to upset others, or try to get a rise out of their grownups. Children lack language skills to adequately address their emotions and needs, and they use physical behavior to help them “fill in the gaps” and to communicate. Figuring out what a child is trying to communicate is usually the key to ending the unwanted behavior. Offering the child the language to express their feelings can help them avoid the behavior in the future. For example, if Jimmy takes Bobby’s toy a and Bobby hits Jimmy, a teacher might say, “Bobby, you didn’t like when Jimmy took your toy. Can you tell him, ‘I don’t like when you take my toy.’?”

Children need to learn correct behavior and sometimes that means removing a child from an area or a toy that they use inappropriately until they can demonstrate that they can use it correctly. The teacher should not set a time limit away from the toy or area. Rather, allow the child to be in control of when he is able to return: when he can demonstrate appropriate behavior.

It is never ok to hit or hurt a child in any way to “teach” a lesson. Using redirection to interrupt unwanted behavior often works well. Engaging the child in another activity is usually all it takes to end the door swinging. And we never “diagnose” a child in our classroom.

Children need consistency and reinforcement to learn rules and proper behavior. It is confusing if different teachers allow different behaviors or enforce rules sporadically. Rules at home and school don't have to match, but whatever the rules are should be consistently enforced.

The word “discipline” comes from the latin for teaching or learning. The goal of a teacher’s response should be to teach the child the correct ways of behaving and expressing himself – not to punish.

If you understand the developmental needs of the children in your care, you can plan their environment to best meet their needs. Prevention, coupled with natural consequences, logical consequences, redirection, and reinforcement can minimize challenging behavior in the classroom.

Lesson: Unless a child will be physically harmed by not wearing the coat (which is extreme frost bite weather) there is no need to battle over out-wear. Children can carry coats outside in case they decide they are cold. There is no reason to give in to “old wives tales” that being outside in cool weather leads to colds.

Never physically force a child to eat. A child who is not eating may be distracted, may not be hungry, may feel sick, or may not like the food (among other reasons). Send the food home so parents can see what their child is eating and assess the concern.

Prevention is a large part of behavior management. If rooms are arranged so that children can run through the room, they will and there will be accidents and chaos. Arrange rooms so materials are at children’s eye level and within their own reach. Use furniture to create “centers” with enough room for children to engage in the activities of the center, and in a way to “cut up” the large open spaces so that children naturally walk in the spaces.

Along with pre-planning room lay-out, teachers need to be thoughtful about their daily schedules. Too many transitions can feel chaotic and be difficult for young children to manage. Minimize room and schedule changes if possible.