476 PART WI The How of Early Childhood Education—Guidance Stories from the Field BECOMING A GROUP MEMBER With the regular kindergarten teacher on maternity leave, this was truly our frst opportunity as solo teachers. Jenna was completing her internship for her early childhood edu- cation degree and working alongside Colin, a fourth-year student who was working on his elementary education degree. The majority of the teaching experiences shared by the two of us involved a recycled art-learning project designed by Jenna, The goal of the project was to allow young children an opportunity to manipulate unusual and unwanted materials into unique, personally engag- ing artistic creations. With the introduction ofthe recycled ‘objects, the children excitedly envisioned a project that would be the focus of many weeks in the classroom, This new direction brought with it many challenges—not only for the children, but also for us, as teachers. One project involved five children working collabora- tively to create a model of our city. Within this group, a fo- ‘cus on teamwork quickly emerged as we planned to begin the city, Almost immediately, one child found it difficult to engage in the group work. Her participation in group planning was positive; however, the focus of her interest tended to be on her own ideas rather than on participating ina collaborative group Bffort. We knew that recent fam ily changes were affecting her behavior. It became evident while working on the project that she needed beneficial redirection. She struggled to find a focus on tasks while creating the city. Inher desire to please herself and the teachers, she placed things constantly on the project without concern for the final result or the goals of her peers. teachers, Jenna and Colin, Kindergarten Student Teachers we strived to give the children daily opportunities in which they could make open-ended choices. Tis resulted in directly influencing their work. In this child's case, Jenna’ decided to meet with her and discuss the problematic situ- ation that was now affecting the creation of the city As we worked with her, we began to realize that the most effective tools we had as teachers were discussions ‘which we detailed our expectations. Simply by verbal izing our concerns and allowing the other group members| to share their feelings, the child responded almost im- mediately with positive results. We explained the impor tance of taking time in the work, setting mutual goals as a ‘group, and collaborating as a whole. The child soon found: a focus in acting as the foreman for the city construction project she even displayed a nevfound desire to maintain the project checklist describing the daily completion of construction. This experience truly helped us. as first-year teachers, pput into actual practice the idea that all children leatn in varying and unique ways. In the case of this child, taking into account her social background and behavior in the class—while simultaneously developing a suitable role and direction for her in the recycled art project—wes ke We both agreed that we had to step beyond our inital assessments of child behavior and realize the profound ef fect our expectations have on individual as well as group) work. By using the vital techniques of redirection and the stating of expectations, we were able to successfully sup port this child's postive contribution to her collaborative project.‘vonuanvayuypue w220e> iow yug asoup pe so} aq eU00 ‘aaa saysinGunsip "von wou a ene Buox9 pue payrouy We -dojnap psp Bus 3eneanp2 PooyPIN? yea aq sag ve aneyaqs UPI? 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It is wise to remember that many community professionals, in addition to early childhood teachers, share responsibility for the care and guidance of young children. Medical, mental health, special educa- tion, and social work professionals provide an expanded network of resoucce persons to call on in any community. FACTORS THAT AFFECT CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR In dealing with a child's misbehavior, it is important to examine all potential factors that might be affecting that behavior, All kinds of subtle influences, some internal and other external, undoubtedly contribute to behavior. Particularly when you are concerned about a repeated misbe- havior, it is wise to give careful thought to what might be triggering the problem. It is easy to blame children for challenging behaviors—he is aggressive” or “she is disruptive” —and look no further for reasons before working to eliminate the problem. But the approach to changing a problem behavior is often in the control of the adult rather than the child. A num- ber of factors can cause some children to act out, as discussed below. Clear-Cut Guidelines According to DAP, it is important for teachers to set clear limits about unacceptable behavior, enforce such limits with explanations about their underlying rationale, and enforce them in a climate of respect and caring (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009). Children generally abide by rules if they are logical, simple, and not too numerous. There is no need to overwhelm children with too many rules. Four to six simple rules, focused on personal safety and respect for the rights of others, can be set with the help of the children, posted in the classroom, and discussed periodically. Chapter 14 discusses rules in the context of group guidance in more detail ‘Sometimes children’s behavior is a function of not understanding what is expected. When a child engages in a new misbehavior, do not jump to the conclusion that the child is misbehaving deliberately. The child may simply be acting out of ignorance or misunderstanding of the expectations of the setting. Make sure that the child understands the expectations, Health and Related Problems Children often react in unacceptable ways because their bodies are not functioning well or are sending messages of discomfort or pain. When children do not feel well, they cannot be expected to behave normally. ‘Think how you feel when your stomach is upset, your head hurts, or your nose is stuffy. Most of us become very irritable under such circumstances, and children are no different. 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Chetry be acto Pare cnet Pest af lyn eg ir iaoneet Sevseconen moe Ss iecrean to the child. More recently, different temperaments have been found to show different brain activity. Children displaying more negative tem- peraments showed higher levels of activity in parts of the right side of the brain, while those exhibiting more positive traits had greater activ- ity on the left side of the brain (Bates, 2000). In their classic study, Thomas, Chess, and Birch (1968), after exten- sive and in-depth observations and interviews of children beginning in their infancy, classified children into three general categories: easy, slow to warm up, and difficult. They concluded that the largest group in their sample—40 percent—were classified as easy children, whereas 15 per- cent belonged to the slow-to-warm-up category and 10 percent to the difficult category; 35 percent of the children did not fit neatly into any of these categories. Easy children, from their earliest days, follow a regular cycle in sleeping, eating, and eliminating; are readily adaptable to change and are open to new experiences; have a reasonable attention span; are easily distractible; display a moderate level of activity; are not overly sensitive to stimull in their environment; and have a generally happy disposition. Difficult children, however, show opposite traits such as irregularity, intensity in reactions, an inability to adapt, and a high activity level, and they are often out of sorts. Slow-to-warm-up children fall in between these two extremes. It is not easy to deal with difficult children because they often defy allattempts to pacify or engage them. “Children with a bold or impulsive temperament often find it difficult to adjust to the self-control needed in the school setting” (Watson, 2003, p. 14). As you pursue your early childhood teaching career, you likely will be entrusted with one or more temperamentally difficult children. Many beginning (as well as veteran) teachers have found this to be a real test of their self-confidence. Keep in mind that consistent, positive guidance skills and ingenuity can help channel the child’s energy, pethaps into a leadership role, rather than into that of an unhappy outcast. Rely on your teaching strengths, examine and acknowledge your own feelings, and then continue to view each child—whether easy ot difficult—as an individual worthy of your respect and support. The Child's Family A child's behavior may be a reaction to stress or change at home. A Jarge number of young children experience their parents’ divorce, enter a single-parent family where there will most likely be financial as well as emotional stresses, or experience reconstitution of a family as one of their natural parents remarries. Such major changes, even when parents are very sensitive to and mindful of the needs and feelings of their youngsters, are invariably upsetting to children who cannot fully understand what is happening. Other changes, such as a new baby if the family, a visit from grandparents, a parent away on a business Py the death of a family member or pet, or moving to a new house, cam also trigger behavioral responses. (These topics are discussed further in the next chapter, in which we will examine stress and young children.)