Teacher’s approach to different children’s behaviour in classrooms and school.
Introduction.
Every teacher or caregiver in a school tries to give the best to a child. In doing this, class management is the key to ensure that the child appreciates what is being done in class. Understanding the child is critical in class management. The teacher or caregiver is needed to have an understanding of children.
Part A
Tommy, the 3year old child, might not have drawn the same truck as Sam’s and that has made him upset. For children, this standard for most children who may want to be the best in everything that they do (Appleton, Douglas, & Rheeston, 2016). As a teacher or caregiver, the known approach is critical as it will give Tommy a chance also to show what he knows to draw best and this will boost the confidence level of the child as he will also be able to bring that which others cannot draw or better still there is an activity that he can do that some other learners cannot do. A teacher should be in a position to understand all the strengths and weaknesses of the pupils. Use the power of the pupil to encourage him/ her. The teacher needs to create an environment for Tommy by allowing him to draw that which he knows how to attract (Englander, 2017).
The other way is to use clear and straightforward instructions that Tommy can easily understand. Tommy might have missed out in the instructions that the teacher gave. The teacher needs to be assertive in the voice commands but also be very clear, ensuring that every pupil has received all the detailed instructions provided. Tommy might be the type that needs a lot of attention that makes him feel important, so the seating position of Tommy should also be checked (Englander, 2017). If where Tommy is seating makes him uncomfortable or reduces his level of confidence, then the teacher needs to change his seating position. Maybe Sam is always good in drawing this means that each time the drawing activity will be on then the teacher will have to deal with the upset of Tommy, the solution to this may be to change the seating position of Tommy or Sam.
The teacher also needs to observe the behaviour of Tommy if it persists, then it means that a proactive approach will be required. The teacher after learning that it is in the character of Tommy to get upset all the time, then he/ she needs to warn Tommy before the drawing activity starts (Appleton, Douglas, & Rheeston, 2016). The warning will prevent Tommy from getting upset when he cannot draw like the others.in doing this the teacher needs to be compassionate, show the child that you are concerned with what is going on and be very open to them. Words like” let nobody get upset if they cannot draw well,” before the activity starts will be significant as it will mean that you know the behaviour of some of them like Tommy.
One needs to learn that Tommy’s behaviour may result in the following reasons, and as a teacher, you must address them (Adu, & Frimpong, 2018). A childlike Tommy might be seeking more attention, need to always be in control, lacks self-confidence, or maybe is too young to understand what the curriculum offers. In all this, the approaches will help.
Part B
Reasons why the children are refusing to clean the block area
A block area is a place where most activities take place. Here is where the play toys are, it is where recreational items are. These items make the children active as they enjoy themselves while playing with them. The area also is a place that the children remove their boredom and so it is an important place. This place is also a place that has a lot of cleaning activities, just like playing activities. It is, therefore, reasonable for children to run away from work. The reason why children are not willing to participate in the cleaning process might be because they are tired, the work is tedious (Alisaari, & Heikkola, 2017). The items to be cleaned are so many, the cleaning activity might take a long time, the time for going home might have reached, and so the children are longing to be collected by their parents or guardians or are ready to get into the bus and go back.
These and many more might be the reason why children are not keen on cleaning the block area. The two most possible causes are; the work of cleaning the place is very dull and that the cleaning process might take too long. The teacher or caregiver should, therefore, come up with a strategy to make the work exciting and also try to reduce the time of cleaning the place.
Strategies that the teacher or caregiver can use to make the children wok in the block area
The block area seems to be a problem during cleaning, and that is why the children run away from it. There are several methods that a teacher uses. These methods make the cleaning process more exciting and enable all the pupils to take part in the cleaning process. Such approaches are: having a song that when we start singing, then the children know it is time to clean the block area, introducing a time challenge where the pupils will work in groups at specific days in the block area competing with time. The group that finishes ahead of others in time is rewarding (Adu, & Frimpong, 2018). Engaging other strategies like allowing them to use sounds of a trashed van, a robot, a helicopter, using words like, “Go…stop”. Let us discuss the two approaches that will make the pupils take part in the cleaning activity.
Introducing a song, the teacher or caregiver can come up with exciting music that will make the children take part in the cleaning; that song is a preserve for cleaning the block area. When the piece is sung, then the children will know it is time to clean the block area (Adu, & Frimpong, 2018). The song must be one that is known by all the pupils, and if they do not know, then the teacher needs to teach them that song before they start using it as a work song. The children need to get used to the music that any time that sings is sung; then it is time to clean the block area. The teacher can use the word “Go” to show the beginning of the song and the work. The term “stop” is used to mean the stop of the song and a break or the end of the work. This song must be related to the job done. The song will always be a trigger to do the cleaning in the block area. The song should be a short one with an automatic repetition. This will make it easy to understand and memorize. The music can also be sung in groups as it can be around a song that connects the different groups working together in the block area (Bensimon, M. 2020).
Introducing a beat the time challenge: this is where the teacher introduces time that each pupil or group will beat when cleaning the block area. The teacher needs to explain to the children that the time set is for them to complete the work given. Beat the time challenge will reduce the length of time taken to do the job. It will also make the work be like a game that the children are playing. A record of time is written down and the person or the group that finishes after consuming less time is appreciated or rewarded. In beat the time challenge, the teacher needs to take precaution to ensure that the children do not injure themselves in a rush to beat the time.
The two approaches are used together. That is the song can sing and at the same time, beat the time challenge is also on (Alisaari, & Heikkola, 2017). This will make the work even more interesting for the children. It is here that the teacher or the caregiver will also identify children with different talents like singing. Here too the most responsible child amongst all will be known. You can also determine the child that can work without close supervision. The abilities of the children will be seen.
Beat the time challenge, and song approaches are used by teachers and have proven that children tend to work together when there is a factor bringing them together and pushing them like songs and challenges. The use of songs has proven to be very important, even in-class lessons. Teachers have used songs to help the children master topics, formulas and many other things.
A child needs something that can engage him/ her while doing some work or a reward that can come from that work, and so teachers need to come up with a bonus even if it is small, it will significantly motivate the child.
References
Adu, J., & Frimpong, S. O. (2018). Grooming early childhood children: the role of songs and lyrics and rhymes. IFE PsychologIA: An International Journal, 26(1), 182-192.
Alisaari, J., & Heikkola, L. M. (2017). Songs and poems in the language classroom: Teachers’ beliefs and practices. Teaching and Teacher Education, 63, 231-242.
Appleton, R., Douglas, H., & Rheeston, M. (2016). Taking part in ‘Understanding your child’s behaviour’ and positive changes for parents. Community Practitioner, 89(2), 42-8.
Bensimon, M. (2020). Perceptions of music therapists regarding their work with children living under continuous war threat: Experiential reframing of trauma through songs. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 1-17.
Dowling, E., & Osborne, E. (Eds.). (2018). The family and the school: A joint systems approach to problems with children. Routledge.
Englander, E. K. (2017). Understanding Bullying Behaviour. American Federation of Teachers, Winter.
Shin, J. K. (2017). Get up and Sing! Get up and Move! Using Songs and Movement with Young Learners of English. In English Teaching Forum (Vol. 55, No. 2, pp. 14-25). US Department of State. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs, SA-5, 2200 C Street NW 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20037.