Values

When I first began teaching preschool I used the traffic light method as discipline.  To be honest, it was already there when I got into the classroom and I just left it. Thinking that the method had worked before so I will just continue it.

If you are not familiar with the Traffic Light.  Green is Go:  you are having a great day
                                                                           Yellow: slow down and think about the rules
                                                                            Red: Stop and time out

I even went as far as making a little book to record the colors for the parents.  We could then write notes to one another or discuss the discipline problem. As the years went on I felt like this method was daunting.  It was me who "ruled" the traffic light.  I moved their clip or card to the next color and I was the one who (I felt) humiliated the little ones.  After a couple of years I decided to trash the whole idea and began a new system.

I created RULES that I felt were necessary to the classroom.  1. Eyes on me
                                                                                                   2. Turn on your ears
                                                                                                   3. Raise your hand to speak
                                                                                                   4. Walk in the room
                                                                                                   5. Keep your hands to yourself
                                                                                                   6. Use your inside voice
                                                                                                   7. Smile
I even had little motions for each one hoping this would help them to remember the RULES.

One day it finally dawned on me that I could condense the rules and have conversations about them instead of just repeating and memorizing them.  I would be able to sit down with the kids, shape behavior and put it into terms they will understand.

We now use Values.   Patience:  to wait without complaint (raise your hand to speak)
                                    Respect: be thoughtful of others or just be NICE
                                    Personal Space: One arms length away (sit criss cross applesauce)
                                    Self Control: Manage your actions and feelings (inside voice, walk in the
                                                           room, and keep your hands to yourself)
                                    Trustworthy:  doing the right thing even when no one is watching
                                     Joy:  Happy

Everyday we sit in our meeting and talk about the classroom values. I give examples and the kids give ideas.  It is now a discussion of behavior instead of a dictatorship.
 When there is an issue in the room, I only need to state a value and the issue is resolved.  Occasionally there is a time out given for repeat offenders, but most of the time it's a teaching moment.
To be honest, some adults need to be reminded of these values sometimes.  Character is incredibly important to me and I get share it with my little people everyday.

Changing it up!

 Teaching Preschool can be exhausting and exhilarating, frustrating and rewarding; sometimes all in the same day.

Teaching is somewhat of a performance. I have to be excited about the topic in order for the kids to get excited about it.  I am always trying to come up with new ways of introducing letters and numbers, although they (the letters and numbers) never change, I have to.

 So to bring in a little more fun today I created a little dance to go over our letters. Usually, we say the letter, give the sign (language), repeat the sound 3 times and give a word.  In the beginning it was fun and new. Now even I have to admit it's quite boring.

Today we got up and moved with the sounds and letters. Making the letter shapes with our bodies and sounds with little dances. Joy and smiles on the faces of little people, even those who do not participate on a regular basis.

I just hope it's sinking in and maybe when they go to Kindergarten next year and are asked the sounds of the letters they will do a little wiggle to help them remember.

Why are you yelling?

I feel like I am asking this question too often.  Children tend to be loud talkers, is this by nature or nurture?  I have a few thoughts on the subject:

1.  Have you had your child's hearing checked?  Maybe there really is something wrong and your child cannot even hear themselves so they are loud talkers.

2.  The world is full of noise.  Every store or restaurant we frequent seems to have music playing.  I find it difficult to concentrate and have conversations when there is a lot of background music going on.  Is your television on all the time?  Kids tend to get louder with their environment.

3.  Parents are yelling to talk.  Your child is short not deaf!

4.  They are being ignored and you don't even realize it. We are all busy with our careers, activities, hobbies and such, but I see, more often than not, a child being ignored by a cell phone.  Parents are too "busy" tweeting, texting and checking facebook to even look up when their child has a need.  I see parents talking on their phone with a little one hanging out of a shopping cart screaming (literally) for attention.  Parents sitting at a fast food place would rather look at a lit up rectangle than into the face of their own child who needs them.

5.  No one corrects them.  You can change the situation if you really want too.  Whisper to answer your child and they will too whisper.  Simply ask them to not yell at you.  If you accept the behavior it will continue.