If you feel like you’re putting out fires when it comes to challenging behavior you might be in “Reactive Mode”.

The biggest question I get about this is: How do I get out of reactive mode!?

Great question.

In my experience - based on when I was a preschool teacher and with what I see with our TCB Teachers’ Club members - the path to getting out of reactive mode is threefold.

Are you seeing challenging behaviors during transitions and large group times? 

• ignoring you or running around during clean up time

• refusing to come to large group

• verbally interrupting you or rolling around during story time

• power struggles that escalate to aggression stemming from scenarios like those above 

If so, I gently ask, could you be in ‘Reactive Mode’ when it comes to challenging behaviors at transitions and group times? 

If so: No shame. No blame. 

It happens to the best of us! It’s easy for this to happen. 

What does “reactive mode” mean?

During the years that I worked as a floating Preschool Special Ed Teacher, I realized that many early childhood teachers in a wide array of settings - from child care centers, to Head Start, to private or faith based preschools, to public school preK classrooms - were struggling with challenging behavior.

You are certainly not alone if this is you.

Let’s talk about the large group teacher-led experiences in your classroom…

Large Group. Group Time. Circle Time. Morning Meeting. Story Time. 

Remember I said in the last blog that NOW’s a great time to start thinking about your classroom transitions?

Well, it’s arguably just as important to start thinking about how your large group, teacher-led experiences went over the past year (and back in Aug/Sept when you had a new group)....

Sometimes in the hecticness of a school year it’s easy to just fall back on “the way we’ve always done it”.

BUT have you considered that making a few simple arrival time tweaks can catapult you and your class into a more regulated, engaged, joyful start to your year?

That’s because how our morning goes…often dictates how our day goes.

And, even if children and families arrive dysregulated and frazzled, you as the teacher are in a position to provide the environment, interactions and activities to set everyone up for a great day.

It’s not easy.

But it CAN be done!

How’s your school year starting off?

If things are feeling chaotic or you’re seeing more children hitting, hurting, melting down or resisting directions than you’d like may I gently make a suggestion?

Focus on tweaking arrival time.

Because how we start the day is often how we do the day.

Question though: how CAN I help you?

Can you do me a favor?

Tell me what YOU need when it comes to challenging behavior in early childhood classrooms?

Tamiko Gray, a Teacher and Supervisor in a Child Care Center told me,

“My biggest challenge was dealing with children that had self-regulation concerns.”

She explains…

“2 children in particular. 1 child would go from 0-10 in seconds and would shut down when educators were trying to problem solve with them. The 2nd child would tantrum, scream or run away when asked to tidy up during transitions even with 5 min warnings.”

I know Tamiko is not the only one seeing an increase in behaviors like this. Tamiko joined our TCB Teachers’ Club and after just 30 days with us reported…

A LOT of teachers get understandably frustrated because they’ve learned effective and developmentally appropriate ways of supporting children who exhibit challenging behavior…

BUT their coworkers aren’t interested in using these approaches.

So, let’s talk about the idea of being consistent.

Let’s talk about empathy.

I hear a lot of teachers respond to children who hit or take toys by saying things like: 

“How do you think that made her feel?” 

Do you and your coworkers use that strategy?

This typically ONLY works with children who already have developed empathy.

Which is not all preschoolers.