Behaviour Management Policy

Preferred Practices

In the Child Care setting there are acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. We need to ensure the children are protected, safe and healthy, and to ensure that the rights of others and the Centre are protected.

Children are disciplined in a positive manner at a level that is appropriate to their actions and their ages. Staff will discuss and explain the actions and discipline methods when appropriate. In summary, the staff provides a kind and understanding atmosphere that involves helping children to develop self-control and self direction skills. A balance of fairness, flexibility and firmness are necessary in achieving positive behaviour management.

The first process in our behaviour management strategy is understanding child development. This enables us to know the level of understanding that the child has and helps us to determine the strategies to use. Staff, students and volunteers are expected to use the following behaviour management practices when necessary:
 

1. The teachers set clear limits for the children. The limits are consistent, relevant to the developmental stage of the child, and fair. Once stated, they must be followed through.
2. Expectations for a child are clearly and positively stated. It is our belief that having these clear expectations ensures that children feel secure in their environment.
3. The child is offered choices, when he/she needs to make a decision.
4. All staff will use the same method using a team approach. The child's needs are discussed and a procedure(s) put into place.
5. Different approaches will depend on different situations and different children, for example:

• In the Toddler Program, the focus is on redirecting, feeling recognition, and encouraging the use of language, redirection, feelings labeled, use of language encouraged, simple explanations of why certain behaviours are unacceptable, to use positive reinforcement of desired behaviour, both verbal and non-verbal, etc...
• In the Preschool Program, the focus is on allowing the children to problem-solve for themselves and using lots of verbalization: redirection, act as a mediator to help children solve their problems, explain why behaviour is inappropriate, make a choice for the child and/or offer other choice alternatives, ignore inappropriate behaviour (when possible), remove the child from the situation until he/she can interact appropriately, and to follow up to discussing the problem with the child before he/she returns to the activity, hold child's hand (i.e. on outings), etc...
• In the Kindergarten and School-Ager Programs, the focus is on self-control and self-direction: use positive verbal and non-verbal reminders in regards to inappropriate behaviour, redirection, act as a mediator to help children solve their problems, verbal problem-solving, peer-mediation, offer other choice alternatives, etc..

Discipline Steps:

1. The teacher will explain to the child that this type of behaviour is inappropriate. 
2. The teacher will re-direct the child to a different activity within the room. 
3. If aggressive or inappropriate behaviour continues, the child will sit away from the group to calm down and think about his/her actions. After a short period of time, the teacher will have a discussion with the child with respect to his/her actions, and then the child will return to play.