Positive Discipline and Guidance Tips and Techniques from the
“Four Keys to a Quality Classroom” by Teddie Gamel
Young children depend on you as educators to help them learn what acceptable behavior is and help them develop self-discipline. You play an important role in guiding children to develop caring attitudes towards others, to value acceptable behavior and to practice self-control. When dealing with children, each educator’s goal should be to help each child learn self-control and self-discipline. You can achieve this goal by:
· Encouraging children to use language to resolve conflicts whenever possible
· Redirecting children to alternate activities as necessary
· Modeling positive behavior and verbally recognizing positive behavior in your children
· Refraining from using developmentally inappropriate language or discipline
Use Positive Approaches to Guide Children’s Behavior
Young children learn what is acceptable behavior when reinforcing positive behavior (when you let them know you are pleased to see them help clean up, put toys back in place, zip up their jacket, or help another child find a sock). When you encourage and recognize their helpful and caring behavior, you are also providing positive guidance and discipline. Discipline and punishment are very different. Discipline is a positive way of teaching by example. It focuses on the rule to be learned and the good reason for the rule. Punishment is associated with negative feelings and actions (yelling, criticizing, or shaming) and teaches the child to fear you. Discipline teaches a child acceptable behavior by supporting their confidence in you as the educator. Young children have strong needs and few skills to understand why they have to wait for a turn, or to consider someone else’s needs. They look to you to help them understand what is acceptable and what is not
20 Ways to Enhance Your Positive Guidance Techniques
1. Use “NO” sparingly, instead say “We use walking feet”, instead of no running.
2. Get the child’s attention; give positive comments.
3. Be consistent for young children do not learn or remember rules for behavior unless they are consistently enforced and repeated often.
4. Set limits… clearly and simply; be specific and positive.
5. Find the chance to distract a child from negative behavior, telling or showing the child what he/she can do or is expected to do.
6. Give a child a choice of positive activities and/or choices.
7. Encourage cooperation.
8. Give a child a few minutes of warning before demanding an activity change.
9. Catch a child behaving appropriately, and reinforce that behavior.
10. Provide a reward such as a hug or a smile to encourage a child’s acceptable behavior.
11. When a child seems stressed, try to help him chose an activity that you know will calm him (playdo or water play in a great choice).
12. Accept and acknowledge feelings, such as “You seem very angry”. “It is okay to feel angry but we use soft hand in our class”.
13. Help a child learn from a mistake by focusing on the problem, not the child.
14. After a child has caused a problem, find a way to help make things right again.
15. Separate the child from the act by showing disapproval of the child’s behavior, not the child.
16. Avoid power struggles by letting something go when it is not that important. When something really matters, assist the child if he/she needs help.
17. Spend quality time together by expressing love and caring both physically and verbally.
18. Find meaningful ways to spend time with each child in your care such as; small group, meals, nap, or diaper changing time.
19. Model the desired behavior, for children learn as much from what we do as from what we say.
20. Be a cheerleader… Rah! Rah! Rah! Have fun with your children, and remember the child that is the hardest to love is the one who needs it the most!
“There are no magic discipline techniques that can be used over and over again and always work. What works one time with a child, may not work again. What works for one child may not work for another child. Therefore, you need to have variety of discipline techniques to handle all situations.” Franklin D. Roosevelt