Ellen Marshall, Ph.D. Cathy McAuliffe-Dickerson, Ph.D.

Introduction Q-Sort Activity Behavior and the brain

◦ Discussion & Activity Self-Esteem

◦ Discussion Positive Guidance

◦ Discussion & Activity Responsive

Intervention◦ Discussion

Wrap-up

Investigate your understanding of the causes of challenging behaviors in young children and explore preventive strategies that are under the teacher’s control

that the use of seat belts saves lives. Do you use a seat belt when you are driving? When you are a passenger? Why or why not?

There is a direct relation between your health and a healthy diet and moderate, regular exercise

Do you eat a healthy diet (lots of fruits and vegetables; avoid fast food restaurants,low fat dairy products, and limit your consumption of meat)?

Do you exercise for 30 minutes at leastthree times a week? Why or why not?

There is a direct relation between smoking cigarettes and certain illnesses (especially lung cancer and emphysema)

With such compelling research, why do people still smoke?

In order for children to develop into happy and emotionally well-adjusted people who are able to solve their own problems, parents and teachers must be nurturing, positive, and introspective (that is, able to look carefully at themselves and their interactions with others)

Many adults still use methods like spanking, put-downs, and yelling at children

Why do you think this happens?

Interferes with other’s learning, development and play

Is harmful to the child or others

Puts the child at risk for later problems in school

The amount of time spent in large groups impacts behavior

Aggressive behavior in early childhood often persists

Children can learn new appropriate behaviors

Success involves the whole school policy

There are no formulas or recipes

Aggressive behavior can result from wanting control

Physical aggression – most evident between 27-29 months of age

Challenging aggression persists for 3-15% of children

Teachers are more likely to punish these children than they are to catch them behaving appropriately!

Based on what adults encourage and discourage◦ Example: U.S. parents

tolerate aggressive behaviors

◦ The role of nannies

Genes Temperament ADHD & ADD Pregnancy & birth

complications Substance abuse in

pregnancy Malnutrition Brain function

problems

Parenting/teaching styles

Poverty Exposure to violence Tough times in society Media violence Child care

Strengthen YOUR INFLUENCE by doing the right thing!

Help children become more resilient ◦ Teach and model social skills◦ Teach problem-solving◦ Build self-esteem◦ Maintain a democratic classroom

From psychologyIt forces you to choose and prioritizeDiscuss and sort the statements…you must have four under each heading

Dramatic brain changes during the early childhood years:◦ Growth◦ Mylenization◦ Pruning

The result is cognitive changes

Children can gradually hold more information in working memory (preschoolers can often focus on only one thing at a time)

Children become better at self-regulation…i.e., attention gradually improves

Experiences play a HUGE part in brain development

Research on orphans

Hormones are released when emotions are aroused

There can be positive and negative effects

Adrenaline (epinephrine) enhances memory

Stress releases cortisol which can deteriorate cognitive functions

Intimidation, rejection, and feeling at risk can cause an overproduction of cortisolCan lead to misbehavior or withdrawalInhibits learning!

This impacts your curricular activities

This impacts your guidance and discipline

Nurturing and stable relationships are essential

The teacher’s job is to be NICE!

Review the Current Brain Research handout

Mark one item you already do in your classroom

Mark one that you need to improve

Your own beliefs, values, and your culture impact everything you do in the classroom

What pushes your buttons? What are your own past experiences? Why am I doing what I’m doing? Am I…

◦ Open-minded?◦ Whole-heartedly involved?◦ Responsible?

Positive Guidance:◦ Class arrangement◦ Schedule◦ Limits◦ Active Listening◦ Choices, I messages,

contingencies◦ Negotiation

Arrival (may be bringing emotions from home)

Rest time Dramatic play, woodworking, & block areas(close supervision needed) Fine motor activities (large motor art

activities also needed) Circle time Transitions

Everyone deserves to be safe

We take care of the materials in our school

We respect others We are responsible

for our own behavior

I’m so upset…I just found out that my sister told my mother that I’m having marriage problems. She promised she wouldn’t say anything to anyone when I told her about this. I trusted her and now my mother keeps telling me that I’m crazy and need to be a better wife. I’m starting to feel like I’m going to have a nervous breakdown!

On a piece of paper, write down what you would say to your friend in this situation

Avoid discounting people’s feelings

Avoid judging, blaming, or criticizing

Avoid offering solutions

Active listening = “Listening from the heart”

Listeners (teachers) help teach children how to identify their feelings

Over time, children will become more positive in their interactions because they are accepted

Choices: “You can go by yourself to the toilet or I can go with you…you choose”

I-Message: “I get frustrated when you won’t try to use the toilet when I ask because we are going outside and I want you to be able to play without needing to come inside to potty”

Contingency: “After you use the toilet we’ll be able to go outside”

Help children identify the problem

Help children contribute solutions

Help children carry out the solution

Can lead to more aggressive behavior in children

It’s embarrassing and humiliating It teaches that power can be used for

control It promotes negative self-esteem It does not teach what is appropriate

Can create another problem when asking child to go to time-out

Take a break or cool down period instead

Play the Matching Game!

Help each other and discuss the techniques!

Meet with others for ideas

Do a functional assessment of the behavior:◦ Be detectives to figure

out what purpose the behavior has for the child

◦ Look at the situation from the child’s point of view

Antecedents – what triggers the challenging behavior?

Behavior – what you will observe and track…Joey hits and pushes others

Consequences – What happens immediately after the behavior?

Find patterns Come up with a plan Meet with the family

Don’t make assumptions

Don’t take it personally

Always do your best

By dealing effectively with challenging

behaviors, you may be saving a child’s

life!