Positive Guidance: The Key to Effective Classroom Management 1. Slide: Introduction Welcome to Positive Guidance: The keys to effective classroom management. This course will focus on guidance techniques that you can implement in your classroom, based on principles of developmentally appropriate practices. We’ll take a look at the teacher’s role in guiding behavior, how development affects a child’s perspective of others and how they interact, how to help children become more independent and how to set limits in the classroom. We’ll take a look at the difference between guidance – which is generally more proactive, and discipline – which is more reactive. 2. Slide 2: Objectives As a result of this training, you will be able to: 1. Define 4 styles of caregiving and how they affect children’s behavior 2. Explain how cognitive development affects a child’s ability to relate to others 3. Define positive guidance. 4. Explain the difference between direct and indirect guidance. 3. Slide: Throughout the course you’ll occasionally be asked to answer some questions to assure your understanding. If you are unable to answer the questions correctly, you might want to back up and listen again. This will insure that you’re ready for the quiz at the end of the course. Before we begin, take a moment to print the handouts #1 and 2, found in this section. We’ll be referring to these throughout the course. 4. Slide: How course is organized Guiding children effectively requires three things: 1. Attitude: How you view children and their behavior and your willingness to use appropriate strategies at the right time 2. Knowledge: How you understand development and apply that knowledge to each child 3. Strategies: The practices that support positive guidance We’ll start by looking at our attitude towards children… 5. Slide: The teachers’ role The teacher’s role in the climate of a classroom is probably the most important thing! Have you ever heard the saying, “If mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy…”? It’s sort of the same with teachers. You really do set the tone for Positive Guidance: The Key to Effective Classroom Management© 1 www.texaschildcaretraining.com Please do not copy or distribute. For info regarding this course, contact: [email protected] your classroom, regardless of the age of the children you teach. Even infants will respond to your state of mind, whether you’re feeling uptight or relaxed as you care for them. Let’s take a look at what research tells us about different styles of caregiving. 6. Slide: Caregiving There are two dimensions of caregiving that affect how we interact with children. They are responsiveness and demandingness. 7. Slide: Responsiveness The first one we’ll look at is responsiveness. This describes the degree of support you give a child. We look at how you’re tuned in to the child’s developmental level and whether the child’s emotional needs are being met. Here are the behaviors that help us determine your responsiveness. • Warmth – This is the emotional expression of affection. The common thread in warmth is making it clear to a child through your interactions that you genuinely like him – regardless of your personal or cultural differences in expressing affection. We all have personal differences which determine the way we show affection to others – and children can adjust to your style as long as the warmth you exhibit is genuine and authentic. • A working knowledge of child development allows us to have realistic expectations of children of different ages. This includes all categories of development – physical, cognitive, social and emotional. • Partners in interaction – this is the belief that children have an important part in all our interactions with them, but at the same time knowing that adults always have a greater responsibility. We want children to have input and consider their ideas but also not give them so much weight in the decision making process that it creates unrealistic expectations or stress. • Communication style – The best communication style with children is open, validating, direct communication delivered with kindness, in a simple, firm and consistent manner. 8. Slide: Reflection 1 Take Handout #1 and let’s consider your interactions with children. Are you warm, do you understand what to expect from children at different ages? Do you communicate that you’re interested in hearing what children say and do you communicate kindness? Make a circle on the graph, estimating where you fit on the scale from low to high responsiveness. 9. Slide: Reflection 2 Then take a moment to reflect on this question, how do you communicate warmth to a child you have difficulty ‘liking’? Positive Guidance: The Key to Effective Classroom Management© 2 www.texaschildcaretraining.com Please do not copy or distribute. For info regarding this course, contact: [email protected] Remember, the most important thing in this situation is that the child has no idea of your personal feelings! This is a trait of an excellent teacher. 10. Slide: Demandingness Let’s move on to the second dimension of caregiving, Demandingness. This describes your overall views on control and looks at how you view the relationship with a child, based on your expectations of the child’s behavior. Here are some definitions of Demandingness: • Setting boundaries, limits, and expectations combined with warmth, understanding of child development • Giving explanations that make sense to children • Monitoring and supervising children, in addition to providing an orderly and consistent classroom environment and time schedule. • Implementing guidance and discipline strategies that are age appropriate and suitable for the children being taught and supervised. • The style of confrontation used as you face and cope with behavior that is clearly hurtful or inappropriate, such as name-calling or physical aggression. 11. Slide: Reflection Take a moment to make a circle on the graph, estimating where you fit on the scale from low to high demandingness. What are your expectations of children? Do you expect them to follow directions, without delay? Do you think they should be able to control themselves? 12. Slide: Quiz1 13. Slide: Answer 1 14. Slide: Authoritarian Style – Low in responsiveness and high in demandingness Now we’ll look at the different styles of caregiving. Your caregiving style is influenced by your beliefs, experience and education and it affects interactions you have with children. This will help you understand the parents of your children in your class, as well as your own parenting style, if you have kids of your own! When a person is low in responsiveness and high in demandingness, this indicates the Authoritarian style of caregiving. In this category, there’s an extreme value on obedience, with respect for authority. Caregivers feel that they are the “boss” and that children should conform to their demands without question. There’s an expectation that rules are there for a reason, that children should follow them without negotiation and if a child breaks a rule, they are punished. High standards of behavior are expected. Generally, authoritarian caregivers are not very emotional or affectionate and are often critical of children when they fail to meet their expectations. Positive Guidance: The Key to Effective Classroom Management© 3 www.texaschildcaretraining.com Please do not copy or distribute. For info regarding this course, contact: [email protected] 15. Slide: Effect on children So how does this style of caregiving effect children? Research tells us that children may have low self-esteem because they aren’t given the opportunity to think on their own. They feel pressure to conform or they’re afraid that they won’t succeed – which understandably would make them feel angry – and this leads to a tendency to act out. As children grow older, this type of caregiving style can lead to resentment of those in authority. 16. Slide: Permissive Caregiving Style: Low demandingness, high responsiveness In contrast to the authoritarian style, permissiveness is when you are low in demandingness and high in responsiveness. It’s an extremely relaxed approach where caregivers are generally warm, nurturing and affectionate. However, they are overly accepting of their children's behavior, good or bad. They feel their children are capable of making their own decisions with little adult guidance. Caregivers place few if any demands, rules or restrictions on children, and attempt to avoid arguments at all cost. They often use bribery as a means of controlling their children. Rewards such as treats; toys or gifts are used as a discipline approach. The adult is overly responsive to the child's demands, seldom enforcing consistent rules and often leading to a spoiled child. Children can easily manipulate and control their caregivers. 17. Slide: Effect on children So how does permissive caregiving affect children? At first thought, many would think that children would LOVE this style of caregiving, but that’s not so. Children need guidance, boundaries and structure – it gives them a sense of security and trust in their world. Research tells us this style leads to a lack of self-discipline. Because they are not asked to do things on their own and most whims are catered to, children often become self-centered and demanding, with a tendency to clash with authority. There is an inclination to be aggressive and act out. During the teen years, the lack of rules and boundaries can lead to difficulties for kids. 18. Slide: Quiz2 19. Slide: Answer2 20. Slide: Authoritative style: high demandingness, high responsiveness The authoritative style of caregiving is when a person is high in demandingness and high in responsiveness. Authoritative caregivers are warm and nurturing, using a communication approach that is simple, kind, firm and consistent. They understand child development and have realistic expectations of children’s behavior, based on their level of development.