Rationale: Teachers are required to model positive behaviour skills at all times demonstrating socialising skills. Teachers to ensure that at all times children attending the centre will be given respect and dignity and shown positive guidance to promote confidence and self-esteem. Teachers will endeavour to meet each child’s individual needs and will promote good verbal communication with parents/caregivers/whanau.
Method: 1. We will support and give encouragement to each individual child at all times. 2. Each child’s emotional and physical wellbeing will be nurtured. 3. We will give positive guidance, promoting appropriate behaviour. Having regard to the child’s stage of development. 4. There will be continuity of routines to enable the child to become familiar with centre developing child self confidence in their own abilities. 5. When a child is faced with a situation of conflict, the staff will encourage appropriate problem solving methods. 6. Staff will encourage and develop ideas of fairness and justice. In doing so will introduce new and acceptable social skills. 7. Staff will endeavour to be good role models for positive play. 8. We will encourage good communication links between the centre and home. 9. Determining the child’s daily needs. This is moods, old, new, negative and positive experiences. This will be done in the reverse, to help parents/caregivers/whanau determine what the child may need in the home environment.
10. Management Guidelines for Positive Child Beahviour 1. The Manager shall be responsible for: 2. Ensuring that children are adequately supervised at all times. 3. Ensuring that staff guidance and control does not contravene section 32(b) of the act. 4. Prohibiting force by any person on premises. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AT ANY TIME. 5. Ensuring staff supervision of the children shall at all times, be in the form of positive guidance by: a. Acknowledging effort by verbal praise b. Suggesting alternative rather that directives. c. Ensuring that when a directive is necessary, it is followed by an explanation. 6. Encouraging positive social behaviour by pointing out examples and their value as they occur. 7. Being sensitive to the needs of children requiring assistance according to their age and abilities. 8. Ensuring the “guidelines” of the centre are simple and consistent.
Strategies for Managing Behaviour Teachers will: 1. Use re-direction of behaviour – ie guide child towards more appropriate activities. 2. Always offer the child an explanation of why certain behaviour is unacceptable. 3. Allow the child time to correct their behaviour 4. Remove the toy, activity or object that is central to the inappropriate behaviour after a warning has been given. 5. Always talk in terms of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. In this way the child will lean that it’s the behaviour and not the child that is being rejected. 6. Work together with parents to individualise behaviour management plans where appropriate. 7. Notify parents if the occurrence of any extremely inappropriate behaviour and the methods used to modify it. 8. Recognise the need for consistency in dealing with all inappropriate behaviours. 9. Comply with the “no hitting” zone rule. This applies to children, parents, teachers and all visitors to the centre. 10. Extremely inappropriate behaviour may result in “inclusionary quiet time” where if the behaviour is distracting or upsetting to the other children, a teacher will go with the child to a quiet area in the centre and spend time together until the child calms down before re-joining thing other children 11. Children will be offered choices and be encouraged to make ‘right choices’
Practical Guide for Dealing with Ant-Social Behaviour Step 1: Stay Calm - if you feel tense or unable to stay calm, remove yourself from the situation and ask a co-worker to assist.
Step 2: Try to understand the situation. Ask the child to explain what has happened and how they feel. Consider: Is the child… Hungry, Tired, Frustrated, Unwell, Stressed.
Step 3: If behaviour is due to hunger, tiredness, or feeling unwell, remedy immediately.
Step 4: If behaviour is due to frustration, try and identify source and discuss with the child when appropriate. Frustration can be relieved by releasing aggressive energy into other activities: play dough - pummelling, water - splashing, hammer and block - noise banging.
Step 5: Is the child under stress? Consider the following a. is the child bring rushed? b. Are frustrated while trying to achieve tasks c. Are activities / resources inappropriate to age and/or level of development? d. Is the child afraid? ie because of the departure of a parent? Have they spilt something? Have they soiled themselves? 1 Relieve stress by: - allowing child time. a. Ask the child about their feelings. b. Change the child’s anxiety and/or environment. c. Give reassurance
Step 6: Avoid labelling the child as “naughty” - discourage the action rather than the child. When the situation is resolved, give the child a smile and a high five, offer a reassuring hug if they want one, don’t leave the child with negative feelings.
Step 7: Difficult environmental problems: Continual difficult behavioural problems ie. temper tantrums, overt shyness or repeated displays of signals of stress: Will be referred to staff discussion to see if the centre can resolve the situation. If unsuccessful, the Manager shall discuss the situation with the child’s parents.
Any suspicion or evidence of child abuse shall immediately be referred to the Manager.
