Lecture 5

Types of Classroom Management Strategies

Creative Prevention Positive Attention Modelling Shaping

Planning Reinforceme
nt

Creative Planning
• When children are engaged in interesting and meaningful activities, they are less likely
to misbehave.
• It is important for educators to follow a well-planned developmentally appropriate
curriculum and lesson plan.
Preventions
• Prevention activities are strategies that are used with children before the behaviour
becomes a major issue.
– For Example: Having Rules:
• Review the behavioural expectations.
• Explain the reason for the expectations.
• Have children role-play expected behaviours.

• Provide feedback and corrections as required.

• Acknowledge appropriate behaviours.
When deciding to intervene in a discipline situation with a student, keep the following 3 facts
in mind:
1- Timing is crucial:
- Intervention at the wrong time may defeat the entire purpose of intervening at all.
- Scaffolding is important. Intervening too early may discourage autonomy in children
learning to handle difficult situations independently.
- Intervening too late may allow for a situation to get out of control. Intervening too
often may cause children to tune out what is being said
When deciding to intervene in a discipline situation with a stud ent, keep the following 3 facts in
mind:
2- Use preventative strategies if possible:
- Having knowledge of your students likes and dislikes is an important part of prevention.
- Having routine and structured activities may also help to prevent discipline issues.
- Classroom management is essential in the prevention of problematic behaviour.
When deciding to intervene in a discipline situation with a student, keep the following 3 facts in
mind:
3- Choose from a variety of discipline strategies:
– Flexibility is important because certain discipline strategies may not work with
specific children.
– A variety of discipline techniques may give educators time to cool down as they are
thinking of the strategy to use.
– Children are often offered choices and educators need choices too.
Positive Reinforcement
• Acknowledge positive behaviour in children and not only the negative.
– For example: Every time you smile at a child who is playing cooperatively, or
thanking a child for helping to clean up.
• Positive reinforcement systematically encourages positive behaviour.
Attention
• Each person needs acknowledgement of their existence, affirmation of their connection
to others and acceptance within a group, class or society.
• It is important for educators to give unconditional attention to their students as it tells
them you value them.
• Unconditional Attention can be given by greeting a child and calling his or her name
when the child arrives in the morning; a smile, a cuddle, etc. throughout the day.
Modeling
• This is an effective discipline strategy as research indicate children are likely to imitate
those they admire.
– For example: Modelling politeness, caring and friendliness.
Shaping
• This is a behavioural technique that is used more frequently with children who have
special needs.
• Targeted behaviour is broken down into smaller steps until the desired behaviour is
achieved.
• For example: To increase a child’s attention span. Begin with 3 mins. Once that is
achieved, move to 5 mins and then gradually to 10 mins.
Cooperation Strategies
• The educator will give students a signal if they are not following classroom rules.
Cuing: A technique used to help children remember what is expected.
Example: The use of a bell, a flicker of the light, eye contact, or a specific song to signal a
transition time.

Types of Strategic Withdrawals

1. Ignoring or Extinction: Can weaken or eliminate behaviours.
 Ignoring works best for annoying behaviours that are fighting for attention.
 For example: Whining, baby talk, crying as a means of getting attention,
tantrums (for older infants, toddlers and younger preschoolers) are behaviours
that can sometimes be changed through ignoring.
 Ignoring is not the best method to be used when aggression is involved.
Aggressive behaviour must be dealt with more firmly and quickly for the safety
of all involved.
2. Time Out: Allows children to regain their composure when they lose self-control.
 It is recommended when the behaviour is serious.
 Consistent timeout can be effective in eliminating undesirable behaviours but should
be used only for situations in which the removal of the child is the best response and
only in conjunction with a program of positive reinforcement.
Types of Time-Out
1. Self-Selected time-out:
 The child is given the responsibility of removing him or herself when the
child feels he or she may be losing control.
2. Time-In:
 Allows the child to get away from a particular activity for a few minutes
rather than being removed from the room.
 Lecture 6

Anger Management

Anger management for both the educator and his/her students:

Using RID to Reduce your Anger

What is RID?
• RID is a three-part process for a skill that you can use to help manage anger.
• You can also apply the RID process in situations involving such emotions as frustration
and disappointment.
• Look for ways to apply this process to a whole range of anger-provoking or stressful
situations.

The “R” in RID

• Recognize the anger signals and accept that one is angry.
• Anger signals might include sweaty palms, gritted teeth, shaking hands, impatient
attitude, upset stomach, flushed face, tight muscles, or a headache.
The “I” in RID
• Identify a positive way to think about the situation.
• Depending on the situation, one might say to oneself:
– I am not going to get upset about this.

– I know I can work this out without getting mad.

– I can stay calm in this situation.
– I will not take this personally.
– This is a challenge, and I enjoy a challenge
The “D” in RID
• Do something constructive to calm down.

• Constructive things to calm down right away might include:

1. Counting to 10.
2. Taking a deep breath.
3. Asking for time to calm down, or leaving the scene.
Constructive things to calm down during an extended period of time:
• Talking about your feelings with someone not involved.
• Listening to music.
• Exercising or doing something else physical.

• Writing a letter to the person explaining how angry you are and then destroying the
letter.
• Helping someone else.
• Watching a funny movie.
• Spending time on your favorite hobby.
• Doing something creative.

• Spending time with a pet.

Remember these tips when dealing with anger:
• When you're angry, accept it. Anger is normal.
• Stop and stay calm. Tell yourself that you are in control and can handle the situation.
You have control over your thoughts, so think calmly and positively about the
situation.
• Decide whether the situation is one that you can change. If you can change it,
determine how. If you can’t change it, let it go.
• Act in ways that will make you and the situation better.
 Lecture 7
The Intervention Process
1. Observe
2. Plan and Organize
3. Intevene
4. Reflect and provide Feedback

The Goals of Misbehavior

1) Attention
2) Power
3) Revenge
4) Avoid failure

Diversifying Intervention Strategies Classroom management Techniques and Approaches

Importance of Diversifying Interventions Strategies

Research suggests that early help can:

• protect children from harm.
• reduce the need for a referral to child protection services.
• improve children's long-term outcomes.

All of these strategies that we have studied are positive in nature and will help you connect
with your child in a way that will increase their confidence, self-respect, and respect for you.

4 Types of Discipline Strategies

• Authoritative Strategies
• Classroom management Strategies
• Cooperation Strategies
• Strategic Withdrawal

CHILDREN WHO WON'T APOLOGIZE

3 reasons for why many children do not apologize:

• 1- When children are upset, they may not be able to think rationally
• 2-Children may need some time to cool off.
• 3-Young children have not developed to the point that they can think like adults think.
 strategies for children who do not apologize.

• 1-Use ¨what ¨ and ¨how ¨ questions. They are open ended and may encourage a child to
explore what has happened.
• 2- Try to get the child to identify the other persons feelings.
• 3-Forcing an apology does not equal sincerity.

Punishment

1. It emphasizes what a child should not do instead of what a child should do!
2. Focuses on obedience rather than on development of self-control.
3. It undermines self-esteem.
4. It makes a decision for the child rather than allowing the child to think through a
solution.
5. Physical punishment tends to increase undesirable behaviors such as aggression.
6. Children learn to avoid and dislike those who punish them.
7. Educational theorists discourage punishment because of its long-term ineffectiveness in
changing the undesired behavior.

• Punishment and reward are not effective in making long-term positive changes in a
child’s behavior.

The 4 R’s of Punishment

1. Resentment-- This is unfair

2. Rebellion-- You can’t make me. I’ll do what I want.

3. Revenge-- You have hurt me, and I’ll hurt you back.

4. Retreat-- Sneakiness: I won’t get caught next time.

Low self-concept: I’m a bad person.

Suggestions When Children Misbehave

1. While Upset, children do not have access to rational thinking.

Don’t expect a child to do or say anything until he or she has had time to calm
down.

2. Allow time for Cooling Off.

This may mean comforting the child for a while, validating their feelings,
removing them from an upsetting situation.
Help the child to express their own feeling before helping them consider
someone else’s feelings.
3. Use “What” & “How” questions
Help the child to explore what happened, how they feel about it, and what ideas she has to
solve the problem.
Example: “How do you think the other person feels?”

4. After the Child has calmed Down, He/She Might be Guided to Apologize/Solve Conflicts
Remember they will apologize/ solve conflicts only if it is their idea. This sometimes
happens by asking, “ What would make you feel better?”. Helping a child to decide to do
something for someone else is much different than demanding that they do.

5. If the Child Still doesn’t Feel Like Doing Anything for Other Person.
Express your faith that he or she will soon learn to care about and help others.
 Lecture 8
Effectively Observing Recording & Communicating
Misbehaviors

Anecdotal Records
• An anecdotal records is a story about a child’s behaviour. It is told in the past tense and
like any story has a beginning and a conclusion. Anecdotal observations can be
recorded quickly and on the spot.

How to write Anecdotal Records

• Anecdotal records are written after the fact, so use the past tense when writing them.
• Being positive and objective, and using descriptive language are also important things to
keep in mind when writing your anecdotal records.
• Remember that anecdotal records are like short stories; so be sure to have a
beginning, a middle and an end for each anecdote.

Objective Language
• objective language focuses on the plain facts about a person or object—what is true and
what can be proven.

Characteristics and Labels

• When observing children, it is important not to assign a label when interpreting their
behavior. It is better to define the characteristics.

Labels Alternatives
• Skinny Slender
• Bossy Assertive
• Noisy Boisterous

Documentation of Misbehavior

Why do you need to document behavior?

• First of all, these documents are helpful to use when meeting with parents. It’s
something physical you can show them, and they can’t deny what it says. Rather than
arguing with those parents who insist their child is a perfect angel, you can show them
the evidence and move to a solution.

What should you document?

You need to be documenting:

• the type of behavior the student exhibits
• how often if happens over an extended period of time
• and if possible, what caused the behavior.
Communicating to Parents about Child’s
Misbehavior Sandwich Method

What Is the Sandwich Method?

• Just as a sandwich is two slices of bread with some meat in the middle, your approach
to delivering constructive criticism can be built the same way. Here’s how it works:

First Slice of Bread: Positive feedback

• Start with genuine praise for something the person did well. This sets a positive
tone and makes them more receptive to what you have to say.

The Meat: Constructive Feedback/ Issue (Misbehavior)

• Next, deliver your constructive feedback thoughtfully. Be sure to focus on the
behavior or action, and not on the person – you’re not trying to change who the
person is, just what they did.

Second Slice of Bread: End on a High Note

• Follow up with a second positive comment. This continues the tone you set at
the beginning, reassuring your teammate that your goal is not to tear him down.

A Sandwich is Not Always the Best Meal

There’s a caution with this approach – don’t let it be the only option on your
communication with parents.

Guidelines when approaching parents about problematic behavior:

• Specify the behavior briefly. Get right to the point.
• State the context of the behavior: time, location, and day.
• Explain where you were and what you said and did.
• Show empathy out of kindness to diffuse stinging remarks.
• Make a plan together.
• Have a brief follow up meeting by phone or in person.

When confronting stinging remarks try not to be defensive unless the need arises. If you
must defend yourself do so briefly and professionally.