Classroom Behavior Management

Classroom Management Philosophy

Gad Hill Center recognizes to be both effective and culturally responsive, teachers must develop and maintain strong, positive relationships with children by consistently communicating that they value each child. Children need to have a clear understanding of the behavioral rules and expectations of the classroom, and these expectations must be communicated directly and frequently, as well as being consistently enforced.

Behavioral expectations should begin with simple tasks and increase in complexity throughout the year so that children are ready for the structured school setting by the end of their early learning experience. Children excel when provided a predictable structured environment, multi tiered levels of support for cognitive growth and classroom behavior, and consistent modeling, reminders, and support for learning age appropriate classroom expectations. Gads Hill Center excepts all children are provided:

A safe and well-arranged physical environment, a predictable schedule, and rules that are clearly explained and consistently reinforced all contribute to a safe and orderly learning climate that reduces distraction and keeps the focus on learning and development of skills.
Modeling the role of emotion, attention and learning during daily activities through purposeful interaction with each child helps to create a positive classroom environment and develops a productive pathway for learning.

Classroom Management Grid

Classroom Culture & Expectations

Adults will greet each child to acknowledge that they belong in the classroom.
Adults will actively listen to children and observe non-verbal communication.
Adults will physically place themselves at the child’s eye level while interacting.
Adults will encourage children to talk about their feelings.
Adults will use language and materials free from ethnic and gender bias.
Adults will stimulate critical thinking skills and cognitive concepts by using open-ended questioning, modeling and other appropriate communication strategies.
Adults will demonstrate respect and caring for children in all interaction, giving reinforcement for children’s efforts.
Staff will make every effort to include persons in the classroom who speak the primary language of each child and are knowledgeable about their culture.

Stating Expectations

Physical Touch & Appropriateness

Interactions between children and adults provide opportunities for children to build trust, to develop an understanding of self and others, and to encourage respect for the feelings and rights of others. All interactions between children and adults will be respectful and supportive of each child’s gender, culture, language, ethnicity and family composition.

Appropriate Touch with Children

Positive touch is an important part of healthy brain development in young children. Touch reduces stress, aids in healthy emotional development, and demonstrates love for the children in our care. Appropriate touch is defined as non-intrusive and causing no feelings of discomfort or confusion for children. Such contact should also not cause feelings of discomfort or confusion for caregivers. Each child should be allowed to determine what kinds of touches he or she finds acceptable.

So that touch is used appropriately with children, staff and volunteers are asked the following:

Physical contact is valuable to children. Let the child lead in showing you what kind of touch is acceptable to him or her.
In general, avoid using touch with children if you are the only supervising adult. If possible, have another adult present.
Ask permission before touching children. If the child says no, then refrain from hugging him/her. Be aware that a child may be uncomfortable saying no to an adult. Read the child’s body language to gauge the child’s comfort level.
Try to touch nonvulnerable body parts only, such as the shoulders, back, arms, and hands. Likewise, avoid vulnerable body parts, such as the chest, and genitals. Be aware of the cultural considerations when touching children. What is acceptable in some cultures is prohibited in others. Again, let the child lead.
Be aware of the child’s activity level and do not interrupt the child’s engaged play with touch.
Understand that a child’s need for physical contact varies individually. Get to know each child and determine what kind of touch is appropriate.
If you must touch a child’s vulnerable areas-such as during diapering-tell the child which parts you are touching and why. Use the proper names for body parts.
It is not appropriate for teachers/staff to kiss children.

Promoting learning through approaches to rest, meals, routines, and physical activity

GHC requires and all program staff in both directly operated sites and partner sites must recognize active play and physical activity as crucial to learning. Therefore, teachers integrate intentional movement and physical activity into curricular activities and daily routines that support health and learning. Activities that support the child’s physical development are age-appropriate and planned intentionally.

Programs must provide appropriate time, space, equipment, materials, and adult guidance for the development of fine motor skills according to each child's developmental level (i.e., cutting, stirring, drawing, pounding, rolling, etc.). Sufficient time must also be provided for indoor and outdoor space equipment, materials, and adult guidance for active play and movement, which support the development of gross motor skills (i.e., jumping, running, hopping, skipping, etc.) Programs will accommodate children’s need to nap or rest that is age appropriate, infants nap on demand. Pre-school children attending the program six hours or longer per day will have a regular rest time. Alternative quiet activities will be provided for children who do not want to nap. Children are not required to go to sleep, but an environment and transition to a quieter space can be arranged to help children relax.

Classroom Rules

Schedules & Routines

Instructional & social-emotional supports: Classroom Management

In making classroom assignments consideration will be given to individual staff members who have participated in professional development opportunities to increase their knowledge and skills in particular areas of instructional supports (ex: literacy; special needs) or social-emotional supports (ex: relational teaching skills; positive behavioral response). The goal programs is to provide all children with access to staff with a variety of skills who can meet the wide-range of needs present in a classroom as well as individualize responses to optimize healthy development.

Positive Relationships and teacher Child Interactions

Creating healthy environments by promoting positive interpersonal and communication skills

A healthy environment for children is dependent upon the communication skills and styles of the adults. Attention will be paid to assessing each staff member's skills and efforts in supporting positive interactions between adults and children and between adults in a classroom using the CLASS observation tool. Classroom assignments will reflect efforts to create teaching teams that can provide optimal positive environments for learning.

Actively Supervising Children

GHC believes active supervision is a set of strategies for supervising infants, toddlers, and preschool children. These six strategies work together to create an effective approach to child supervision.

1) Set up the environment to supervise children at all times.

a) This will include developing and posting a visual daily classroom schedule for children, teachers, substitutes, and volunteers to follow that helps to keep the day predictable.

b) The height, type (e.g. closed versus open shelves) and arrangement of classroom furniture and outdoor equipment should be considered to allow effective monitoring and supervision of children at all times.

c) Staff may consider visual cues and reminders for children at the door to the classroom such as pictures of stop signs, bells on the door, etc.

2) Proper zoning by positioning staff to see and reach children at all times.

a) Each classroom team will discuss their plan for supervision of the classroom.

3) Scan the environment, including assigned areas of the classroom or outdoor area, and counting the children frequently.

a) Staff need to communicate with each other so everyone knows where each child and staff person is and what each one is doing. This is especially important in play areas and on the playground when children are constantly moving.

b) Please see Accountability of Children Procedure for specifics regarding transitional times of day (pick up, drop off, moving to and from the playground, and to cubbies and bathrooms located in hallways).

4) Listen closely to children and the environment to identify and communicate immediately signs of potential danger-atypical sounds or absence of typical sounds. Listen to and talk with team members, especially when a staff person or a child has to leave the area, so that staff knows where other staff are located.

a) Children who ask for help or show signs of distress or danger should be responded to immediately by a staff person to investigate the matter and respond appropriately. i) Conscious Discipline strategies should be utilized in responding to unsafe behavior as much as appropriate. Please see Response to Difficult or Unsafe Behavior Procedure.

5) Anticipate children's behavior to give children any needed additional support, especially at the start of the child’s enrollment year and during transitions. Children who wander off or lag behind are more likely to be left unsupervised.

a) Please see Accountability of Children Procedure for specifics regarding transitional times of day (pick up, drop off, moving to and from the playground).

6) Engage and redirect when children are unable to solve problems on their own. Offer different levels of assistance according to each individual child's needs.

a) Conscious Discipline strategies should be utilized in responding to unsafe behavior as much as appropriate.

Classroom Safe Space

Each classroom is required to provide a Safe Place within the classroom where any child can go to get away from the activity in the classroom, when feeling overwhelmed or just needing some alone time. This space offers picture images of the four techniques utilized by Conscious Discipline as a means of assisting the child to self-regulate or to regain self-control. If space allows, classrooms should have two “Safe Places.” This space must be able to be supervised visually at all times for the safety and protection of the children and staff members.

This also allows other staff members to be available should additional support be needed. If attempts of redirection or use of the Safe Place are unsuccessful, this may indicate that the child is overwhelmed. A staff person or volunteer can assist the child by staying close by and offering to listen to the child. This is a good time to utilize the Conscious Discipline and Pyramid Model for Supporting Social-Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children materials to help the child express their feelings and to find a solution together.

All efforts should be made to verbally deescalate a situation with a child Please see your supervisor and Illinois State Rules for the Licensing of Child Care Facilities for further guidance when needed. Communication with the parents is expected to be on going, especially when a child is distressed. In all cases, parents and supervisors will be informed in writing, utilizing the Child Incident Report, of behavior that is unsafe. The written documentation may also include utilization of an Individualized Behavior Support Plan, which is developed in partnership with staff and parents. The Site Supervisor or member of the management team will be called immediately in cases where a child is in danger of hurting themselves or others.

On the same day, a Child Incident/Injury Report will be completed and an Individualized Behavior Support Plan initiated. The Mental Health Consultant is a resource who may be accessed to conduct an individual observation with the permission of the parents. In so doing, an Individualized Behavior Support Plan can be created to more fully meet the needs of the child. In the event that a staff person is in need of referring to the Maine State Rules for the Licensing of Child Care Facilities with regard to child guidance OR feels it necessary to seek guidance from the Mental Health Consultant, this should ALWAYS be done in partnership with the Site Supervisor. The Site Supervisor will notify the Education and Disabilities Manager immediately in both of these instances.

Physical Redirection Guidance

Physical escort is temporary touching or holding for the purpose of inducing a student to walk to another location, including assisting the student to the student’s feet in order to be escorted. Physical prompt; o Physical Prompt is a teaching technique that involves physical contact with the student and that enables the student to learn or model the physical movement necessary for the development of the desired competency. Physical contact when the purpose of the intervention is to comfort a student and the student voluntarily accepts the contact; Momentarily deflecting the movement of a student when the student’s movement would be destructive, harmful or dangerous to the student or to others; The use of seat belts, safety belts or similar passenger restraint, when used as intended, during the transportation of a child in a motor vehicle; or The use of a medically prescribed harness when used as intended; or A brief period of physical contact necessary to break up a fight. All efforts must be made to verbally deescalate a situation with a child. Restraints should only be done by trained staff or in a case of emergency, (i.e. a child is in imminent danger), utilizing the least restrictive methods. Any restraints performed should be indicated on an incident report and shared immediately with the site supervisor. Inappropriate restraints may be reportable to collaborative partners such as DFSS, DCFS, and Chicago Commons. Staff members will work with site supervisors on reporting.

Active Supervision

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