Top tips on dealing with behaviour
Children in the early years can often display challenging behaviour and tackling this can often prove difficult. During times like this practitioners may turn to one another for advice and guidance which is the correct thing to do. Everyone has different experiences and will have tried different techniques however it is important that once a technique has been decided that everyone sticks to it.
This is also true for any behaviour management not just for those individual displaying challenging behaviour. Classroom behaviour management is important to creating a calm atmosphere for the children where they can all feel confidence to explore the environment and learn from the opportunities available. This again is best achieved through a consistent approach from all involved in the child’s life and from all nursery practitioners.
The benefits of consistency
Consistency allows the children to understand fully what the boundaries are and what is expected of them. Realistic and achievable boundaries will allow the children to express themselves in the correct way and creating a secure atmosphere whilst the child is in the setting. With this comes the most effective learning and improved outcomes for the child. Without consistency the child is left feeling confused and unaware of the expectations. For this reason all practitioners need to have the same rule set and the same expectations. If different things are acceptable and not acceptable then the child will end up suffering because of this as they may become confused about which rules are acceptable. Practitioners should be consistent at all times and not falter in enforcing the rules and expectations as children do not understand that sometimes it is okay and sometimes it is not depending on how the practitioner feels. For example play fighting may be seen as fun and may be allowed by one practitioners however when the child then does it later on to another practitioner they may not see it as okay and then the child ends up in trouble even though earlier in the day it was okay.
How to create consistency
* Have a set of golden rules and enforce these all day every day
* Display the golden rules to serve as a visual reminder of the expectations
* Make sure the rules are positive not negative and describe the behaviour you would like to see rather than the behaviour you wouldn’t
* Make sure all practitioners are aware of the behaviour management policy held by the setting. When Ofsted visit they may want to read the policy and then ensure all the practitioner’s follow this during their inspection
* Share expectations with parents so everyone is working towards achieving the same goals for the child.
* Remember children are not always able to tell the difference between when something is acceptable and when it isn’t. To avoid the child being in trouble unnecessarily follow the same consistent rules at all times.
* Ensure everyone is dealing with incidents of unwanted behaviour in the same way following the policies set by the setting
* Ensure all students or new practitioners are informed of the rules and expectations and that they are enforcing these whenever necessary
* If behaviour is being dealt with in a certain way make sure everyone is aware of this and are following through.
* Do not make idle threats that won’t or can’t be followed through. This does not create stability or consistency for a child
* Work closely with the SENCO when needed and look to others for support.
* Remember to be realistic and deal with each situation in a positive manner and importantly do not label children
For support with meeting outstanding levels of practice with behaviour and creating consistency ready for Ofsted then take a look here.
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