Online Companion: A Guidance Approach for the Encouraging Classroom, 4e

Chapter 11

APPLICATION ACTIVITIES

Application activities allow students to interrelate material from the text with real-life situations. The observations imply access to practicum experiences; the interviews, access to teachers or parents. Students may compare or contrast observations and interviews with referenced ideas from the chapter.

  1. When is intervention necessary?
    1. Observe an instance when a teacher chose to intervene in a situation. How do the apparent reasons for the intervention correspond to the reasons for intervening presented in the chapter?
    2. Interview a teacher about the reasons she has for when to intervene. Compare your findings with the reasons given in the chapter.
  2. Four methods of crisis management.
    1. Observe an incident when a teacher intervened in a crisis. Were the methods the teacher used any of the four mentioned in the chapter? Why or why not? In what ways did the intervention help to resolve the crisis?
    2. Interview a teacher about how she uses calming techniques during conflicts. Ask about this crisis intervention method and other methods the teacher uses when children's emotions are running high. How are the teacher's views similar or different than the text?
  3. Comprehensive guidance with Level Three mistaken behavior.
    1. Discuss with a teacher how she worked with fellow staff, or other professionals, to help a child overcome Level Three (serious) mistaken behavior. Referring to the chapter which steps of the comprehensive guidance were formally or informally followed? How was the child's family involved?
    2. Interview a teacher who worked successfully with a parent to help a child overcome Level Three mistaken behavior. Which steps of the strategy in the chapter were formally or informally followed?
  4. Techniques for managing anger.
    Talk with a teacher about the following:
    • Adjustments they make on days when they are encountering physical or emotional difficulties.
    • How they manage angry feelings toward a child or a situation.
    • How they work for reconciliation after they have intervened in a crisis situation when feelings are high.
    • How are the teacher's responses similar or different from each other? From the text?
  5. When teachers and parents disagree.
    1. Interview a teacher about a time that she and a parent disagreed. Remembering the importance of protecting identities, discuss how the teacher tried to resolve the disagreement. Did the teacher feel the effort was successful? Why or why not? What does the teacher think is important to successfully resolve a difference with a parent? Compare your findings to ideas from the chapter.
    2. Interview a parent you are comfortable with and who will give you open feedback. Remembering the importance of protecting identities, talk about a time the parent disagreed with a teacher. Discuss whether the parent felt the disagreement got resolved successfully. Why or why not? What does the parent think a teacher should do to resolve a difference with a parent? Compare your findings to ideas from the chapter.

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RECOMMENDED READINGS

Fox, L. (Ed.). (2003). For further reading and responding to behaviors that challenge children and adults. Young Children, 58(4), 57.

Kaiser, B., & Sklar-Rasminsky, J. S. (1999). Meeting the challenge: Effective strategies for challenging behaviours in early childhood environments. Ottawa: Canadian Child Care Federation.

Preuesse, K. (2002, March/April). Guidance and discipline strategies for young children: Time out is out. Early Childhood News, 12-16.

Schreiber, M. E. (1999). Time-outs for toddlers: Is our purpose punishment or education? Young Children, 54(4), 22-25.

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WEB LINKS

Note: The following list of materials does not necessarily indicate author endorsement.

Working with Special Needs

  1. Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children http://www.dec-sped.org/
  2. Circle of Inclusion http://circleofinclusion.org/
  3. Parenting Special Needs www.specialchildren.about.com/
  4. National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities http://www.nichcy.org/

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AUDIO-VISUAL RESOURCES

[Discipline Strategies: Tough Times for Teachers] www.insight-media.com

[Discipline, Stress, and Human Environment] www.earlychilded.delmar.com

[Handling Chronic or Habitual Discipline Problems] www.insight-media.com

[Partnerships with Parents] www.naeyc.org

AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS

Note: The following list of materials does not necessarily indicate author endorsement.

Discipline Strategies: Tough Times for Teachers. Providing practical, down-to-earth intervention, this six-volume video set demonstrates how to manage a cooperative classroom. #UR785. Insight Media, 2162 Broadway, New York, NY 10024. 212-721-6316.

Discipline, Stress, and Human Environment. This video provides a basic discussion of stress in the early childhood setting, how it affects teacher/caregivers and, as a consequence, the children. In a question and answer format, it suggests ways to handle and relieve job stress-geared for the staff of prekindergarten programs, especially child care centers. Discipline Series, Thomson/Delmar Learning. Thomson Delmar Learning, Executive Woods, 5 Maxwell Drive, Clifton Park, NY 12065. 1-800-998-7498.

Handling Chronic or Habitual Discipline Problems. This video examines common discipline problems in the classroom and shows how to address them. It teaches how to transform aggressive or negative behavior into positive and assertive conduct. #UR928. Insight Media, 2162 Broadway, New York, NY 10024. 212-721-6316.

Partnerships with Parents. This video dramatizes the importance of the parent-teacher relationship for children, how to establish and maintain positive communication, and how to handle the most common problems teachers face in working with parents. #857. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1509 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC. 1-800-424-2460.

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RELEVANT WEB SITES

Note: The following list of materials does not necessarily indicate author endorsement.

Working with Special Needs

  1. Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children http://www.dec-sped.org/
  2. Federation for Children with Special Needs http://www.fcsn.org

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GUIDING QUESTIONS

  • What conditions make intervention necessary?
  • What are four methods of crisis management?
  • What are comprehensive guidance strategies for working with Level Three strong needs mistaken behavior?
  • What techniques assist the teacher to manage personal feelings of anger?
  • What are considerations when teachers and parents disagree?

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DISCUSSION ACTIVITY

Identify a situation involving serious mistaken behavior shown by a child in a classroom you are familiar with. Referring to the chapter, what parts of the individual guidance plan approach did the teacher use in addressing the problem? What parts did the teacher not use? What would you do that is similar to what the teacher did to resolve the problem? What would you do that is different?

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