companion booklet
INDEX
Intent Ideology Temperamental Traits Rules How to not say No?
Intent
No Kidding is a learning tool for teachers and can be used for their professional development. It is a card based facilitated platform for teachers to discuss the situations that would arise in their day to day activities in the preschool and ways to deal with them. The discussion prompts them to reflect on their practice and makes them aware of the individual temperaments that kids tend to have. It aims at equipping the teachers to deal with the situations in a positive manner and in ways that would be best suitable for them.
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Ideology
No Kidding is based on 101 Guides of Positive Discipline by Dr Katherine Kersey. The principles are meant to inspire children and hold them accountable for their actions. The methods, unlike spanking, help the child find solutions to problems and give him/her the opportunity to emulate the desired behaviour. The 101s are a successful model and have been implemented at both school and home environments. They advise caregivers to be patient, listen to children, interact with them, and help them realise that their actions have consequences, whether good or bad. No Kidding revolves around 8 kids whose personas have been identified with the help of NYLS conducted by Thomas, Chess, Birch and Hertzig in 1956. As per the report, the interaction of temperamental characteristics with the environment determines the personality of someone. Temperaments here are identified as a collection of inborn characteristics that acknowledge a child’s perspective of the world. They shape the child’s unique and distinct personality. Awareness of individual temperaments can lead to a more responsive and individualised care from the caregiver’s side. Observation over a period of time and communicating with parents helps the teacher learn about each child’s unique temperament and ways to deal with them.
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Description
Rhythmicity
Distractibility
The degree to which external stimuli can influence attention
Approach/ Withdrawal
The nature of response to any new thing such as toys, food or people
Adaptability
The nature of response to changes and transitions in the environment
Activity Level
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The degree of consistency of everyday biological functions, such as sleeping
The level of a child’s physical activity
Lev
Reg
Irreg
Distra
N Distra
Pos
Nega
Adap
Not Ad
Hi
Lo
Examples
gular
Has fixed eating and sleeping patterns
gular
Takes naps in between classes
actable
Will stop tantrum if another activity is suggested
Not actable
Ignores teacher’s calls if engaged if in an activity
sitive
Friendly with a new child who just joined
ative
Clung to mother at drop off time for first few days
ptive
Easily switches from lunch hour to study hour
daptive
Temperamental Traits
vel
Was severely homesick when joined new school
igh
Cannot sit at one spot for long
ow
Plays quietly with toys
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Temperamental Traits
Description
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Persistence
The continuation of an activity despite the challenges and hurdles
Intensity of Reaction
The energy level of response regardless of positive or negative
Threshold of Responsiveness
The level of stimulation needed to produce a response, regardless of the nature
Quality of Mood
The likelihood to react to things in a pleasant, joyful way or in a crying, unfriendly way
Level
Examples
High
Is adamant on getting the perfect alphabet
Low
Leaves puzzle if faced with difficulties
Intense
Yells when excited or happy
Mild
Doesn’t react when another child takes a toy
Low
Easily gets startled by noise
High
Can fall asleep anywhere
Positive
Happy go lucky kid
Negative
Has grumpy days
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Personality CardsDescribe each child’s personality. Refer to them during the activity
Th int sh on kid sit ca de pe fel
Spinner: Spin it to see which card to pick.
• The teacher having the least amount of professional experien • On her turn, the teacher spins the pointer and picks up the top • In each of the situations, the teacher should be vocal about ho say to the children. • After the teacher has responded, the facilitator should ask if th to respond to the situation. This can then lead to a discussion discussion by giving tips to the teachers. • The blank cards can be filled by teachers with child personas 10
Rules
Pick up one or more of these cards after picking up Step In.
he teacher steps to children’s hoes. Depending n the number of ds involved in the tuation, she picks up ards from the child eck and allots the ersonalities to her llow teachers.
What would have been on the child’s mind?
What would a teacher do if this happens in the class?
nce starts. pmost card from the corresponding deck. ow she would react to the situation and what exactly would she
here is anyone else who thinks there would be a better way n amongst the teachers. The facilitator should enable the and situations from their experience as a teacher. 11
How to not say No?
Being a preschool teacher comes with a lot of responsibilities and challenges. The kids being young, are exploring the world around them and often barely have the words to communicate how they’re feeling. Research says that its best to tell children the reason for anything that a caregiver says/does as a response to the child’s behaviour. Children then understand the situation better and are more inclined to follow the instruction. The strategies enlisted below have proven to be helpful in dealing with common behaviour challenges.
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1. Nip It in the Bud: Stop the child from doing something dangerous or destructive at first sight. Letting the behaviour continue would generally result in worsening the situation especially if the child is aware he’s being watched and no action is being taken. Try to move close to the child and guide him somewhere else in the least reinforcing way possible; avoiding eye contact all this while. 2. Use Actions Instead of Words: Act instead of talking. Words are generally a reaction to the behaviour. Non verbal acting requires taking a step back, understanding the belief behind the child’s behaviour and responding proactively. Try to use hand signals. For example, sit silently and wait for their attention instead of asking them to be quiet again and again.
3. Divide and Conquer: Separate children who reinforce the misconduct of each other. If two children are fighting, suppose, split them up and make them sit apart. 4. Stay Detached Emotionally: Try not to succumb to child’s emotions. Remain focused and follow the goal of empowering the child for self-discipline. If the child is throwing a tantrum, follow the principles instead of giving into his demands. 5. Take a Break: Tell the child to take a break and think about what he could have differently. Give the child a place to go and return only when he’s ready to behave in better way. The place can be a comfortable and quiet area where the child can reflect, refocus and calm down. He might realise his mistake and make an effort to self correct. 6. The Timer Says It’s Time: Set up a timer to support transitions for children. This helps them prepare in advance and gives them a heads up. Sometimes it’s also a good idea to give the child the opportunity to choose how long it will take to get himself together. For example, “In five minutes you will have to put your toys away and get ready for lunch.” 7. Get Support from Another Person: Ask for someone else’s help in reinforcing the positive behaviour. This can give another perspective/solution to the problem. For example, if you are not able to come up with the solution to a child’s behaviour, you can ask a fellow teacher for help. 13
8. Change of Environment: Change the child’s physical environment by moving to another room. There may be objects/sensations triggering unwanted behaviour. Moving away from those can help. 9. Wait Until Later: Emotions can get heightened while dealing with children. It’s best for both the parties to take some time off and think before discussing it again. You can say, “We both need some time to cool off, let’s discuss this at 3.” 10. Write a Contract: Talk to the child (after the anger subsides) and draft a contract together about future behaviour. Having the child’s opinion on what he can do and what he can’t makes him feel in charge of the situation. Contracts can be made for specific place like playground, toy area. 11. Collect Data: Keep a record of the unacceptable behaviours and their frequency. Try to find patterns. This will be helpful in identifying a child’s temperaments and ways to deal with them. 12. ABC: Think about antecedent, behaviour, consequences in any given situation (cause, effect, result). Knowing and altering the cause can prevent the inappropriate behaviour altogether. One should also keep an eye on what the child is achieving. A child might be acting out just to get a toy. 14