Managing misbehaviour away from home

Isn’t it funny (well quite often it isnt funny !) how kids seem to want to play up as soon as you get out of the house making parenting techniques that little bit harder to apply? Here are some steps to take to limit or at least manage misbehving kids!

Step 1: Stop before entering the place

This is especially important at places where misbehaviour often occurs. Take the child aside and come down to their level. Ensure that whilst you are speaking, the child is listening, and not distracted.

Step 2: Set up the rules before entering the place

Using short, brief statements, give the child up to 3 rules that are commonly violated there. Next, get the child to repeat the rules back to you. If they refuse to repeat the rules, give a warning that they will have to go to time out. If they continue to refuse, take them to serve time out immediately.

Step 3: Set up an incentive that the child can earn by using compliant behaviour

Whilst still outside, clearly explain to the child what they will earn if they adhere to the rules. Some examples of rewards are points, tokens, praise, and healthy snack foods. These should be given throughout the outing as they are earned to immediately reinforce good behaviour, rather than saving them until later. Purchased rewards may also be used for very good behaviour, but should be kept for rare occasions, to prevent the child from coming to expect them. 

Step 4: Set up your punishment for noncompliance

Also before entering, clearly explain to the child what the punishment will be for not following the rules or for misbehaving. For example, minor rule violations could warrant the loss of points or tokens, whilst a major violation might warrant a time out. If the child misbehaves, the punishment should be served immediately without repeating any rules, warnings or commands. The disciplinary procedure should be carried out in the same way that it would be at home.

When away from home and in public, time out is the most effective method of    managing misbehaviour. As a result, children only to serve half their usual time in time out for it to be effective. Upon arrival to a new place, look for appropriate and convenient place that could be used for time out if needed.

Step 5: Give your child an activity to do

Children with ADHD tend to get bored quickly... even more so than other children! Therefore, when going out, it is important that you plan ahead and give children activities to do that will occupy their hands and minds. Small things are often the most convenient, including toys, games, and hand-held devices. If you find yourself somewhere unprepared, involve the child in the purpose of the trip by giving them a helpful role, such as helping to pick groceries at the supermarket. REMEMBER: Give plenty of praise and positive feedback to your child when you see them following the rules and behaving!

At the shops: Utilise a stimulus-free corner of a quiet area, an empty aisle, or on the dull side of a display case

In church: The ‘crying room’ used for irritable babies, the foyer, or restroom

In restaurants: The restroom

In other peoples’ homes: A chair or corner in a quiet room or hallway

During a long car trip: Pull over and have the child sit on the floor in the back seat, or on a mat outside the car

Here is a great video on the time out technique, more of which you learn 

at https://actac.com.au

4 Tips to Tend to Children with Special Needs

4 Tips to Tend to Children with Special Needs

Tending to a classroom is already hard enough, but for children who have special needs, you have to be extra vigilant. Being a teacher assistant, you have to make these students feel comfortable and help with whatever is going in the classroom. If you don’t know where to start, then let the following tips might help.

Understand Disability

Being a teacher assistant, you play an important role in developing the self-esteem of your children. Developing confidence is important, especially if the child has special needs.  Help your students develop a healthy self-image. If a student uses a speech device, even extra time, care and support is needed. If they use a wheelchair, see how they can participate in physical activities before determining types of activities for the class. Once you understand their disability, you can help the child with upcoming challenges and make lesson plans that all students can participate in. This way you will not only support the children in the class but empower the child with special needs by providing them with tasks that are challenging and build their self confidence.

Compassion

When a project is more complex than regular ones, you have to consider the children with special needs. Thanks to the challenge, you may often find that children with special needs are more willing to participate than in usual every day activities, a change from the norm can be healthy.  However, it is important to carefully select a group task that involves a child with special needs.  It is a difficult balancing act; you have a whole class to teach.

Make sure the students show sensitivity

Keeping an eye on the children with special needs is a part of your role as an integration aide. Children with disabilities are often bullied more and require close attention. The situation can be worsened when the students are out of sight of the teacher. Whilst there are new programs introduced every year to help students, bullying remains a serious issue and must be a consideration for any teaching assistant. So, you have to be extra vigilant and always be on watch. See if a child with special needs is being taken down and come to his or her rescue.  This is more important than your lesson plans.

Call on Students with Special Needs

This may seem easy, but children who have disabilities want to participate with the rest of class. They will use other options. Let them answer; you can also ask if they want to volunteer or if they are going for an answer as it is. You need to confirm it from your side because participating in class is very important with their answer. So let them, it makes their day. 

The Notion of Childhood

If the notion of social construction or historical consititution is to be fully understood then it is important that we think about how something can be a social construction. The best way to do that is to engage in critical reflection. The model of critical reflection to be used in this course is the Cirlces of Change Model Noble, Macfarlane & Cartmel (2005) - Deconstruct, Confront, Theorise, Think Otherwise. 

Looking at childhood from an historical context offers some insight into how the concept of childhood has been preceived over time. However, at the same time there is a great deal of uncertainity about what consitutes childhood now as well as in the past. We can see there are many continuities in our thinking about childhood and what it means to be a child but also a considerable amount of change. It is important to integrate knowledge and understandings from a number of perspectives to help you understand how you think about and work with children and their families in contemporary Australian society. Using the Cirlce of Change model it is hoped that student's will begin to unpack their own perceptions about what consititues childhood and what it means to be a child today, confront 'taken-for-granted' notions of childhood, and consider different perspectives in order to think otherwise in your work with children and families.

Readings:

Bowes, A., Grace,R.& Hayes, A. (2012). The role of context in children's development. In Bowes, J., Grace, R. & Hodge, K. (Eds) Children, families and communities. Contexts and Consequences. South Melborne: Oxford University Press.

www.oup.com.au

Developing skills of thinking otherwise and critical reflection. (in digitalised readings)

Studying young children

Studying young children: The purposes

Why do early childhood educators need to know about 'why' studying young children (and indeed the studies of young children) are important?

Why do early childhood educators need to know the purposes for studies like LSAC and AEDI and other studies?

There are a couple of ways to think about these questions.

The first is critical, and it is more of 'what' is to be studied about this child? There are developmental norms; sociocultural contexts to be understood; the way the child asserts his/her agency and how their growth, development, life and realities are impacted by societal structures. Some of this is more straight forward than the others but nonetheless, if it is a comprehensive understanding that is the 'what', then this will affect the 'how' you make decisions as an early childhood professional.

Another way to think of this is in terms of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and apply the concepts to the purposes for studying young children.

It is known that the five systems interact on each other and this in turn, impacts on the growth and development of a child and his/her family. Similarly, early childhood educators don't operate in a vaacum. These roles are impacted on by wider systems and elements such as government policies and legislation and current movements (eg. safe neighbourhoods).

In Australia, this is evident in initiatives such as: the Early Years Learning Framework (2009); the Australian National Curriculum (some subject areas still under development); the National Quality Framework; the National Professional Standards (by the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership). Each of these initiatives have been informed by research that provides specific knowledge, based on research, as to how children grow; how children develop; how children learn and how they can be taught.

These are the major purposes for studying/observing young children:

- to know and understand their growth and development;

- to apply this knowledge to individual children and maintain knowledge of their development and growth;

- to know how to provide effective, relevant and realistic learning environments.

More specifically, the purpose is to study the following domains and build a clearer and more comprehensive picture of the child and his/her:

- physical growth;

- cognitive and intellectual skills abilities and areas of further development;

- language development;

- social abilities and competence that are Intrapersonal and Interpersonal;

- emotional qualities and characteristics and ability to regulate and respond these.

In this way, the purpose, or reason for studying young children also becomes the 'what' of such studies. Some are specific and you will have seen in the LSAC/ 'Life' studies ther is a focus on social and emotional domains and concepts such as:

- Attachment;

- Temperament and Personality;

- Behaviour

- self-regulation.

Depending on the purpose of the study, the methods for gathering information on particular domain and it's concepts will differ. 

I just found this great resource every teacher aide should own written by Karen Kearns!

http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/books/supporting-education-karen-kearns/p/9781442541764

The early brain development of children has become a topic of great concern in modern times. We now know that the expanding brain is influenced by early environment and emotional and social experiences. Additionally, the neurones in the brain change in response to patterned repetitive stimulation and experiences determine which neurones survive and how these neurones connect to each other (Daubney, 2010). What is emerging from the brain research is the importance of the quality of relationships that occur between a child and his or her caregiver (Oberlaid, 2007). Disordered brain circuits, caused by suboptimal relationships and environments lead to problems in childhood and is often the beginning of a pathway to problems in later life (Oberlaid, 2007). However, we now have the scientific evidence and knowledge to change a child's developmental trajectory from suboptimal to a more positive one. This can happen through early intervention and prevention strategies that reduce risk factors and promote protective factors for all children, and particularly for those that are considered to be vulnerable.

Positive Behaviour Policy

A school environment should be facilitating for all individuals ‘irrespective of their individual socio-economic backgrounds, culture, health status, race, behaviour or ability, a measure of conscious self-reflection is required by the whole school community.’(How welcoming is the culture of our school? ) Schools must cater for a wide range of educational, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties in such a way that each individual is provided with access to equal opportunities and that no child’s wellbeing is compromised. Schools can strive to achieve and maintain positive behaviour with the correct attitude, practices, skills and collaborative work from staff and students.

A whole school policy for promoting positive behaviour is a key component for any school striving to create a welcoming environment. A behaviour-agreement/plan is – fundamentally – a shared understanding between teachers and students about fair, reasonable, safe, expected behaviour ‘in our class group’ (Rogers 2004). From personal experience I highly value the importance of a thorough policy which puts the needs and safety of children to the fore. An efficient policy is somewhat like “The Ten Commandments” of the positive behaviour approach. Teachers, students and parents must be awareness of consequential actions to misbehaviour. A successful behaviour policy must incorporate the key motivators of behaviour, inclusive of curiosity and Gasser’s basic needs; the need to survive, belong, have power, be free and to have fun. A schools behavioural plan must take many factors into consideration, factors such as experiences to date, current students and their behaviours/disabilities, the community, parents and available resources such as SNA’s. Building an efficient behavioural policy is a sequential process.

The creation of a behavioural policy goes through a number of thorough steps. Firstly two planning groups are formed, the lead group and the feedback groups. The first priority is to finalise a statement of purpose for the school and outline a list of supporting beliefs and principals for this statement. The lead group then must outline a clear list of expectations and a programme which caters for this while simultaneously outlying the consequences of unwanted behaviour. This content makes up the skeletal framework of the behavioural policy. This plan is monitored throughout its existence to ensure it encompasses a suitable policy for the current students and staff that it caters for. If the needs of the school alter and are not being met then this policy may be altered accordingly.