Guidance: A Positive Approach to Discipline Energy Express Site Leadership Training 2015

Guidance: Most challenging Most rewarding In this session:  Approaches for guiding children and youth volunteers towards appropriate behavior  Techniques for responding to misbehavior when it occurs

Your journey awaits…what should you pack? What will help you prepare for a smooth journey? What approaches can be taken to guide children and youth volunteers towards appropriate behavior while preventing misbehavior?

Do you have it covered?  The steps mentors and community coordinators will take to get ready and prepared for each day of the program

Do you have it covered? Manuals Room preparation Daily preparation

How will things flow?  Refers to how the day will flow

How will things flow? Expectations Daily Schedule Unwritten routines Daily responsibilities Daily choices

How will you connect?  Refers to building relationships with children, youth volunteers, and their families

How will you connect? Proximity Listening to them Smile! Talk Let them know that they were missed Connect with their families

Rewards and Recognition at Energy Express: Praise Attention Proximity Smiles Positive phone calls Good-news notes Non-verbal cues

How will you see children, youth volunteers, and families in the best light?  Refers to seeing the positives of every child, youth volunteer, and family

How will you see children, youth volunteers, and families in the best light? Focus on ability Avoiding assumptions and stereotypes Reflection

“Bump in the Trail”  Refers to the time that misbehavior occurs

“Bump in the Trail” As children and youth volunteers develop they are curious, creative, spontaneous, and going to experiment with misbehavior Learning opportunity

Why do Children Misbehave? To experiment To gain attention To maintain a sense of control To seek revenge Feeling of inadequacy To test authority Expectations are different than home or school Do not understand the expectations or they are beyond their ability Ill, bored, hungry, sleepy

Is the child or youth volunteer really misbehaving?

1.) Is the child or youth volunteer really doing something wrong or am I just tired, out of patience, having a bad day?

2.)Are my expectations clear? Reasonable?

3.)Does the child or youth volunteer know that what he/she is doing is wrong?

4.)Is the behavior unintentional? (spilled milk)

5.)Is intervention needed? Could the problem take care of itself?

If the child or youth volunteer is misbehaving and intervention is needed remember to consider: -What you want the child or youth volunteer to learn from your intervention -The effects of your intervention

Discipline Techniques Stay in control Problem-solve Praise Fix-up Be firm Give a break Redirect

Remember! Preserve the self-esteem and dignity of our youth Misbehavior serves as a learning opportunity All children and youth volunteers are unique Be persistent We do what we know

Where does the Site Supervisor come in? Offer encouragement and support Reflection Balance Model