Early childhood educators need a variety of ways to deal with children and their behaviors.  It is important to understand that what works with one child will not necessarily work with another.  Additionally, what works in one situation with a child may not work with that same child in the same situation at a later time.

Can the behavior of a four-year-old be managed?  The answer is yes, at least to a certain extent.  However, you must remember that four-year-olds are in the process of learning what is acceptable behavior and what isn’t.  While they are learning, errors and misunderstandings will occur.  Helping young children learn to manage their behavior themselves is the ultimate goal and will require a great deal of patience on your part.

Remember the old saying, “Children should be seen but not heard?”  Some teachers and parents/guardians still believe this.  Often, adults measure the quality of a child’s behavior by the degree to which he or she is polite, neat, orderly, and quiet.  If we examine these notions, we find that children will all have difficulty measuring up to adult expectations.  Most children are noisy, messy, rude, and disorderly on occasion.  Sometimes, adults cling to the management methods they know best.  But these techniques are sometimes based on outdated notions about early childhood education. They might even work against the children’s best interests.

I invite you to reexamine your experiences as a child, teacher, or parent.  I also ask that you explore the new approaches to teaching that I recommend throughout this program.  I encourage you to stay with what you know works and, at the same time, remain open to new possibilities.  Working with young children and their parents or guardians can be quite challenging and stressful.  It is my sincere hope that you will avoid some of that stress while experiencing more of the joy that comes from helping children grow.  One way to help children is by working with the people who ordinarily are responsible for them.  Parents, guardians, and teachers working together will observe and learn from one another. 

Let me share a story with you.  Donna Harris is the loving mother of two-year-old Sierra.  Since Donna works outside the home, Sierra attends a local child care center. Recently, Donna became concerned when she realized that Sierra was not making a smooth adjustment to a new classroom, evidenced by daily screams and temper tantrums.  When Sierra’s teachers first discussed this with Donna they assured her that the problem was not serious and could be resolved fairly simply.  After talking with Donna about possible changes at home to eliminate the influence of household stress, the teacher invited Donna to visit the classroom for an hour each morning during the children’s arrival time.  After watching other parents drop off their children over a period of several days, Donna realized that she was negatively influencing Sierra’s adjustment.  She was drawing too much attention to her departure and may have even wanted Sierra to cry a little to demonstrate attachment to her mother.  Discussion with the teachers helped support Donna’s conclusions that this behavior was not healthy for her daughter.  The result was that Donna began to change her style of departure in the mornings.  Soon, happy smiles and waves replaced the daily tantrums and screams as Sierra’s mother left for work.

It’s essential to develop an accurate picture of all the circumstances surrounding problem behaviors.  To do this you must learn and understand all aspects of a child’s health or family history that may be influencing the negative behavior.  It is only when the signals of a child’s problems are ignored over time that he or she becomes difficult to help.  Information obtained from parents and guardians can provide a strong foundation for helping children develop appropriate behaviors.

Deann Deloney

Early Childhood Education-Teacher Assisting-Child Care Instructor

Ashworth College

One of the most important types of creative activity for young children is creative play. Creative play is expressed when children engage in role-playing and imaginative play. Nothing reinforces the creative spirit and nourishes a child's soul more than providing large blocks of time to engage in spontaneous, self-directed play throughout the day. The opportunity to play freely is vital to their healthy development.

What are some of the ways we can encourage play in our classrooms? As caregivers, we must be careful to avoid dominating the play ourselves. Play should be the result of the children's ideas and not directed by the adult. Through play, we should try to foster children's abilities to express themselves. We should also try to help children base play on their own inspirations - not ours. Our goal is to stimulate play - not control it - and to encourage children's satisfaction in playing with each other.

Pay attention to play, plan for it, encourage it. Learn how to extend children's play through comments and questions. Stimulate creative ideas by encouraging children to come up with new and unusual uses of equipment. Try to remain open to new and original ideas, and encourage children to come up with more than one solution or answer. Be careful about over-restricting equipment and make sure to have play materials quickly available when children want them. Buy and use equipment in ways that encourage the use of imagination. Avoid toys and activities that spell everything out for the child and leave nothing to the imagination. Provide children with a good range and balance of equipment, and keep equipment exciting by changing it frequently or changing its location.

Article Source: http://www.pbs.org

The responsibility level of teacher assistants varies.  Some teacher assistants do not have much involvement in the planning or implementation of learning activities.  They are probably in the minority.  Other teacher assistants may be responsible for planning and leading many learning activities.  Some teacher assistants may be limited to following the teacher's instructions when preparing for activities and others are given great leeway.

For example, Rose is given a stack of detailed instructions for copying and cutting and preparing, so that the teacher will have everything she needs to lead the activity.  On the other hand, Tom is told that he needs to come up with art and cooking activities to illustrate the unit on Mexico; the teacher simply tells him when the activities will fit into the schedule and leaves the planning and leading entirely up to him.  Then of course there are different degrees of responsibility, from one extreme to the other.  Don't think you're "stuck," though, if you're not given much opportunity for creativity and freedom when you first begin to work with a teacher.  Generally, after a while of working together, interdependence and trust grow within teacher and teacher assistant teams and teacher assistants are "turned loose" more.

It’s important to remind yourself to discuss questions, ideas, philosophies, and specific tasks ahead of time and as needed.  A major key for a good working relationship between a teacher and a teacher assistant is communication.

Ideas for learning activities are everywhere.  In fact, just this morning I saw some great learning activities on the back of my kids' cereal box!  The topic was inventions and for morning brain exercise, kids could solve word scrambles, riddles, and a crossword puzzle, right there at the breakfast table.  My point is you don't really have to look far to find ideas for learning activities.  Just keep your eyes open!  Remember, even when activities seem too complicated or too simple for your students, they may be adapted successfully so that they are on target.  Any activity idea you see can be the seed for one that will grow and work for you and your students.

Activities, though valuable educational tools, can result in messes, too.  Here are two tips about keeping things clean:  1) Shaving cream is listed as a good material for finger painting.  A fun way to get desk or table tops clean is to tell the children to finger paint with shaving cream directly on the surface.  After they have played and created enough, the shaving cream can be washed off.  2) Adding liquid soap or dish detergent to tempera paint makes cleanup easier.

I hope some of these basic activities give you a jumping off point for developing your own. 

Deann Deloney

Early Childhood Education-Teacher Assisting-Child Care Instructor

Ashworth College

Let me introduce you to some special children.  Rasheeda is a second grader with a delightful and funny personality.  She likes making people laugh, except when they laugh at how she says things.  You see, she has trouble pronouncing r's and l's.  The laughing did not bother her when she was in preschool because lots of other kids sounded the same way she did.  Now, though, she's the only one in her class that her teacher can't always understand, especially when she says words like "really."  Rasheeda leaves her second grade class every day when the teacher's timer goes off.  She flits through the halls to Ms. Peacock's little room.  Ms. Peacock is the speech teacher who helps Rasheeda with some of her words.  Rasheeda can hardly wait until she can say "Magilla Gorilla" with all the right sounds!

Manuel is a neat kid who likes to pretend he's Ray Charles.  He has something in common with the blind singer:  Manuel can't see either.  Manuel has many friends at school, including some adult friends who are his helpers.  There's Ms. Spelio, the paraeducator who stays close by most of the time, wherever he goes.  Ms. Kean, the vision specialist, and Ms. Ruwa, the mobility teacher, hang around to teach and assist Manuel.  He doesn't mind all the attention!

Niko is a very intense child with orthopedic and learning disabilities.  His smiles, although rare, are treasured and well worth the wait.  Niko depends on his wheelchair to support his back and get him from Point A to Point B.  Mr. Lewis helps him when he needs to use the toilet at school.  Going to the rest room is probably the worst thing about his school day.  Niko hates that he has to have Mr. Lewis' help, but he sure couldn't do it without him.  The other parts of school are pretty good for Niko; he wants to know so many things.  It is not easy for Niko to learn to read, but oh, how hard he tries!

Many changes have occurred in the field of special education.  Legislation has taken us from the day when the doors of the public schools would have been closed to Niko, to now, when the doors are wide open.  Now there are even people assigned to help Niko wheel up the sidewalk and through those open doors.

Rasheeda, Manuel, and Niko have special needs.  They are the recipients of special education.  Their disabilities are easily discerned, but not everyone who needs and receives special education services has impairments that are so apparent.  In fact, many children with special needs are not readily identifiable to the casual observer.  Some flags for identifying some of the more hidden disabilities will be considered in this lesson.

The special needs category that is probably the most difficult to determine is learning disabilities.  For a number of reasons, it can be difficult to decide whether a child has a true learning disability.  The definitions for learning disability are general and varied, and therefore open to interpretation.  Some districts define a learning disability in terms of a child's actual achievement in relation to the achievement of same-age peers.  When this definition is used, a lot of time may be lost until a child with a learning disability is appropriately labeled.  A child may fall two or more years behind their peers before getting help.  Another difficulty is with the definition tied to school achievement — preschoolers are often left out.  Teachers can offer great encouragement during the confusing time before evaluations are complete and decisions are made on how best to help children with possible learning disabilities.

Familiarize yourself with the learning disability category and the other categories of special needs.  Also make note of the help and protection the law provides for parents of children with special needs.  Teachers are in a position to be advocates for exceptional children and their families.  It is important to know what the law is to most effectively support the children, their families, and the teacher.

Mentally, grab the hand of Rasheeda, Manuel, Niko, or another exceptional child you know and walk with that child as you learn about special education.  That hand will help you remember why this lesson is so important.

Deann Deloney

Early Childhood Education-Teacher Assisting-Child Care Instructor

Ashworth College

If you’re a mom looking to earn extra income, consider starting a home daycare center.  It will give you the opportunity to work from home, earn money, and enjoy being with children!

Here are a few suggestions to help you start your daycare business:

Obtain a license to operate.  Requirements vary from state to state, so make sure you have the right amount of space and safety for children.

Organize your space.  Make sure play areas are clean, with age-appropriate toys.  You’ll need a small table to serve snacks and some cots or lightweight mats for naptime.  Make sure you have supplies like paper, crayons and other craft materials.

Develop a daily schedule.  Children respond well to an established routine, and it makes planning easier for you. You can schedule daily time blocks for creative exploration and vary the activities, so there is always something new and interesting to do. 

Determine how much you will charge. You’ll need to charge enough to cover all of your costs and make a profit. Keeping good records is important to track monthly payments and expenses. There are lots of web sites with downloadable invoice templates that you can use for your daycare business.

Take advantage of tax deductions. Having a registered home daycare allows you to declare your home as a business.  You can take advantage of tax deductions on things like electricity and supplies, which produce a significant savings.

Create advertising materials. Print out flyers that you can distribute at church, your pediatrician’s office, or other areas families visit.  You can also use free online advertising web sites like craigslist. Encourage your customers to tell their friends about your daycare business.

Running a daycare business can be challenging, but it’s one of the most rewarding careers. Good luck!

Deann Deloney

Early Childhood Education-Child Care Instructor

Ashworth College

I have worked as an early childhood professional for many years, and it has been a wonderful, fulfilling experience.  When I stepped into my first classroom, I did not have the faintest idea of how to work with a group of children.  Fortunately, things fell into place and I loved my job.  I could not believe that I was getting paid for something I truly enjoyed doing—having fun with young children.

Secondly, I have never regretted choosing early childhood day care and education as my career path.  There are two poems that capture the essence of what I do.  One is entitled “With Apologies to None,” which I often recite during the workshops I present to early childhood professionals.  In particular, I love the line that begins, “Where else could my mind stay so young as with a group whose attention span is so short….”  But the poem I include below says it the best:

I Teach

         Author unknown

I teach because there is great fulfillment
that comes from working with girls and boys,

I teach because I wanted to be a sculptor,
and I can do so, by shaping lives for the future.

I teach because I wanted to be an artist,
and I can do so, by painting dreams for children.

I teach because I wanted to be a musician,
and I can do so, in giving inspiration to children.

I teach because I wanted to be a historian,
and I can in having recorded something for the lives of great men to come.

I teach because I wanted to be a poet,
and I can in writing impressive passages of mankind.

I teach because of the reward I receive when a child’s frowns turn to smiles,
or when he/she says, “Now, I understand.”

I teach because of the personal growth I receive each day as I venture out in the quest for knowledge and techniques to help my students understand.

I teach for it is in this where I can see the worthwhile
and true fulfillment of living.

The point of this poem is that you have a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in children’s lives in the profession of child day care and early childhood education. In order to work effectively with children, the early childhood teacher needs deeper understanding to help the children in your care thrive with the benefits of a quality program.

Deann Deloney

Early Childhood Education-Child Care Instructor

Ashworth College