Behavior Management

Page 15

A very common question is “What do we do when a child or a few children are not listening or participating in circle time or group activity but the rest of the children are?"

There are multiple variables to consider with why children don’t want to participate in specific activities and what you can do in those situations.

Ask yourself:

Are the activities, length, and learning objectives really appropriate for all of the children included?
It is a real challenge for a group of 2 year olds to sit quietly for an extended period of time during circle or community time. Or have a group of preschoolers sit and listen to something they have no interest in or don’t understand. Make it fun! The more exciting you make it look, the more the children are going to want to participate. Be goofy! Make up songs! Use different voices! Alternate between standing and sitting activities. All of these ideas work for all age groups.  

Is there a specific reason as to why they don’t want to be in the group? Do they express why they don’t want to be there? Do they want to be the center of attention or the teacher’s helper?

You’ve made it fun! You’ve made it exciting! It’s still not catching their attention? Here are a few ideas you could try out:

• Put everyone’s name on a popsicle stick and into a jar. Explain that anyone who wants to be a helper should be participating or sitting in circle time. Each morning pull the names from the jar. There could be one job or multiple jobs. They can be crazy ridiculous to you but mean the world to the children. Door holder, lunch helper, water fountain monitor (counts/times everyone at the water fountain after outside time), chair pusher (pushes the chairs in after activities), etc. Find random ones and run with them! Have the children come up with some too.
• For younger children, keep it short. Split the activity into short bits throughout the day. If you are going to make a mural, start one part in the morning. Plan for 10 minutes and if it goes longer than 10 minutes, that’s great. If they only last for 10 minutes, that’s great too. Add another part later in the day or even the next day. Break up circle time into 10 to 15 minute increments. If you normally sing a welcome song, sing it during free time rather than requiring them all to sit down in one area. If you talk about the days of week, do it during lunch or outside. You don’t HAVE to always sit during circle or community time. You can switch it up once in a while. 

Now you need to know what to do if they REALLY aren’t going to join you.
​You can set up a second activity for them to participate in. Coloring at an easel or a puzzle. Be sure to choose something that isn’t more exciting than what you are doing but it is another option for them. You should always start the planned activity or circle time as usual and then give them one of those options if you have tried all other ideas. Continue to use those voices and be goofy, they could decide that coloring or puzzles really isn’t that fun and decide to join in with the activity. 

Course Navigation Menu

1. Course Agenda
​2. Classroom Management
3. Where to Begin?
4. Goal Setting (1/10) ​
5. Setting Routines
6. Transitions​
7. Real Strategies
8. Transition Technique (2/10)
9. Appropriate Expectations
10. Setting Expectations
11. Expectations Scenario (3/10) ​

12. Setting Rules 
13. Involving Students
14. Behavior Management
15. Behavior Management
16. Guidance Techniques
17. Sign Language for Classroom
18. Management Motivation
19. Group Motivation
20. Individual Motivation
21. Classroom Analysis (4/10) ​
22. Mistaken Behavior

23. ABC Chart
24. Behavior Patterns​ (5/10)
25. How to Make your Own ABC Chart
26. ABC Chart – Scenario 1 (6/10)
27. ABC Chart – Scenario 1 (7/10)​​​
28. ABC Chart – Scenario 2 (8/10)​​​
29. ABC Chart – Scenario 2 (9/10)​​​
30. ABC Chart to Prevent Behavior
31. End of Course Quiz (10/10)
32. Course Evaluation Form​
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