The Adventures of Sammy the Skunk

The Problem Child

2010-12-09T18:51:00.003-05:00

We don’t like to admit there are children in our classroom that we actually could label as a problem. These children are detected within minutes of entering a classroom. Whether they are three years old or older, a teacher recognizes a challenge almost immediately.

Of course, the first honest thought a teacher may have is, ‘Why is he/she in my class?’ Then the reality sets in that you must deal with him/her for the whole year.

When you think of the different personalities, the different backgrounds, the different talents, you understand that all children have their own idiosyncrasies and are definitely different from one another.

There is the child who loves to talk and to get all his friends involved in his/her conversation. He/she wants to be the center of attention. He/she is forever interrupting.

There is the child who is very active. He/she can’t sit still, wants to move around, gets up often and consequently causes distraction in the class. He/she could be labeled the ‘class clown’. He/she thinks his actions and speech are very funny and wants everyone to laugh with and at him.

One of the first things you must do as a teacher is to make the children realize that you are the teacher and they are the students. The first day of school is extremely important. You will be setting the tone of your classroom that will last the rest of the year. Once the students realize that you will not put up with these actions that disrupt a classroom, they will reconsider their behavior.

These problem children are usually challenging the authority of an adult. Children know that in school a teacher cannot physically touch them. They are wise in knowing that law suits are plentiful involving teachers who have. So, just how can you deal with these children?

Suggestions:

As soon as I see a child come into the classroom and begin to take over, I go to that child, whisper in his ear and tell him sternly and calmly, to sit down and be quiet. I look sternly into his eyes while he is sitting and tell him/her, “I do not want you to ever come into my classroom like that again. Do you understand?” (Now this may sound mean, however, you must become the leader immediately. If you allow a child to show off the first day of school and you do not handle it, his/her unwelcome behavior will continue.)
Separate that child from those who seem to enjoy his behavior. I would usually set that child close to my desk so I would know what he/she is doing at all times.
Make sure that you correct him/her sternly and quietly each time he/she may begin to disrupt the class. You do not have to embarrass him/her by speaking his name out loud. The children already have an idea of what you are doing. He/she does not want to give in to your authority so realize that he/she will try something again.
Compliment him/her when they are following the rules of the classroom and doing well.
Call on him/her to do special activities to make him/her feel important.

I often said that I would take a misbehaving boy over a misbehaving girl anytime. Boys seem to have a tender heart toward ‘training.' Girls tend to be more stubborn and defiant.

Bill, not his real name, was transferred to my fourth grade class because a teacher was having a very difficult time with this child. She was a new teacher and tried for a month to deal with him, but he almost drove her to quit teaching. Our principal put him in my class and the teacher warned me about what he was going to do. “He will take a pencil out and begin to hit it while you are talking. Then he’ll just sit and grin at you while he continues tapping the pencil.”

I introduced him to our class and welcomed him. I put his desk in the front of the middle row of desks. I stood in front of him as I began to teach. Sure enough, I was just beginning to speak when he took out a pencil and began smiling at me and tapping it. The children, who knew the rules of the classroom, sat silently, waiting for me to react.

I continued speaking and without hesitating, I went to my desk and got a pencil. I stood in front of him and began tapping the pencil on his desk very hard until it was quite loud. I didn’t stop while I spoke to him, “Do you like what I am doing?” He said, “No.” I said, “Good. I didn’t like it when you did it either!” I asked him to give me his pencil. He handed it to me and I broke it in two. I told him I never wanted him to tap a pencil on his desk again. I then gave him a new pencil.

He got the point and he became a delightful student to work with. He would visit me now and then as he continued through his school years. When he was a senior he came to visit me for the last time. “Do you remember my first day with you? I’ll never forget the pencil incident. You really cured me of misbehaving.” We laughed about it. I told him I never had to do that with any other student and probably would never have to again. (And I haven’t)

Children need to have someone who teaches. Teaching a subject is relatively easy, but it’s the development of self-worth that takes time and effort. A teacher needs to help a child obtain his potential at every level of his development.

Subscribe to Teaching Tips Feed
Subscribe to Teaching Tips by Email
Subscribe to All Post Comments

The Independent Child

2010-12-08T21:21:00.001-05:00

The desire for most parents is that as a child grows he/she will outgrow total dependency upon them and will begin to do things on his/her own. A parent certainly doesn’t want to continue for years doing simple chores that their child could do.

From the time a child is born, life changes. After the baby showers, looking at adorable outfits and all the gifts that were given and the excitement of decorating the baby’s room, comes the reality of raising a baby that is dependent on a mother and father for everything! It’s a brand new experience for almost all new parents.

I remember a nurse telling me, “When you take your baby home from the hospital remember it’s a 24 hour a day job for the rest of your life!” She was sort of kidding. However, I remember those famous words as I sat rocking my baby at 3 in the morning, feeding him every other hour, changing diapers, fixing formula’s, etc. My child was totally dependent upon me. As he took his bottle and looked so lovingly at me, I held him close and thought, ‘I will be here for you forever and ever, 24 hours a day for the rest of your life.’

As your child grows you have certain expectations. Baby books are plentiful and most parents want to learn if their child is developing physically, mentally and emotionally. It is important to know signs of a problem and to seek medical advice when there is a concern. You will know when your child begins to understand what you are saying to him/her. At this time you will become the greatest teacher your child will ever have. What you teach will influence him/her for the rest of his/her life.

How do you teach a child to be independent? When do you start? What is the best way to influence him/her?
Anything that your child could do by himself and you do it for him is making that child dependent upon you. When a child is just beginning to walk you certainly don’t expect a great deal from him, other than following directions that teach him/her to be safe. However, when a child is able to do little chores like picking up his toys or clothes, a parent should teach him/her how to do it. As the child grows older he should be able dress himself and do things around the house that a parent feels he/she can do. Children love to set tables, clear the table, do dishes, help with baking and decorate their rooms, etc. It takes time for a parent to teach these things that will make him/her independent. The time that you take teaching is invaluable. You cannot expect a child to wake up one morning and begin doing all those things that you wish he/she could. You cannot get upset with your child if you’ve never taught him/her what you expect from them.

Although it sounds ridiculous, I believe parents could learn about love, discipline and determination by watching a bear with it’s cubs, or an elephant with her baby. They have an inborn instinct to protect their young even if it costs them their lives.

There are ways to teach. I spoke about negative and positive disciplining before. Now I’m going to discuss a couple ways that I believe are the wrong ways to teach to teach your child to be independent.

Doing nothing! This really is the easiest way for a lot of parents. The parents believe the world is for experimentation and that a child should be allowed to learn on his/her own through trial and error. It probably will bring frustration on the part of the parents for a few years, but they believe they are developing their child to be independent. Doing nothing relieves the parent of the responsibility of teaching them right from wrong.

I remember one parent telling me that she would never tell her child to say ‘thank you’ , ‘please’, ‘I’m sorry’ etc. She felt she would be imposing on his true feelings. She went on to say, perhaps he didn’t really feel thankful or remorseful and she didn’t want him to grow up ‘lying’ about how he really felt. Consequently, this child was never taught the type of manners that are expected in our society. This child basically did what he wanted with little feelings about others. The mother, doing nothing, felt she was doing right.
Being too strict! There are parents who rule the roost! A child is to follow their rules every day with no variance. The personalities of these children vary from being extremely timid to being overly aggressive in their behavior. They are not allowed to express their feelings and begin to question whether they are loved. This is a difficult atmosphere for a child. A child must follow and do as the parent tells them. They will learn quickly to follow rigid rules to become independent.

I’m going to include two verses from the Bible that directly teaches how we should handle children.

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (KJV)
Ephesians 6:4 “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.” (KJV)

Subscribe to Teaching Tips Feed
Subscribe to Teaching Tips by Email
Subscribe to All Post Comments

The Ignored Child

2010-12-08T18:41:00.004-05:00

School can be a very cruel place for a young child. It doesn’t take long before a child knows whether he/she is accepted by his peers. Usually the pretty and handsome children stand out amongst all the students and a child learns quickly that the ‘popular ones’ are favored and chosen first for most activities.

If you are a teacher you know exactly what I am talking about. As teachers we may have a tendency to pay more attention to some children even though we try not to. We tend to be drawn to the ‘well-rounded’ child who has developed a cute personality.

There is the child who I label ‘ignored’. This child could be the one who is quiet, not quite as cute as the others. He/she may be very attentive to instruction, or he/she may daydream and think of other places he/she would rather be than sitting in school. It is the child who doesn’t play with the others on the playground. It is the child who you wonder what he/she is thinking.

Bill, not his real name, came into my fourth grade classroom on the first day of school and I knew immediately he was not ordinary. His stature was that of a little man, he wore very thick glasses, and had difficultly walking. He took a seat in the back of the room and waited for instruction. I watched him as the other children came into the room. They ignored him and he didn’t talk to any of them.

On the first day of each new school year I would ask each child to stand, give their name and tell me one thing about themselves. When it was Bill’s turn, he stood and as he began to talk he definitely got my attention. His speech was impeccable. He didn’t just give me his name. He began a genealogy of his family. He wanted me to display the world map so he could pinpoint exactly where his ancestors came from. I had to cut short his presentation. He sat down quietly.

The children laughed at him. I knew I had a situation that was going to need all my patience and understanding.

I talked with Bill’s parents, got a better understanding of their child, and told them I was going to give Bill ten minutes every Friday to stand before the class and speak. When I told Bill he was delighted. I explained to the children about Bill’s abilities and how very special he was. I told them that it would be a time for them to ‘listen.' There would be no laughter directed at him.

Bill had a lot to say and his knowledge about history and geography was beyond mine! I needed to know that what he was saying was correct! I contacted a high school teacher to sit in our class and listen to Bill. As I expected, we both agreed that Bill had knowledge above that of most adults.

Academically Bill did fine. Despite his eyesight and rather poor hand coordination he completed the work and was a good student. Socially he was not accepted. The children viewed him as someone totally different and did not know how to respond to him.

He was never included in any of the outside activities and was basically ignored. On the playground he showed an interest in baseball. He watched the boys play, clapped for them when they made hits, but was never asked to play.

One day Bill was absent from school. I used this opportunity to have a heart to heart talk with the children. I discussed the handicaps of this child and how it must feel to never be included in activities, never to be asked to participate, never have anyone to talk to. I asked the children to put themselves in his place. ‘How would you feel? Would you be happy to come to school knowing that others were laughing behind your back when you walked and talked?’ I ended by asking them what we could do to show Bill that we cared.

The children were excited about including Bill. The boys decided to make him the captain of the baseball team. Because Bill had never hit a baseball, I was the instructor who helped him learn how to hold a bat and hit a ball. The exciting day was when he actually hit the ball all by himself. He ran as best as he could around the bases and the children cheered him on! The boys asked Bill to do other activities and it wasn’t long before he was invited over to a friend’s house.

The children learned a great deal from Bill. They began to appreciate his intelligence and realized how important it was to be sensitive toward a child who was different. Throughout the year I saw a young boy begin to develop confidence and a self-esteem that he had never had before. His parents were equally thrilled to see their child being accepted and trying activities he thought he could never do.

These ‘ignored’ children are all us. They may not be as obvious as Bill, but every child needs to feel accomplishment, acceptance, and understanding. Every child needs encouragement and a teacher has the chance to help a child realize his potential.

Teacher Tip:
If a game is going to be played that requires choosing teams, line the children up and number them 1 and 2. Do not pick a captain for each side and proceed to let the captain pick his team. It is very hurtful and humiliating to be one of the last ones chosen.

Subscribe to Teaching Tips Feed
Subscribe to Teaching Tips by Email
Subscribe to All Post Comments

Discipline Techniques for Your Own Children

2010-12-06T19:27:00.001-05:00

This post is designed to give you some practical, real-life examples of how to implement some basic training techniques that use positive discipline. Everyone has different views on discipline, but I have found these to work well for teaching children not just to simply do what you say, but to learn how to be observant and caring to those around them.

Listening and Understanding

I read somewhere years ago that anytime you do something that your child can do, you are hindering in his/her growth. Do you feel your child doesn’t hear a word you’re saying?

Have you ever thought that perhaps he/she really can’t? If you feel you are instructing your child constantly and he/she walks away from you, take him/her to your doctor and have his/her hearing tested. If your child begins to make low guttural sounds as he/she is learning to speak, he/she may be partially deaf. Your child may be hearing vibrations from your voice but can’t clearly pronounce the sound.

Try this:
When you give instruction make sure your child is by you. Have him repeat your instruction so he/she knows what you are asking. Always make him/her do as you asked.

A sad story was told about a young woman who lost her little boy. According to the woman her son had always been a child who had a ‘mind of his own’. He never listened to her and it upset her terribly. On this particular morning he wanted to go outside to ride his tricycle. She told him that he needed to wait for her because they lived near a road that was heavily traveled. She walked into the kitchen to finish dishes and heard the front door open. She ran to the door to see her young son riding his tricycle toward the road. She saw a semi-truck coming down the road and called loudly and frantically to her son. He turned and smiled and continued right into the path of the semi.

If you feel you have a child that is stubborn and has ‘a mind of his/her own’, you must be consistent with your instructions. He/she will need special guidance and it will require patience. He/she needs to know that what you ask must be obeyed.

Private Property

Does your child open kitchen cupboards without your permission or get into things that he or she shouldn't? This is not just a matter of learning to respect the property of others, but there are also might be hazardous especially if children do this outside of the safety of your own home.

Try this:
Tell your child you are going to give him/her a very a special cupboard. Sit down with him/her and choose a couple of your old pans and lids. You can go to garage sales and choose inexpensive items that could be put in the cupboard. Your instructions have to be clear and understandable. Tell your child your cupboards belong to you and he may not open them up. Help him/her organize his/her own cupboard and tell him/her that when he is finished playing in his cupboard he/she must put everything away. You may have to help him/her put things away until he/she learns it is his/her responsibility.
If your child still continues to open “your” cupboards, calmly lead him to his cupboard and review instructions.

You probably are thinking, “I don’t have any extra cupboards!!” If you can’t spare one of yours, take a box and make a pretend cupboard. You can decorate it with contact paper.

When you explain instructions of any kind make sure you have his/her full attention and you and your child are not upset. Lean down to his level so you are looking into his eyes. Cup his face gently into your hands and tell him the instruction. Ask him/her if he understands what you are saying. If he acts like he doesn’t, repeat your instruction again.

Selfishness

Does your child demand you buy him/her something when you go into a store? Usually a child believes that when they go into a store he/she is going to get something. Many a parent has given into a child who is demanding.

Try this:
Before you go anywhere, tell your child where you are going. You may go over some things that you feel are important. (Examples: You may want to tell your child to stay close to you for you don’t want him/her to get lost. You may want to tell him/her that people do not shout in a store, run, etc.) If you do not plan on buying anything for your child that day, tell me before you leave. Make it clear. If he/she begins to plead with you in the store, gently lean down to him/her and remind him/her what you said before you left. If he/she continues to ‘complain’, take the cart up to a clerk and tell her you will be back. Take hold of your child’s hand and walk to the car. If crying happens as you leave the store, it is okay. Now you need to talk to him about what you told him/her before you left. Review your expectations again and ask him/her if he/she is ready to return to the store.

Your child will learn very quickly that what you say you mean. Of course, this is the goal of ‘disciplining’. You want your child to listen and respond correctly to your directions.

Cleanliness

Is your child’s room and other areas of your home a mess because of toys everywhere?

Try this:
Have a large container or containers marked “toys”. Place them where you feel they are needed. Tell your child that all toys will be put away in the toy box/boxes. Now that sounds rather elementary. Most all parents have a toy container somewhere in their child’s room. However, now it is time to make sure that the container/containers are actually used.

Buy a timer. Tell your child what you plan to do with the timer. It is to be a bell that tells him/her when it is time to pick up his/her toys. Set the timer for 15 minutes or whatever time you would like. This will give time to finish playing with what they may be playing with. Now tell your child you are going to reset it again and see how fast he/she can pick up the toys. Make it exciting and compliment him/her as she is trying to pick everything up before the timer goes off again.

You will have the responsibility to make sure your child completes what you ask of him/her. If your child refuses and will not cooperate, gently take him to a toy, take his hand firmly and help him pick it up and take it to the container. You must be firm and let him know that he/she will pick everything up. You are teaching him/her to be responsible for the things he/she has.

Does your child understand what “clean up your room” really means?

A ten year old boy wrote this down when the teacher asked the entire class to write down things they have learned. His reply was, “I’ve learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up again.”

Small children really don’t understand “clean up your room”. You know exactly what it means. You’d like toys put away, clothes picked up, their bed straightened and everything off the floor. This to you is ‘clean’. However, a child may get a pail of water and soap and believe they must pour it all over the floor. Maybe they think if they had a hose they could hose it down so it would be ‘clean’. We believe that our concept of clean, which has taken awhile to learn, is something a child is born with.

Try this:
Show your child what your idea of ‘clean’ is. For the first couple of weeks or maybe longer, help him/her organize the room each day. Let him/her have a say in where things should go. After all, it is his/her room and may have an idea of how it should look. You can suggest and help him place things. Don’t take it for granted that the one time you help him that he has been trained for a lifetime. Daily check the room and help him. Show him/her that you care. Tell him/her that you are very proud when they begin to do it themselves.

There are charts that can be bought quite inexpensively that can be put up. These charts have a series of jobs written on them and a place where a sticker can be placed next to the job that is completed. If you decide to do something like this it is very important that you are faithful in seeing that the jobs are really completed.

Temper Tantrums

Do you know what a ‘temper tantrum’ is? The temperament of each child is different. There are children who can accept any direction without much trouble. Then there are children who do not want to be told what to do. They try to become the teacher in the family. They decide it is time to let you know what they can do if you don’t let them have their way! The result is a so called ‘temper tantrum.'

Examples of different types of tantrums:

There is the child who cries and screams.
There is the child who becomes destructive and breaks things.
There is the child who bites and kicks.
There is the child who throws things.
There is the child who hits his head against a wall or floor.
There is the child who holds his breath until he turns blue.
There is the child who throws himself on the floor and kicks with his feet and strikes out with his hands.
There is the child who stares at you and doesn’t say a thing.

Children are very clever. They have never picked up a book and read about ‘temper tantrums.' It is by trial and error they choose an action they know will upset you. The main objection of your child is for you to give in to his/her demand. He wants your sympathy and to feel bad about what you did.

Try this:
First, you should make sure there is no medical reason why your child misbehaves.

When you feel your child is out of control, perhaps just putting him/her in his room will work. When he/she has calmed down, always explain to him/her what was done that you did not approve of. Make it clear that his/her behavior was unacceptable.

In a situation where you or your child may be in physical danger, you may try the following. Take the child and hold him firmly. Straddle him/her on the floor so he is unable to move, put your arms around him and hold him/her tightly. Now you will be close to his ear and you can talk to him calmly. You may say something like this. “Whatever you do, no matter how hard and loud you cry, kick or hit, you are going to do as I ask. There is no way you are going to get your way. I am going to hold you, no matter how long it takes. Do you understand?”

You are going to be firm. If he/she is screaming, you still continue talking with a calm and steady voice in his/her ear. Your child must know that you are in control and will not allow this type of behavior. When your child has calmed down you can release him/her. It is time to tell him/her why you did what you did. You may ask him what he thinks he did wrong. Remember you are ‘training’. If you feel it is necessary for him to sit in a ‘naughty’ chair that is up to you. However, he /she must know that what he/she did was wrong and is not acceptable.

Your child may be kicking and crying and has put himself on the floor.

Try this:

Walk over him! Continue on with your activities. Remain calm. When he has calmed down, and it may take time for he wants you to really know how horrible you have made him feel, talk calmly to him. Again say something like this, “Regardless of how you act you will not get out of following my directions. Do you understand? Wait until he/she says or nods his head, “yes”. Tell him/her you do not like that kind of behavior and it has to stop. If you must, repeat several times until he/she knows how you feel. Ask him to do what it was that began this fiasco in the first place. Make sure he does it!

What if you are at a restaurant and your child becomes loud and unruly?

Try this:

Before you go to a restaurant explain where you are going. Table manners should be taught at home and he/she should know how to sit at a table. If he/she misbehaves in a way that you feel is inappropriate, excuse yourself, take your child to the restroom. Tell your child how you want him to behave. Return and see if your child listened and follows your direction.

Correcting a child is courageous in today’s society. Parents feel embarrassed to think they must ‘train’ in public. However, a few times of correction will usually cure bad behavior. If a child knows you are serious and follow through with your ‘expectations’, he’ll/she’ll soon realize that you will not give in to his/her bad behavior.

Lying

Have you ever caught your child telling you a lie?

Children can act very innocent when caught in a lie. One of the reasons they deny what they have done is because they don’t want to be scolded or blamed. It is also embarrassing for them to be caught and found out. We would like to believe that everyone tells the truth. However, I don’t believe there is a child or adult alive who hasn’t lied sometime or other.

Try this:
Through evidence you have, make it known to your child that you know he/she is not telling the truth. This isn’t a time to think it is okay or cute. You want to make sure that your child knows that lying is very serious. It is not a time for condemning or belittling your child. Tell your child that you want him/her to always come to you because you love him/her. You want the truth always because it is the right thing to do.

Stealing

Has your child ever taken anything that isn’t his/hers?

My brother put a small comb in his pocket when we were in a store. On the way home he put his hand in his pocket and made a noise by taking his thumb over the teeth of the comb. He looked at me and smiled. We were sitting in the back of the car. My mother heard the noise and asked him what he had. He sheepishly took it out and showed her. Dad was driving the car. Without saying a word, my dad turned the car around and went back to the store. He took my brother by his hand, went into the store, asked for the manager and my brother stood before the manager and explained that he had taken the comb without paying for it. That lesson, without anger, without too many words, came through plain and clear. ‘Stealing’ was not an acceptable thing to do.

As a teenager I worked in a small grocery store. I was alone when I saw a young boy take a jar of peanuts and put it under his shirt and walk out. I ran after him, stopped him, and asked if he was going to pay for the peanuts. At first he lied to me and said he didn’t know what I was talking about. I told him to open his shirt so I could see. At that he gave me the jar of peanuts and ran off. Years later a young man stopped me on the street. He asked me if I remembered him. At first I didn’t and then he told me how he had taken a jar of peanuts years earlier and I had caught him. He began to tell me that I had saved him from a life of crime. He had taken several items without getting caught before the incident with me. After he was caught he said he never took anything again in his life.

Try this:
Stealing is a crime. Your child should be taught that this is a very serious thing. The consequences could be very harmful to him/her. If you feel a child has the tendency to ‘take’ things, it is important that you have him return the items and apologize.

I hope these ideas have been helpful. Please feel free to leave a comment with tips that have helped you when training your children.

What is Discipline?

2010-12-06T08:09:00.001-05:00

The definition of discipline in the Webster’s dictionary is “instruction." It is training which corrects, molds, strengthens, or perfects.

There are many books and thoughts on the best way to handle children, but in reality it comes down to you and your spouse as to how you are going to train children in your home.

It would be nice to have a ‘perfect’ child. In reality, and you wouldn’t want it any other way, your child is different from any other person on the face of this earth. He/she thinks, feels and reacts in his/her own unique way.

I will be putting down ideas that have been very beneficial to many parents. They have been tried and been successful. You may disagree and that is okay. You are the ‘teacher’ to your child and the final decision as to how you are going to ‘discipline’ is entirely up to you.

Positive Verses Negative Disciplining

It is your responsibility to train your child. The ultimate goal of every parent is to have your child listen and obey. There is a way, a manner, in which you ‘teach’. There should be ‘rules’ in your home. Children should know these rules are in your home because you love them. Positive disciplining isn’t allowing your child to do anything he/she pleases and being praised for it. Praise shouldn’t be handed out where praise isn’t due. A child must learn very early in life there are consequences to bad behavior.

Positive disciplining is achieving a goal without using negative responses. It is being firm without being mean.

Examples of Positive Verbal Discipline:

You did a good job on that!
Let me help you!
I love you!
You really tried didn’t you?
That looks good!
I’m so proud of you.
Is there anything you want me to help you with?
I’m here for you!

Examples of Negative Verbal Discipline:

What do you think you are trying to do? It looks awful.
You can’t do that.
You really are stupid.
You don’t behave like your sister/brother/neighbor, cousin.
You don’t know how to behave.
You never do what I ask you to do.
Why can’t you listen to me?
You really make me angry!

There is a also a difference between firmness and meanness. You and your spouse should set rules in your home. As a ‘teacher’ your job will be to follow them.

Firmness:
When you are instructing your child make sure you are at eye level. It is important that you have full attention. If he/she is very young and does not look at you, cup his/her face in your hands. Explain your direction. If he/she is old enough to speak have them repeat your instruction back to you. Ask if he/she understands. If he/she continues to do what you asked him not to, sit him/her down, and explain your direction again. If he/she disobeys you again, hold him firmly and give one good spank. Never spank when you are angry. It is up to your discretion whether you’d like to use a ‘naughty chair’ or some other type of action after this altercation. However, always make sure that your child understands that what he/she has done is not acceptable.

Meanness:
Meanness is malicious and degrading. It is not thinking of the feelings of your child. You may say things that you regret. You may do things you wish you hadn’t. Your child is watching and learning. He/she is receiving feedback about himself/herself through your behavior.

You may be asking a question, “How long does all this ‘training’ take? I can’t take the time to do all of this.” Some children will learn quickly. Others it will take time, but once they know what YOU expect from them, you will have children who WILL do as you ask.

Stay posted for real life examples on how to deal with every day discipline situations.

Do You Want to be a Teacher?

2010-11-12T21:36:00.011-05:00

I was a senior in high school and was required to talk to the high school counselor about my future. I was nervous as I sat across from him in his office. I waited for him to speak. He knew I had planned on going to college. He looked at me and asked what career I was pursuing. Without hesitation I told him, “I want to be an elementary teacher.” I thought he would be pleased that I knew exactly what I wanted. Instead he told me he didn’t think I had the personality to be a teacher.
It was true that I was not ‘outgoing’. I didn’t participate in a lot of the school’s activities. I wasn’t the ‘popular’ girl in school. I tried not to get attention from anyone. I was simply a good student.

He looked at me and I think wanted me to agree with what he said. Instead I didn’t say one word. I excused myself and left. My heart was hurting. How could anyone say that to me? His words sparked a desire in me that was stronger than ever. He would not discourage me from being what I had always wanted since I was in third grade. I was going to be a teacher and I would be one of the best.

I began my teaching career in 1961. Later I received my Masters degree in counseling and a CDA to work with younger children. There has never been a time when I felt I had chosen the wrong profession. Teaching is a privilege.

Do you want to be a teacher? Do you have the desire to work with children? If you do, don’t let anyone try to discourage you. Teaching is an exciting and honorable profession. Molding the minds of young people is a privilege that most people in other professions will never experience.

Discipline Techniques for Pre-School Children

2010-11-11T21:36:00.001-05:00

Introduction
I’d like to label my teaching tips for three and four year olds, “Tell and Show."
Whatever it is that you are trying to teach you tell. It is proceeded by the show. Children may hear you as you give directions and instruction, but they really begin to understand when they see you do it.

Let’s talk about the ‘needs’ of your little ones. When you are teaching you will need the following:
1.) A safe and healthy learning environment.
2.) A social and emotional atmosphere where a child feels accepted and secure.
3.) A program that is well run and purposeful.

Children need to know what you expect of them. Never allow children to ‘run the show.’ You must set your rules down immediately. Your rules may differ from another teacher and that is okay. You should analyze your teaching methods and perhaps ask yourself these questions. Are you happy at the end of the day? Are the children doing as you’d like? Are there areas that you would like to see changed?

I’m going to give you some ideas on how to handle different situations. Remember, you may feel differently and that is okay.

Teaching a child to hang up his coat in the classroom.
Have a place especially for him/her. You may be familiar with 'symbols.' A child should know his 'symbol' and it should be placed by the coat rack. Show the child how to hang the coat up and of course, where it goes. Tell him/her that you will expect the coat to be hung up every day. (If it falls on the floor, make sure he/she goes over and picks it up.) This will be a daily routine. Boots and or shoes go on the floor under his/her coat. Show all the children the routine of hanging up a coat. Show them also what it would look like if they didn’t. Ask them why it is important to always hang it up.

Teaching children to come into the room quietly.
I never allowed the children to ‘pick their place’ during circle time. I taped their symbols on the floor, with their names printed on them. Occasionally I would change them, but I felt it was necessary for them to know exactly where they were to sit so there was no confusion.

I showed them how I wanted them to come in and sit in the circle. We would ‘practice’ until I felt they all knew what to do. I always tried to make ‘practice’ more of a fun time. Example: “You came in so well today! I’m so proud of you. Let’s do it again!!” If a child didn’t follow directions, I would have him continue until he knew what to do.

Showing the children is so important. It is interacting and having fun with them. They don’t realize you are actually ‘disciplining’. Example: I would pretend I was a child. I would come into the room shouting and running. I would throw my coat on the floor. Now I would ask the children, “Do you think I did the right thing?” Then I would give them a good example. I would come in quietly, speak to my friends in an ‘inside voice’, take my coat off, hang it up, go to the circle, find my symbol and sit down, legs crossed, lips closed, hands folded. Now I asked the children. “Did I do okay?”

Working with a child who is belligerent.
Expect children to be defiant at times. You may never know when it’s coming but you must be prepared. What do you do? I had a special chair for this time. I would tell the children that I didn’t want to use it because I didn’t feel anyone in my class would do something that would hurt or make someone else unhappy. But, the chair was there and if I felt they needed to sit in it I would use it. Sometimes I had to firmly put a child in it and hold them until they understood they were not going to get up. When they calmed down and thought about what they did, they could join the class again.

Story:

I remember a time when I saw a child sitting in the chair. I went over and asked “Honey, why are you sitting in the chair?” With innocent eyes he looked down at the floor and said, “I just know that today I am going to do something wrong. I’m sitting here before you have to put me here.”

Always do your ‘disciplining’ in front of a helper. Try not to humiliate a child. They must know that what they did was wrong and other children will see it. Children understand about behaving.

Subscribe to Teaching Tips Feed
Subscribe to Teaching Tips by Email
Subscribe to All Post Comments

Truth in Real Life Moments

2010-11-10T21:37:00.001-05:00

Are you looking for ways to teach your kids or your students about historical Christian figures or missionaries from the past? I've already shared links to the Kids 4 Truth daily devotional site where you can read and listen to short dramatizations of Christians from the past. Now, Kids 4 Truth has just finished publishing a CD set featuring all of these stories. See the description below to get a better idea of what these CD's are all about.

Truth with boots on..."

What does a life transformed by the Gospel really look like? It looks like Jesus. And although nobody comes close to Christ’s perfection and beauty, we can and should catch glimpses of Him in the lives of godly believers. Through these short audio biographies, you and your children will meet many such believers.

Truth in Real Life Moments is a 2 disc set jam packed with over fifty short biographies of people that lived out gospel truth. These dramatized readings are designed to help children see that God’s truth produces changed lives...
...able to weather life’s toughest storms because of faith in Jesus.
...defined by service to the King.
...demonstrating the awesome power of God.
...have the sweet fragrance of God’s grace.

If you’ve ever wondered how best to apply doctrinal truth, then spend some time observing the lives of those cataloged on these CDs. These believers were gifts from God to help us see Him and His truth at work.

These CDs represent the entire set of audio biographies featured on our devotional site (http://kids4truth.com/devos) in a convenient package designed to play on any standard CD player.

Please visit the Kids 4 Truth Store to listen to samples from these CDs or to purchase a copy.

Subscribe to Teaching Tips Feed
Subscribe to Teaching Tips by Email
Subscribe to All Post Comments

Guest Post - Kids 4 Truth

2010-10-30T03:34:00.042-04:00

I just wanted to take a moment to share a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to teach children the most important truths about God. Kids 4 Truth is a website and an organization whose mission is to help churches and parents do just that. Adele has volunteered for this organization extensively and even helped to create the Discoverers Level lesson plans (curriculum lesson plans designed for ages 3-5). You'll notice that there are a lot of links to these helpful resources throughout the Life Lessons of this blog. Those links only lead to just a small portion of the resources available on the Kids 4 Truth website.

Kids 4 Truth primarily focuses on providing Sunday school and church club curriculum for children ages 3-12. The program is designed to teach children in a question and answer form twelve key doctrinal themes about God that include ten questions and answers (with supporting scripture) for each theme. There are four levels to the curriculum each teaching the same doctrinal truths, but at a graduated level depending upon the child's age. So, every two-three years (depending upon how you use the curriculum) children will repeat these twelve themes deepening their understanding of the truths contained in them.

The Kids 4 Truth website is also home to a ton of free and fun activities and resources for kids online. Let me break down some helpful links for you so you can find what might be most beneficial to you and your children or church.

Clubs Website: Contains all the necessary information about the philosophy, mission, themes, and teaching materials available from Kids 4 Truth for use in a church or home setting.
EquipU Website: This is our teacher's resource center and is designed to help teachers or parents using the Kids 4 Truth curriculum. You'll find free lesson plans, director's start up manuals, promotional material, guides, and a ton of other helpful resources.
Web Numbers Pages: This section of the website is designed to be a compliment to the Kids 4 Truth curriculum books by providing supplemental activity sheets and resources to go along with each of the 120 questions and answers from the core curriculum.
Kids 4 Truth Store: Find everything you need to start a Kids 4 Truth club in your church, school, or home, or simply purchase some great extras such as our dynamations (dynamic animations), bookmarks, Bible covers, and more.
Kids 4 Truth Blog: Stay updated on the most recent resources added to the site, tips on running your club, training events, and more.
Kids 4 Truth Forums: Connect with other churches or people using the material to share ideas and get questions answered.
Dynamations: Watch beautifully illustrated animations that teach powerful truths about God.
Daily Devotions: Read and/or listen to a daily devotional along with weekly stories about great Christians in history.
Ask a Question: Find answers to commonly asked questions about God, or ask your own question and get an email response.
Share a Prayer Request: Send a prayer request that you would like to be posted publicly for other believers to pray for.

There is a lot more information about and on the website. Please let me know if you have any questions about Kids 4 Truth, and make sure to suggest other teaching tips or materials you know of.

Guest Post by Sarah Roberts
email: sroberts@kids4truth.com
Kids 4 Truth | Reflecting the Designer

Subscribe to Teaching Tips Feed
Subscribe to Teaching Tips by Email
Subscribe to All Post Comments