Competency VI

Implement positive guidance strategies.

Ignoring, minor challenging behavior is a useful strategy in a positive behavior guidance

approach. Ignoring allows you to concentrate on positive behaviors, focus on situations that need
your attention. Two common Child Guidance mistakes often observed in early childhood settings
include teachers/caregivers who: 1) Attend to almost every inappropriate or disruptive behavior,
regardless of the significance of the behavior and 2) Attempt to reduce inappropriate behavior by
focusing their time and attention on stepping in after a child uses a disruptive behavior. Learning
to focus your attention, engagement, and time on a child that is using appropriate behavior - at
the same time ignoring minor inappropriate behavior - will help you avoid the serious mistake
and enhance your effectiveness. To use ignoring for a guidance strategy, plan ahead, consider the
child's strengths and needs. Identify the behaviors that can be ignored.
I really like the use of the puppets to teach children's social skills. Through various
observations in the classroom you can identify issues that need some additional guidance
strategies. Then you can reenact certain situations with the use of puppets. Involving the children
in these reenactments will help them use and learn problem solving skills. I like the steps that
Julie usually in her classroom:
1. Identify the problem 2. Talk about feelings 3. Ask about solutions (a teacher may suggest a
solution, if necessary) 4. Talk about all solutions 5. Agree on a solution 6. Follow through
We should identify conflicts and show feelings with the puppets. We should ask another teacher
their opinion on a situation, this models seeking help from teachers. It also gives the child some
adult ideas for solving problems

Effective teachers need to be leaders not bosses. The most adult behavior any teacher can
demonstrate is using guidelines instead of rules. Guidelines set standards for the classroom, but
unlike rules, guidelines enforce the standards in a positive way. Guidelines can be used for all
ages including preschool level such as, friendly touches only, we use words to solve our
problems, sometimes we need to stop, look, and listen, we all help to take care of our classroom,
we are friendly to each other and ourselves, making mistakes is OK , you just try to learn from
them. Using guidelines also encourages the teacher to be more understanding rather than patient.
The best way I would apply developmental culturally, & age appropriate strategies to support
growth and development of individual children is start with observations. I would observe the
child in many different settings such as home, classroom, playground, and on the bus. I would
also observe the child's health, eating habits, cultural awareness, and along with recording
developmental achievements. When all my observations are over I would plan appropriate
activity plans for the child and or other children in the classroom. If I observed any certain delays
or developmental issues I would first contact just family and proceed with the proper steps to
create a beneficial environment for the child. Teachers can and should model problem solving
skills so children can better understand them. for instants is feeling angry they should model
keeping calm and talking about their feelings and even demonstrating taking breaths or counting.
Teaching children how to control anger and impulse by using talkative behavioral intervention
strategies to provide the children with requisite skills to control anger and handle
disappointment.