Sanchez, D., Steece-Doran, D., & Jablon, J. (2013). Planning for positive guidance. Teaching Young Children, 6(2), 8-10. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/tyc/article/planning-for-positive-guidance
The article entitled Planning for Positive Guidance speaks of the effort of teachers to become role models as they reach out to their students. The main purpose of the study is to implement positive guidance in the classroom with the use of the three powerful steps of interaction which are: to be present, to connect and to extend learning. The interaction method was implemented in a classroom of preschool children in Pahoa, Hawaii.
In trying to implement the three steps, the teachers deemed it proper to show teamwork to the children, and they observed that their teamwork has a positive impact on the students. The result are a positive climate in the classroom and the teachers observed that it has enhanced the success of each child as a learner. Accordingly, the authors gave three tips to help ensure a smooth teamwork:
1) First is to be clear about roles. That is, the teachers planned ahead and designated the duty of each one to avoid confusion in the process. It is their objective to reduce challenging behaviors by showing the children that they are organized.
2. Second is the unity of the teachers. The teachers did not only plan to be united in their rules, they also tried to sound like one which amused the children.
3. Third is the use of frequent check-ins. The teachers check with each other about the progress of the children throughout the day, as they signalled each other about their activities. Again, they observed a calmer classroom and reduced incidents of children showing challenging attitudes. Moreover, children who needed more attention are attended to.
The teachers also used a daily arrival time to set the tone for positive guidance. Home visits are done at the beginning of the year, in addition to orientation periods where the arrival time was discussed. The teacher's predictable routine has three parts: 1) To offer specific activities in learning centers and with this, the teachers provided directions about activities that both parent and child can do together. 2) Write an interactive morning message where the families are asked to read to their children and part of the activity is the message of positive guidance. 3) Create a library in order to encourage powerful interactions between the parents and their children, the students are allowed to bring home the books and return it the following morning.
Accordingly, the teachers were able to ensure smooth transitions in the classroom by a thorough planning of their work. The use of a different strategies that range from humor, puppets and music were successful in achieving their objective of smooth transitions. The teachers have imparted their plan for positive guidance as well as the use of Powerful Interactions in the classroom setting. These techniques were effective in creating a positive learning atmosphere even for children who often display challenging behaviors. Their effort resulted in a pleasant, effective, and dynamic educational setting.
Reflection:
Creating a positive climate in the classroom is one among the goal of every teacher. As I read over the article, I cannot help but be amazed about the brilliance of the three steps of powerful interactions, and how the tested ideas can be helpful in my internship. I am currently an intern as a pre-school classroom teacher and my daily duty requires me to assist the teacher in teaching the 23 boys and girls aged 4 to 5 years old. I can say that young boys and girls of these ages are a bit handy, and there really is a need to come up with a strategy to keep them and the classroom organized.
Accordingly, by reading the article, I have gained an important insight that I can apply in my daily classroom duty. First is the need to develop a plan with the teacher and the assistant teacher. I think that just like the authors of the article, the teacher, the teacher assistant and I will have to plan ahead our strategies in order to have a more organized classroom. While we have been together for some time, we have not thought about planning our day in unison. I guessed that if it worked in the pre-school classroom of Pahoa, Hawaii, it will also be effective in our own classroom. The information about the use of positive guidance can be helpful in my case, as the 23 pre-school I am attending to are comprised of 12 boys, and I think that boys do really have a special behavior at this age. I surmise that by making clear and consistent rules, we too can reduce the incidence of challenging behavior, especially among the boys.
One of the specific activities in the learning center as described by the author which the use of daily arrival time to set the tone for positive guidance. All of the three predictable routines are good, but what stands to me the most is the idea of writing an interactive morning message. This does not only encourage the children to read, but also it paves the way for better communication and interaction between the parents and their children. I guess that this should also be incorporated in the learning system of our students. The system was readily acceptable in the Hawaiian culture, and I guess it could also be possible in our school setting and parents are always encouraged to be a key part of their children’s learning experience.
Accordingly, one similarity that I noticed is the use of music in the teaching style. Children love music, and most of them would really cooperate when it comes to singing their favorite rhymes. I will need to ask the teacher in our own classroom for us to incorporate the song and melody techniques of the authors such as the use of call-and-response.
