Behavior Guidance
Behavior Guidance/Discipline
Guidance/discipline will be individualized and consistent for each child. It shall be appropriate to each child’s level of understanding and directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior and self-control.
Physical punishment shall not be administered to children.
Staff shall not shame, humiliate, frighten, physically or mentally harm children, or label them negatively.
Discipline shall not be associated with food, rest, or illness.
Remove the child from the group/activity or situation for a time period of one minute per year of age to calm down and then discuss what happened.
Choices will be given whenever possible/appropriate.
Children will be supported and encouraged to learn appropriate problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
It is the philosophy of Excellent Beginnings at Wildcat Way to provide positive guidance to children. Staff use techniques from Conscious Discipline to teach children self-regulation. These include:
Redirection: Suggest appropriate behavior; focus on the behavior that you want from the child.
A quiet, private talk: Show respect for the child’s feelings. Get down on the child’s level and give the child your complete attention. Be direct and brief.
Direct recognition: Recognize the child who is behaving appropriately. Catch the child making appropriate choices and comment specifically on that behavior to the child. Avoid always catching the child engaging in inappropriate behavior. Use phrases such as “Good work!”, “You did it!”, or “That was helpful.”
Indirect recognition: If appropriate, recognize a child who is behaving the way you want the rest of the group to behave (state specific expectation).
Role Model: The staff should always be a role model for children. Staff should also role model behavior such as whispering when they want children to be quieter.
Logical Consequences: The outcome is a natural consequence of the behavior (ex: if a child is running in the classroom instead of using ‘safe/walking’ feet and a child trips over a chair and falls –first - the teacher will ensure the child is okay and comfort/administer first aid as needed - then explain that is why we use ‘safe/walking’ feet in the classroom to prevent accidents.
Arrange Contingencies: For acts of physical aggression or other serious offenses, a “time-out” or supervised separation from the group is appropriate. Staff will give forewarning, then follow through in a firm, fair, and respectful manner with the action announced. When the child is calm enough to listen, the reason for the removal from the situation will be discussed. Staff will listen to the child tell how he/she felt, why he/she did what he/she did, the teacher will tell how he/she felt about the situation and how the child could react differently next time.
Learning to express emotions verbally and honestly is a normal part of childhood. Staff will help by modeling appropriate behavior and by teaching an acceptable vocabulary to express anger, annoyance, sadness, etc. Staff must keep their eyes and ears open to possible discipline problems that can be avoided and we must always listen to what children have to say.
Pre-K Behavior Expectations for children:
We are a School Family
Helping Hands
Listening Ears
Quiet Voices
Walking Feet
Everyone helps keep our school safe
Problem Solving Techniques used in the classroom:
Children have tools that they can use to calm themselves such as the Drain, the Pretzel, the Balloon and being a S.T.A.R. (Stop, Take a deep breath, And, Relax), or going to the “Safe Place”. There is always a choice, and the child has the power to make it. If a child makes an “oops” there is another opportunity to make a better choice. Challenging the child to determine if the action/behavior is hurtful or helpful, and how to keep everyone safe