In a previous post, I spoke of the rise in challenging behaviors preschools are seeing. Some preschools use expulsion as a solution to problem behaviors. The number of preschool aged children being kicked out of school has been on the rise. Usually this is due to violent behaviors that affect the safety of other children. Some preschool directors feel that expulsion is their only choice. While I have sympathy for them, I disagree. I do not believe that expulsion is the answer. Often the children who are getting kicked out are the ones who need it the most. Steps should be taken to ensure the safety of all students but there are alternatives to removal. Focusing on teaching the children how to properly express their emotions is a good place to start. Using positive behavior support strategies puts the focus on teaching positive behaviors instead of focusing on the challenging behavior. If a child is engaging in challenging behavior (screaming, whining, hitting, etc.) it is because they have learned that the behavior gets them their desired result. If we are trying to eliminate the challenging behavior we MUST show them a behavior to replace it (asking, getting help, etc.) other wise they will continue to do what works for them.
If a school is expelling children with challenging behavior instead of working with the families to teach positive behavior, these children will continue to face challenges and express themselves in appropriate ways. The behavior will continue until it no longer works for them. Schools and teachers must commit to exploring all avenues of help and intervention before expulsion is considered. It is time that we stop washing our hands of these kids and do something to help. It is time that we begin to look at challenging behaviors for what they are. It is not a child's problem, it is an adult problem. It is the adult's responsibility to help the child, not put them somewhere that they don't have to deal with them.
Some of the arguments that I have heard for expulsion is that these children compromise the safety of other students, and they compromise the learning of other students. I have heard these arguments from both teachers and parents. My answer to that is that it is a teacher's responsibility to ensure the safety of ALL students, including the child with challenging behavior and it is the parent's responsibility to be an advocate for their child. If as a parent you do not feel that your child is safe while they are attending class I would encourage you to talk with your child's teacher and administration first and foremost. If you are unsatisfied with the response you receive, it is your decision on how to proceed. Please keep in mind that a director or a teacher is not going to remove a child based on a parent request. I would urge parents to think about what exactly they are asking the teacher to do. Imagine your child on their worst day. Think of how that makes you feel and what you do to handle it. Now think of how your child feels on those days. Imagine if your child on their worst day was the only impression they got to make on their teacher. Or the only impression they made on another parent. Would you want that teacher or parent to demand the director to expel your child? Imagine if your child had their worst day, every day. Would you seek help in finding solutions? Imagine if you decided to find help for yourself and your child only for them to tell you, "No, we can't help you because it is interfering with Pollyanna Perfect's education."
Monday, April 4, 2016
Challenging Behaviors in Preschool and What to do about it - News Analysis
There seems to be a rise in preschool age children with challenging behaviors. Even teachers with excellent classroom management have been seeking extra help in how to handle these challenges. There are a number of reasons that I believe account for the rise in challenging behaviors. One of those are that preschool has become widely more accessible to families. With pre-k grants pouring into states, preschool is more readily available to at risk students. With the increase in enrollment and the diverse population of students entering school, challenging behaviors are on the rise. So what is a teacher to do?
One program that is becoming widely popular is the Technical Assistance Center on Social-Emotional Intervention (TACSEI). TACSEI (pronounced taxi) uses a pyramid model to show a tiered approach to providing supports to children. It begins at the bottom of the pyramid with ensuring that all staff understand and support the approach. Next, it focuses on building relationships. You must have an established relationship with a student in order to affect change. Too many times in the past if a student was misbehaving, they would be sent to the principal office. For most students this would be the first time that they have had contact with the principal. While preschool age children can and do recognize authority, they do not understand what a principal is and why they should listen to them over their teachers. It is much more effective to deal with challenging behaviors in the classroom with the teacher or teachers that the student has built a relationship with. Also, on this level of the pyramid you need to ensure that you are providing a high quality environment. The preschool environment should be set up to allow our students to be successful. This should include things like a visual schedule of their day, rules posted with pictures, a place for them to go for self calming, and visuals to help them identify their feelings and find solutions to problems they may be having in the classroom. Next, TACSEI requires that you should be specifically teaching social skills to students. So often we get distracted by ensuring that we are teaching reading, writing, math, and science, that we forget that social skills need to be taught too. Finally, at the top of the pyramid, when all of the other supports are in place, we have intensive interventions. When TACSEI has been implemented, this is a very small percentage of students. Each classroom should only have 1, maybe 2 of these students who need intensive interventions. Interventions include things like an individualized behavior plan, or bringing in a behavior specialist.
I have seen first hand how implementing TACSEI into a program can be beneficial. Our center started this program at the beginning of the year and have seen a dramatic decrease in behaviors. It also better equips teachers on how to manage their classrooms. I would recommend this program to anyone.
One program that is becoming widely popular is the Technical Assistance Center on Social-Emotional Intervention (TACSEI). TACSEI (pronounced taxi) uses a pyramid model to show a tiered approach to providing supports to children. It begins at the bottom of the pyramid with ensuring that all staff understand and support the approach. Next, it focuses on building relationships. You must have an established relationship with a student in order to affect change. Too many times in the past if a student was misbehaving, they would be sent to the principal office. For most students this would be the first time that they have had contact with the principal. While preschool age children can and do recognize authority, they do not understand what a principal is and why they should listen to them over their teachers. It is much more effective to deal with challenging behaviors in the classroom with the teacher or teachers that the student has built a relationship with. Also, on this level of the pyramid you need to ensure that you are providing a high quality environment. The preschool environment should be set up to allow our students to be successful. This should include things like a visual schedule of their day, rules posted with pictures, a place for them to go for self calming, and visuals to help them identify their feelings and find solutions to problems they may be having in the classroom. Next, TACSEI requires that you should be specifically teaching social skills to students. So often we get distracted by ensuring that we are teaching reading, writing, math, and science, that we forget that social skills need to be taught too. Finally, at the top of the pyramid, when all of the other supports are in place, we have intensive interventions. When TACSEI has been implemented, this is a very small percentage of students. Each classroom should only have 1, maybe 2 of these students who need intensive interventions. Interventions include things like an individualized behavior plan, or bringing in a behavior specialist.
I have seen first hand how implementing TACSEI into a program can be beneficial. Our center started this program at the beginning of the year and have seen a dramatic decrease in behaviors. It also better equips teachers on how to manage their classrooms. I would recommend this program to anyone.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)