Guiding Behavior in the Preschool Classroom – Part 2, A Positive Classroom

​Once the foundations of classroom guidance are established, it is important to establish a positive classroom in order to guide the children’s behavior.  Early childhood educators can establish positive behaviors in several ways:
 

• Using positive words – No child wants to be in a classroom where he is constantly being told “no” or “stop”.   Not only does this establish a negative relationship between the child and the educator, but telling a child to “stop running” does not give him directions on what he should be doing.  Instead, teachers need to rephrase their statements so that they give children instructions instead of reprimands.  Instead of saying “stop hitting”, the teacher can rephrase the sentence to say “use gentle hands with your friends.”  This type of statement gives the child guidance and prevents the teacher from constantly saying negative phrases to the child.

 

• Noticing the positive – When the teacher sees children in the classroom modeling the appropriate classroom behavior, it is essential for the teacher to praise them!  This helps the children know that they are doing what they are supposed to do and it helps them feel proud of making positive decisions.  Other children may also hear your comments when you praise a child for doing what she is supposed to do, and they may model her behavior to receive your praise as well.  Receiving compliments from a teacher can be a powerful motivation for young children.

 

• Rewards instead of punishment – In the past, early childhood classrooms would try to eliminate negative behaviors with punishments like sitting a child in timeout or depriving a child of a classroom treat (like group play or playground time).  This approach often backfired on the teachers because taking away a child’s opportunity to move and run on the playground will frequently make the child feel more rambunctious. Timeouts are not a successful tool because young children do not usually associate the negative action with sitting in timeout.  Instead of taking away things from children, early childhood educators need to focus on finding out what motivates young children.  When a child is fascinated by science activities, then the teacher can often deter negative behavior by providing new and intriguing activities in the science center.  If a child enjoys feeling independent, the teacher may be able to motivate positive behavior by providing opportunities for the child to be a classroom helper, like passing out napkins at snack time or helping the teacher clean up.  The teacher must get to know each child to determine what they are motivated by, but this investment can be a must more effective tool than a disciplinary action.

 
Creating a positive classroom environment makes the children feel safe and loved during the day, but a positive environment also allows the classroom teacher to enjoy the environment as well.