Positive Guidance Techniques

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Positive Guidance Techniques

• By Cathy Abraham

Free powerpoints at http//www.worldofteaching.com
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How Do We Tell Children

•  they can feel like they have some control over
  their day and themselves?
• that they are safe?
•  that they are not bad, but are making bad
  choices?
•   that learning is what is important?
•   that we value who they are?
•   that we understand them?
•   that we take their concerns and fears
  seriously?

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Positive Guidance

• Is based on what we know about the child
• Is based on what we know about child development
• Is administered with the goal of teaching
  children self-control and good decision making
• Offers children choices
• Leaves childrens self esteem intact
• Employs natural and logical consequences
• Offers consequences known and understood by the
  child

• - Employs a system of utilizing the least
  confrontational choices whenever and wherever
  possible, escalated only when necessary
• - Is consistent
• - Takes into consideration situations,
  circumstances and individual children
• - Is child-centered, capitalizing on a
  relationship build on trust and rapport 

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Positive Guidance is not

• Punitive
• Administered in anger
• Rigid
• About intimidation, or control for the sake of
  control
• About being right

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I have come to the frightening
conclusion that I am the decisive element in the
classroom. Its my personal approach that
creates the climate. Its my daily mood that
makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a
tremendous power to make a childs life
miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture
or an instrument of inspiration. I can
humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.   In all
situations it is my response that decides
whether a crisis will be escalated or
de-escalated and a child humanized or
de-humanized. - Haim Ginott  
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Developmentally AppropriateActivities and
Practices are

• - Based on what we know about how young
  children learn
•   - Relevant to childrens life experiences
• - Based on the childrens current
  knowledge and abilities
•   - Respectful of cultural and individual
  differences and learning
• styles
•   - Responsive to the interests and needs
  of the children
•   - Focused on the learning process, not
  the end product
• - Thought provoking - stimulating and
  challenging the minds of
• young children
• - Based on the philosophy that children are
  competent and
• trustworthy, and can
  make good decisions if given the
  
  opportunity and
  practice

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Steps in Problem-Solving

• 1.     Have children identify the problem and
  feelings
• 2.     Re-state the problem
• 3.     Ask each child for ideas for solutions
• 4.     Negotiate until children can agree upon
  some sort of compromise
• 5. Reinforce