1. How to Handle Children with No “Off” Button
Tracy Cheney, M.Ed.

2. How were you disciplined as a child?
When you hear the word discipline, what types of thoughts or images come to mind?
How were you disciplined as a child?
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

3. Why do children “act out?”
80% attention
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

4. The P’s of Discipline Positive Predictable Proxemics
Posture/body language
Proactive
Preventative
Praise/acknowledgement
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

5. A child and his/her behavior is like an iceberg…
What do we know about icebergs?
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

6. Behavior never happens for “no reason”
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

7. The basics of what teachers want regarding behavior:
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

8. Positive caring interactions with the children
More “good” less “bad”
Positive caring interactions with the children
Structure, organization, consistency
Children understand and follow expectations
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

9. Teaching Expectations
How do you do this?
How do you know the children understand what you want?
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

10. State the expectation Often = repeat, repeat, repeat
Throughout the routines of your day
Circle, Learning Centers, Story, Meals
Positively
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

11. Model the appropriate behaviors
Often = repeat, repeat, repeat
Throughout the routines of your day
Circle, Learning Centers, Story, Meals
Positively
Don’t just focus on trying to teach the expectation/rule at the time it should happen
Practice makes perfect!
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

12. Reinforce appropriate behaviors
Whatever you call attention to increases
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

13. What are you currently doing to reinforce more of what you want/less of what you don’t want?
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

14. Positive attitude YOU are the most important element in the classroom
You got the power!
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

15. Predictability
We all thrive in an environment when we know what comes next
CHANGE is challenging for everyone, especially young children.
Add a little stress and you have a recipe for chaos
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

16. Same routine in same order every day
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

17. Picture schedules
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

18. Everything has a spot Label, label, label
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

19. Language is predictable
Clear
Concise
Concrete
Consistent
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

20. Para-verbal: How we say something, not what we say
Volume
Tone
Cadence
Pace
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

21. Be specific and clear Keep your feet on the floor Be careful
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

22. Avoid asking questions you don’t mean to ask
Jason, please wash your hands
We are going outside now
Jason will you wash your hands?
Would you like to go outside?
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

23. State requests and directions positively
Walking feet
No running
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

24. Posture/body language
Yours and the children!
What are you telegraphing? Is it your intention?
Listen/look/feel – often there are cues before a child escalates
Body language, gestures, movements
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

25. Adding unnecessary words
Please sit down
You need to sit down
Perfect way to set up a power struggle
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

26. Avoid repeating requests and directives
Counting – 1, 2, 3….
I’ll give you to the count of 3
You want the child to respond the first time/quickly
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

27. Proxemics
The mount of space a person requires between him/herself and others
Generally 2-3 foot bubble
For others and at certain times, more or less
For some children proximal distance can be a wonderful proactive strategy to minimize problems or used effective when giving more space when agitated
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

28. Proactive/Preventative/Praise (Acknowledgement)
“Catching ‘em being good”
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

29. When is the last time you were positively acknowledged?
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

30. “Praise” It’s not about “Here’s your sticker…”
It’s more about “Hey, I noticed you doing the right thing. Thank you!”
Praise rather than reprimand as often as you can
Praise genuinely and often
Praise approximations
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

31. Ratios for positive acknowledgement
11:1 changes behavior
5:1 maintains behavior
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

32. Prescriptive Interventions
Routine sensory breaks
Antiseptic bounce: remove the child from the environment, in a non-punitive way and go for a walk – around room, errand, drink of water
Water
Activity – wall push ups, jog in place, yoga
Deep breathing
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

33. The Escalation Cycle 7 phases and associated behaviors of this cycle
See separate hand out:
“Phases and Behaviors of the Escalation Cycle”
Colvin (2004): Managing the Cycle of Acting-Out Behavior in the Classroom. Behavior Associates, Eugene, Oregon
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

34. How to Handle Children with No Off Button

35. Calm This is the time to teach expectations
Also, a great time for “pre-corrections”
Anticipating problem behaviors and intervening beforehand
Problem behavior is prevented
Expected behavior replaces the problem behavior
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

36. Trigger
Anything!!! Obviously, always better to prevent/avoid Remind child of expectations
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

37. Agitation Assist the child in focusing/re-focusing on task
Provide movement activities
Use proximity
Provide more space/or get closer
Provide more time
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

38. Acceleration Avoid escalating prompts
Maintain calmness, matter of fact demeanor
Approach the child in a non-threatening manner
Begin moving/removing other children/obstacles
Move child to a safe area
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

39. Peak Ride the ride Follow your policies/safety plan
“Isolate” the child
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

40. De-Escalation Engage child in independent work Establish consequences
Restore child and other children to a calm place
Make decision about child remaining at center/next steps
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

41. Recovery Help child follow steps to transition back to normal routine
Support the child to do so
Follow plan
How to Handle Children with No Off Button

42. For more information
Tracy Cheney, M.Ed. (401) Facebook: Tracy’s Trainings and Tips for Terrific Teams
How to Handle Children with No Off Button