Child Behaviour: Evaluating Techniques Used by Teachers

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Videos Evaluation
Implications of Children’s Behaviour
Recommendations
Conclusion
References

Educators and the environment can influence a child’s behavior by reinforcing positive actions and providing an understanding of bad deeds. One strategy is ignoring bad behavior while giving attention to a child when he or she behaves. Another approach is encouraging social interactions and cooperation among classmates to ensure that everyone feels included and can participate in all activities. This paper aims to critique videos Ignoring Disruptive Behaviour and Primary special needs – Tackling challenging behavior 2 and evaluate techniques used by teachers based on the unit’s readings.

Videos Evaluation

The video Ignoring disruptive behavior offers an exciting insight into approaches that can be used when students are misbehaving in a classroom (“Teachers TV – Ignoring disruptive behaviour,” 2013). The fundamental disruption that occurs in the video is some children pressing the guitar strings when the teacher explains the learning material and one boy being inattentive. Primary special needs – Tackling challenging behavior 2 presents an assessment of two techniques that teachers use to address the social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties of young children (“Primary special needs – Tackling challenging behaviour 2,” 2011). One teacher uses a circle where everyone can either respond to a question or skip a turn, providing freedom of choice while engaging all individuals in this activity. Another educator encourages students to tell each other how they feel on a scale from 1 to 10 to enable social support from classmates. In general, all activities are based on cooperation and improving the social skills of children. The teachers argue that only a positive approach can ensure that children, especially those with behavioral difficulties, learn appropriately.

Videos and Literature Comparison

One crucial element that can be seen in both videos is how disruptive behavior can isolate children from their peers and create difficulties with socializing. However, as Porter (2016) states, humans are social beings, and thus, a teacher must ensure that such behavior is prevented or addressed. The views presented in the videos correspond with those in the reading materials. In Ignoring Disruptive Behaviour, the children in question are displaying lousy behavior openly, and the initial reaction of the teacher is to engage in conflict and continue talking to a student. While this can be a tempting approach, both the unit literature and the consultant helping the teacher in the video do not recommend employing this model. In addition, the educator mentions a green sticker that is often used as a form of reward and a tool to encourage compliance; however, Kohn (1994) argues that similar to the punishments, this approach does not provide long-term effects.

In the video Primary special needs – Tackling challenging behavior 2, the teacher focuses on incorporating children into the environment of the school and encouraging mutual support that students can display for each other. This corresponds with the recommendations shown in the literature for this unit. Ignoring disruptive behavior recommends a teacher dedicate all of his or her attention towards children who behave instead of engaging in a conflict with students who misbehave. When compared to the literature’s suggestions, this approach can be a valid tool for both educators and parent and should not result in a feeling of rejection experienced by a child (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017; “Child behaviour tools: planned ignoring,” n.d.). The fundamental strategy of this approach is to dedicate attention when an individual is behaving and not doing so when they misbehave to shape their understanding of good and bad behavior.

Arguably, the beliefs of the teacher can affect his or her response to a conflict situation. Porter (2016) argues that in many cases, adults perceive a child’s thoughtless action as a misdemeanor, although they are likely to ignore developmental errors. One of the primary issues with this approach is that when evaluating behavior in a social environment, for instance, cooperation or sharing with others, teachers can overlook the fact that these components have to be learned. Instead, they are perceived as natural, and children who do not present behavior that corresponds with this idea are viewed as wrong. The only strategy that an educator can use to help students overcome behavioral difficulties is guidance, which can be seen in the video titled Primary special needs – Tackling challenging behavior 2.

Implications of Children’s Behaviour

Educators have an impact on children and their development while they are growing up. This aspect is reflected in learning behaviors, socialization, and thought processes (“Responding to student misbehavior, n.d.). The implications of the research conducted in the field of child development suggest that environmental factors have a vital role in determining the behavioral patterns of children and their attitudes towards learning. This paragraph aims to examine two videos in question and explore evidence that relates to the environmental factors that impact child behaviors and determine the impact of educator and environmental effects on a child’s behavior. Moreover, the general environment that a child is exposed to matters as well. In the first video, titled Ignoring Disruptive Behaviour some children display problematic behavior and do not list to the teacher that can be addressed by incorporating all students into the lesson through activities that encourage but do not pressure one to participate.

It is evident that the school environment is not the only one shaping a child’s behavior, and a teacher should be aware of the implications that misdemeanor has. As was previously discussed, Porter (2016) argues that in most cases, bad behavior is viewed as something that can not be addressed through teaching, which is not correct. The video Primary special needs – Tackling challenging behavior 2 demonstrates this approach accurately as individuals with socialization difficulties are successfully cooperating with their peers because of the environment created by educators. McLaughlina et al. (2015) explore the issue of response mechanisms that are a basis of behavior and their establishment in the early years of childhood. The authors argue that early experiences have a direct impact on the development of the sympathetic nervous system and thus, the environments that children are exposed to such as families, caregivers, or educators matter.

Another aspect of the positive learning environment and teacher attitude is the relationship between educators and students, which can be observed in both videos. Cassidy et al. (2017) state that the well-being of teachers impacts the behaviors of toddlers, which was displayed in the author’s study. The results of this research, as well as previous studies, point out the importance of the classroom environment for the proper development of a child and his or her behavior patterns. Moreover, this has an impact on the quality of learning experiences and future educational outcomes. Supportive behavior from the teacher is crucial for children because it facilitated an appropriate emotional environment. Cassidy et al. (2017) define classrooms as a system where all elements are connected, and therefore, the personal characteristics of an educator have an impact on children. The reason behind the focus on toddlers is because, at this age, individuals learn to rely less on the emotional regulation provided by their educators and use personal self-regulation mechanisms.

Developing a safe classroom to ensure that a child’s basic needs are met is essential. Sarwar (2016) explores the connection between parenting styles and child behavior and argues that approaches taken by parents can influence the future of their children and predetermine issues such as delinquency or low academic achievements. For instance, the authoritarian behavior of a mother is found to lead children towards rebellious behavior. Also, Sarwar et al. (2016) argue that by spending more time with their families, children can reduce the risk of an adverse response. In the context of a classroom, this can be addressed by creating an environment in which children spend time with each other socializing.

The implications of the studies explored in this paper suggest that the educators and the environment that children are exposed to have a significant impact on midsummer and the ability of a child to learn proper behavior. Lambregtse-van den Berg et al. (2018) and Rodriguez and Wittig (2019) suggest that violent behavior of individuals can be predicted by examining their environments and assessing the following risk factors – maternal postpartum depression and paternal traits. Adverse actions of parents or their psychological issues can trigger the early onset of aggression in children. The research suggests that a variety of unwanted behavioral problems are associated with exposure to inadequate environments. According to Lambregtse-van den, Berg et al. (2018) “neurobiological and environmental risk factors that have been associated with early child aggressive behaviour include: exposure to maternal prenatal substance use (tobacco, alcohol, drugs), birth complications, malnutrition, lead exposure, childhood head injury, maternal psychopathology and adverse parent-child interactions (e.g. abuse, neglect)” (p. 77). In this regard, the role of an educator is in developing a safe environment. This claim is supported by Porter’s (2016) in Chapter 6 titled Meeting Children’s Basic Needs: Survival, Safety, and Wellbeing.

Educators have to aim for developing a positive environment within the classroom that supports children and helps them express themselves to promote better behavioral and educational outcomes. According to McDonald (2013), “in Australia, classroom management and student engagement are significant issues for teachers, school leaders, system administrators and the public” (p. 50).

Recommendations

Based on the unit’s readings and other literature on the topic, it can be argued that establishing a pleasant environment that supports children is a critical aspect of education. To respond to a child whose behavior is often challenging a teacher can apply several strategies. Porter (2016) and McDonald outline the need for having a clear plan and ensuring that children feel safe and as a part of a group in a classroom. Additionally, social activities and interactions should be incorporated into the learning process to teach students appropriate social behaviors. This can be done by asking students to tell each other what they understood from the lesson and what was unclear and encouraging others to explain the material. This approach challenges the common belief that bad behavior cannot be addressed through learning and cooperation.

A clear understanding of the needs that a child has is vital in this regard. Safety, independence, and belonging are outlined as crucial by Porter (2016), and thus, a teaching plan should consider these elements. One of the most critical aspects of this strategy is the respect of self-worth and focus on the strengths that a child has. The positive learning framework (PLF) developed by McDonald (2013) helps educators facilitate an appropriate environment in their classrooms despite possible disruptions and combines a variety of neurobiological, psychological, and educational research.

The PLF has three primary stages, preparation, teaching, and behavior correction in case of a misdemeanor. In addition, prevention of indiscipline is among the critical elements that this framework emphasizes. One aspect that aids this goal is the ability to meet the needs of the students (McDonald, 2013). This allows a teacher to have a sustainable plan that created a long-term impact on his or her students. PLF incorporates a variety of different concepts, and the educator needs to understand the implications of the bad behavior of a child and underlying psychological issues to be able to apply PLF. Together with the strategy of guidance that helps students think about others with consideration to their feeling can help overcome the problem (Porter, 2016). In this way, they learn the right and wrong actions based not on rewards and punishments that can misguide but by focusing on their internal values. Additionally, it helps them develop emotionally and comprehend their feeling better, which aids conflict resolution.

Based on the assessed information a conclusion can be made that in many cases teachers have incorrect beliefs that impact their attitudes in a classroom and disrupt the perception of bad behavior, as can be seen in Ignoring disruptive Behaviour. Perry (n.d.) argues that it is vital for an educator to understand the impact that the classroom environment has on child development and future academic success. Thus, the following list summarises the most important aspects that a teacher should know about child behavior that can help work with them effectively, particularly if they are displaying challenging behavior.

Punishments do not result in long-term behavior improvement;
The environment of a child, including his or her home and educational facility, shape the behavior;
The focus should be on developing adequate values and beliefs and avoiding extrinsic motivation (Kohn, 1994);
Satisfying the basic needs, for instance, belonging to a social group and safety is crucial (Porter 2016).
Guidance and not control is the best strategy;
Encouraging cooperation with peers and socialization can help overcome behavioral difficulties;
Preserving the dignity of students when addressing misdemeanor is crucial (McDonald, 2013);
Maintaining a good relationship with students is key to good outcomes (Rimm-Kaufman & Sandilos, n.d.);

In the settings shown in the discussed videos, a teacher can initiate, develop and maintain a good relationship with children by firstly developing an understanding of the different backgrounds that each of them has. This is supported by both McDonald (2013) and research papers examined in the previous paper, which suggest that a variety of factors, including the home environment, impact children. Next, the knowledge of the techniques that encourage learning and those that facilitate only a short-term effect is vital. In this regard, a teacher should use social activities, similar to those in the video Primary special needs – Tackling challenging behavior 2. In the other classroom portrayed in Ignoring disruptive behavior, a teacher can use group activities and encouraged children to ask each other about their understanding of the sound and pitch. McDonald (2013) also argues that developing a management plan before the interactions with the students begin is vital, which is another suggestion that can be applied in both settings. It should be noted that this strategy requires a teacher to challenge his or her personal beliefs regarding education and student resilience.

While being kind and respectful is the key to successful classroom cooperation, this is usually not enough to help children to see and develop their strengths. According to Sparks (2019), when evaluating a teacher-student relationship, one should keep in mind the number of hours that the two groups of people spend with each other during a day. The focus of a teacher should be on the environment and their ability to recognize and support the curiosity of children. Moreover, “the impact of student-teacher relationships upon a student’s mental health should not be ignored,” which requires additional attention to safety and autonomy (“How to develop positive teacher-student relationships,” n.d.). Therefore, if a child is continuously displaying behavior that is challenging, a teacher should reflect on the interpersonal relationship aspect and rethink the taken approach.

In addition, several policy strategies can be introduced to guiding children’s behavior in the discussed setting to improve the learning outcomes. The should be in positive reinforcement of good practices through the framework developed by McDonald (2013). Also, guidance and policies that help teachers learn more about this approach are crucial to contemporary education. The Victoria State Government (2017) argues that “corporal punishment unreasonable discipline are not permitted in education” (para. 3). However, the policymakers should be aware of the adverse effects associated with rewards and the educational legislations have to focus on emphasizing the development of intrinsic motivation and moral values.

It can be argued that a policy requiring schools to use the PLF in their work can significantly mitigate the behavior issues because its primary focuses are on correcting children. While it was developed by McDonald (2013), researchers such as Noble and Mcgrath (2015) and Taylor, Oberle, Durlak, and Weissberg (2019). These studies support the argument that positive and safe environments promote ethical behavior and proper learning outcomes better than approaches that were commonly used before the development of PLF. According to Taylor et al. (2019), such an approach can improve “social-emotional skills, attitudes, and indicators of well-being” while Noble and Mcgrath (2015) state that the application of positive psychology in education is necessary to improve the development of children (p. 2). All in all, a shift towards positive concepts in education and behavior issues at schools should be the center of contemporary policies.

Conclusion

Overall, this paper determines the implications of educator influence and environmental factors on child behavior. The examined videos illustrate the two essential techniques that an educator can use – ignoring disruptive behavior and creating an engaging environment that encourages children to participate in class activities and support each other. The findings suggest that it is vital for children to be exposed to supportive and positive environments for their proper emotional development. Issues such as delinquency or violence can be mitigated as well since they are primarily connected to the attitudes and behaviors of the parents and caregivers. The risk factors suggest that home environments predetermine the behavioral patterns of children and exposure to violence or physical punishments has severe effects. However, the examined evidence indicates that a teacher can overcome these issues by creating a safe environment where children’s voices can be heard.

References

Cassidy, D. J., King, E. K., Wang, Y. C., Lower, J. K., & Kintner-Duffy, V. L. (2016). Teacher work environments are toddler learning environments: Teacher professional well-being, classroom emotional support, and toddlers’ emotional expressions and behaviours. Early Child Development and Care, 187(11), 1666–1678. Web.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017).Ignoring – What it is and how to use it for managing misbehaviors. Web.

Child behaviour tools: planned ignoring.(n.d.). Web.

How to develop positive teacher-student relationships. (n.d.). Web.

Kohn, A. (1994). The risks of rewards. Web.

Lambregtse-van den Berg, M., Tiemeier, H., Verhulst, F., Jaddoe, V., Tindall, E., Vlachos, H.,… Ramchandaniik, P. G. (2018). Early childhood aggressive behaviour: Negative interactions with paternal antisocial behaviour and maternal postpartum depressive symptoms across two international cohorts. European Psychiatry, 54, 77-84. Web.

McDonald, T. (2013). Classroom management: Engaging students in learning (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.

McLaughlin, K., Sheridan, M., Tibu, F., Fox, N., Zeanah, C., & Nelson, C. (2015). Causal effects of the early caregiving environment on development of stress response systems in children. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(18), 5637-5642. Web.

Noble, T., & McGrath, H. (2015). PROSPER: A new framework for positive education. Psychology of Well-Being, 5(1), 2-17. Web.

Porter, L. (2016). Young children’s behaviour: Guidance approaches for Early Childhood Educators (4th ed.). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

Perry, L. M. (n.d.). How education affects early childhood development. Web.

Primary special needs – Tackling challenging behaviour 2.(2011). Web.

Responding to student misbehavior. (n.d.). Web.

Rimm-Kaufman, S., & Sandilos, L. (n.d.). Improving students’ relationships with teachers to provide essential supports for learning. Web.

Rodriguez, C., & Wittig, S. (2019). Predicting child problem behavior and maternal/paternal parent-child aggression: Identifying early prevention targets. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 60, 76-86. Web.

Sarwar, S. (2016). Influence of parenting style on children’s behaviour. Journal of Education and Educational Development, 3(2), 222-249.

Sparks, S. D. (2019). Why teacher-student relationships matter.Web.

Taylor, R., Oberle, E., Durlak, J., & Weissberg, R. (2017). Promoting positive youth development through school-based social and emotional learning interventions: A meta-analysis of follow-up effects. Child Development, 88(4), 1156-1171. Web.

Teachers TV- Ignoring disruptive behaviour.(2013). Web.

The Victoria State Government (2017). Understanding children’s behaviour. Web.

Click Here To Order Now!