Behavior Management

It is our goal to establish a relationship of mutual respect with each student and to create a warm, positive, and inclusive classroom community where all students feel safe, loved, and important. 

We expect children to be children (not tiny robots or miniature adults) and recognize that making mistakes and testing boundaries are normal parts of healthy development. However, we also believe that that preschool- aged children can begin to develop self-regulation and problem-solving skills. In our classroom, we use a guidance approach to teach children how to learn from their mistakes and empower them to make decisions that are intelligent and socially responsive.

GUIDANCE APPROACH

As teachers, we will empower children by:

    - stating rules and expectations in a clear, positive way

    - asking open ended questions that lead to peaceful solutions

    - helping each child label his/her emotions and deal with them constructively

    - establishing consistent, predictable daily routines and procedures

    -incorporating social and emotional skills, such as kindness and manners, into our curriculum 

CALM DOWN CLOUD (QUIET CORNER)

The calm down cloud is a designated safe space in the back corner of our classroom, away from large group areas, where a child can go when emotions are running high and/or they need to regain control. Our calm down cloud gives children a comfortable, relaxing, and somewhat secluded area to escape from overstimulation and let their brains and bodies relax and refocus. 

VISUAL CUES AND SUPPORTS

We use visual cues and supports in every lesson and all over the classroom to help children maintain focus and know what to expect. Some examples of supports include visual representations of our class expectations, a picture schedule of our day, and visual (picture) reminders of procedures (such as line up procedures and how to properly clean & care for each center) posted around our classroom. 

RE-TEACHING OF BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS

If -after several reminders and redirection - a child fails to meet a behavior expectation, he/she will spend part of free time (usually a few minutes of center time) working with a teacher to reflect upon the behavior and brainstorm ways to make better choices next time.