Open Discussion Forum

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom. 

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt. 

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------

My best suggestion is to take the Pyramid Model courses.  They teach you how to help young children learn social and emotional skills in a whole integrated way to create a community of caring children.  You can also go the the website to get ideas. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/training_infant.html
They have lots of great ideas.  Becky Bailey also has great videos on-line.  Look into taking the Pyramid Model Courses if you need to take a certain number of hours of training each year for your state to stay licensed.

------------------------------
DeAnn Jones
Director, teacher
Discovery Place Child Care, LLC
Bozeman MT
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2019 09:54 PM
From: Dominique Gibson
Subject: Dealing with difficult children in two year old classroom

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom.

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt.

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------

Original Message------

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom. 

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt. 

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------

Hello Dominique, 
As a former Program Director and Early Head Start teacher, it sounds like you have two different situations going on as it relates to the behavior concerns.  The first child has separation anxiety.  If he is only coming one day out of the week, his behavior is a form of protest.  You need to comfort him and interact with the parent in front of the child in an effort to make him feel safe and that his needs will be met. When children feel a sense of trust between caregivers and parents,  they are more trusting. Being that he only comes one day, it will take a little linger for him to adjust, reassure him that his mom/dad will be back. Suggest to the parent that they affirm with the child that they will be back soon . As for the other child, determine where he is developmentally and if the Aunt is dropping him off she shiuld reinforce that he needs to keep his shoes on. If the shoes come off, sit him down and let him help you put them back on. During that process explain to the child that he has to wear his shoes for his safety. Also, ask him where he is going to work or play for the day or create small talk asking what he did the evening before. If the child is accustomed to having his way, at home he might feel that he should get his way at school because the Aunt is there. There are so many activities you can do with two's.  You have to adjust to the new environment and the kids do too! Best of luck.
Jan B.

------------------------------
J. Malone-Barnes
Practicum Coordinator
Children and Families Program
Henry Ford College
Dearborn, MI
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2019 09:54 PM
From: Dominique Gibson
Subject: Dealing with difficult children in two year old classroom

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom.

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt.

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------

Welcome to the world of Toddler teaching!  There have been great suggestions so far.  Sometimes change is a matter of changing our expectations.  That may be helpful with he child who comes once a week and cries.   For the child it's like being dropped alone into a new country where he doesn't know the culture or the people.  Once a week isn't enough consistency for a two year old to get acclimated.  I echo the suggestion that he first needs to form an attachment to you and your co-teacher.  He needs security before he can be independent in the classroom.  Does he have a transition object with him from home--blanket, stuffed animal, truck, photo?  And perhaps  another transition object from the classroom to bring back and forth to keep the connection for the 6 days that he's at home until he sees you again.  A small photo book of the teachers, some of the children, the building and classroom might be useful for him to have at home. I feel for this child, and for you in this situation.

You're also dealing with a tricky situation in having the relative of your bosses in the classroom.  You write: "Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge."  I wonder if the child's family takes shoes off inside at home and the most natural and reasonable thing to him is that he takes his shoes off when entering the room.  And you've discovered something about two year olds--they're not very reasonable a lot of the time.  Instead of sitting him down on the carpet circle it might helpful to interact by playing with him, getting on his level, being affectionate, and joking.  It seems like building your relationship with him might help him to be more regulated.  While playing--slip his shoes back on.  Would it also help if you sat down with your boss, his aunt, and had a frank conversation about him?  Tell her that you'd like her help because he takes his shoes off and has difficulty with the other children and see if she can be helpful.  I do understand that this is tricky.

As for your co-teacher leaving the classroom--in my state if there are 6 toddlers in a classroom there needs to be two teachers at all times.  Check out your state regulations.  It's not right for you or for the children that you're constantly left with all of them.  I hope that you can remedy this--it might help you to have the chance to enjoy two year olds if you have the right support.  You sound like a compassionate teacher and you deserve to have a supportive work environment.

------------------------------
Aren Stone
Child Development Specialist
The Early Years Project
Cambridge, MA
she/her
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2019 09:54 PM
From: Dominique Gibson
Subject: Dealing with difficult children in two year old classroom

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom.

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt.

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------

Dominique, you are receiving good advice and information from this Hello experience. I would just add a general comment about children: we need to calm them and get them to think about their behavior. Especially young children don't learn from other people's expressed ideas, they learn from thinking, and they need to be calm in order to accomplish this feat. While holding the crying child, and feeling calm yourself by a confidence in what you are doing, ask him what he is feeling, what is wrong. Then he's more ready to learn that your school is safe and will be fun. With the shoe-issue child, as already suggested, see if the two of you can figure out what the issue is. You can become a child's go-to person for living life better. 

------------------------------
Jack Wright
Child Development Consultant
Success With Children
St Ignatius MT
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2019 09:54 PM
From: Dominique Gibson
Subject: Dealing with difficult children in two year old classroom

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom.

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt.

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------

Hi Dominique,

I especially like Jack's answer below. The child you describe - and the other children - it's not their fault they feel stressed. They need calming, connection, and comfort. I also saw you mentioned circle time. Trying to make all toddlers do one thing at the same time is likely to fail. If you attempt a brief all-group activity,  it should be active - like singing with dancing and motions. But until all routines are set and children feel safe and comfortable, aim to prepare your room and then connect one-on-one and in small groups. Toddlers  respond with their emotions and by being captivated by interesting experiences. ​Spend time in with children in ways that are calming and soothing to them.

In addition, if toddlers are not engaged in appropriately interesting and active experiences, they will have the troubles you describe. They need 15 minutes of active exercise per hour - and many meaningful objects to explore and play with. I give you a lot of understanding and support, knowing this is hard to manage when your co-teacher is in and out. You need a consistent co-teacher to keep ratios and meet the needs of the children.

Remember that when you try to "make" a toddler do something, it's likely he/she won't budge. Instead, try connecting with something new and interesting to the child - a book, loose parts, cardboard boxes that make a tunnel or train, dancing and singing, and finger plays. Sometimes just sitting with a stuffed animal and having the animal "talk" with the child can help. It's the connection and focus (the relationship) that is influential.

Check out "Let's Talk Toddlers: A Practical Guide to High-Quality Teaching." It's got book lists for toddlers, activities designed just for them, and helpful ways to meet their need for physical and cognitive stimulation, yet with many strategies to calm and soothe. The book is aligned with ITERS-3 and Toddler CLASS and packed with super practical "what can I do right now to make this work" tips. We are all cheering you on. Marie

------------------------------
Marie Masterson
Marie Masterson
Warrenville IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2019 09:54 PM
From: Dominique Gibson
Subject: Dealing with difficult children in two year old classroom

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom.

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt.

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------

Original Message------

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom. 

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt. 

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------

Anita, dismissing a child from a preschool is not something that I can except. It's too tragic. In my understanding of child development there is no such thing as a child who cannot learn to regulate impulsive negative behaviors . It may take extra staff for a week or two, but when we look at the negative outcome of giving up on an acting-out child it is clear that resources must be found.

------------------------------
Jack Wright
Child Development Consultant
Success With Children
St Ignatius MT
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-18-2019 01:19 PM
From: Anita Brandenburg
Subject: Dealing with difficult children in two year old classroom

I think working with the toddler classroom is the hardest age group. Your frustration is totally normal for a teacher. We have a policy at our center that you can't have related people in your classroom. We came to this conclusion after going to many naeyc national trainings that actually suggested it. They noted it a " Conflict of Interest". As for the other child who is not listening and causing disruption in your classroom I would think your center's Behavior Guidance policy and Parent Agreement should address this.

Each child's behavior while on the premises is the direct responsibility of the parents. Children are expected to cooperate with staff. A child who has difficulty with self-control or displays unacceptable behavior needs our love, patience and understanding. The Center's policies are to practice positive methods of discipline, and redirection when ever possible. However, for the safety of all children, children who continually disregard the safety rules or exhibit excessive aggressive behavior a parent conference will be called. If the behavior continues and the safety of other children or staff is a concern the child will be dismissed from Cobber Kids.
a. Consistent disregard of safety, health and social rules
b. Consistent disregard of instructions from the caregivers
c. Unprovoked incidents of biting, kicking and scratching of others.
d. Verbally abusing others in the classroom. Uncontrollable screaming or shouting.




Concordia College


Original Message------

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom.

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt.

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------

​Thanks, Jack. I agree.  It is important to work with child development and to evaluate the setting, interactions, and support provided to help children be successful. Marie

------------------------------
Marie Masterson
Marie Masterson
Warrenville IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-18-2019 01:39 PM
From: Jack Wright
Subject: Dealing with difficult children in two year old classroom

Anita, dismissing a child from a preschool is not something that I can except. It's too tragic. In my understanding of child development there is no such thing as a child who cannot learn to regulate impulsive negative behaviors . It may take extra staff for a week or two, but when we look at the negative outcome of giving up on an acting-out child it is clear that resources must be found.

------------------------------
Jack Wright
Child Development Consultant
Success With Children
St Ignatius MT

Original Message:
Sent: 02-18-2019 01:19 PM
From: Anita Brandenburg
Subject: Dealing with difficult children in two year old classroom

I think working with the toddler classroom is the hardest age group. Your frustration is totally normal for a teacher. We have a policy at our center that you can't have related people in your classroom. We came to this conclusion after going to many naeyc national trainings that actually suggested it. They noted it a " Conflict of Interest". As for the other child who is not listening and causing disruption in your classroom I would think your center's Behavior Guidance policy and Parent Agreement should address this.

Each child's behavior while on the premises is the direct responsibility of the parents. Children are expected to cooperate with staff. A child who has difficulty with self-control or displays unacceptable behavior needs our love, patience and understanding. The Center's policies are to practice positive methods of discipline, and redirection when ever possible. However, for the safety of all children, children who continually disregard the safety rules or exhibit excessive aggressive behavior a parent conference will be called. If the behavior continues and the safety of other children or staff is a concern the child will be dismissed from Cobber Kids.
a. Consistent disregard of safety, health and social rules
b. Consistent disregard of instructions from the caregivers
c. Unprovoked incidents of biting, kicking and scratching of others.
d. Verbally abusing others in the classroom. Uncontrollable screaming or shouting.




Concordia College


Original Message------

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom.

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt.

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------

Hello  Dominique I have the following suggestions for you to consider.
1. Address the shoe issue with the parent when the child is being dropped off. If they are not being dropped off  then I would touch base with them by means of a phone call. 
Example of conversation. Hello (parent) I am Dominique I have (child) in my class.  I am getting to know your child in class. We have been doing activities with play doh, playing games and reading. One of the challenges that I was hoping that I was hoping you could help me with is at the beginning of our day. (Child) removes their shoes. It is a policy that we need to have them on at all times. By chance is this a habit you have at home? I would appreciate it if you could give (child) a reminder until we can get this mastered. it delays the start of our day and at times causes more  frustration for (child) than needed.
2. When kids act out or are overwhelmed it is helpful to catch them doing a good deed regardless of how small. Call them out in a positive manner. Look for other kids in the room and compliment them on something and soon others will here and see it and will immediately do the same to get  the positive attention themselves. 
3. I use timers for things as it allows us to set up a time frame and transition. Clean up time timers, free play timers, game timers, At the end of the time depending on the activity say "Ok we have 2 minutes to get this put away and get ready for the next activity." As the cleaning up is going on make sure to be on the look out for kids modeling the correct behavior. Prompt others as you are cleaning. Raise the energy level to beat the timer. Maybe Partner the ones that struggle with other children that are outgoing.
Sometimes it is the smallest things that can be an incentive to kids.  Think simplicity. 
Put your kids in 2 groups. Three kids playing with blocks the other 3 playing with cars. Place yourself between the 2 groups so you can monitor both.
A phone call to the child's parents that cries all the time. Ask what is their favorite activity at home. Maybe  it is playing with Dinosaurs. Get some of those out and make sure to include that child. Get some books on them and  read a story about them. They will slowly ease into the group.

Smiles
Linda
In home childcare provider
West Fargo ND

------------------------------
Linda Schroeder
Owner Operator
Linda Schroeder
West Fargo ND
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2019 09:54 PM
From: Dominique Gibson
Subject: Dealing with difficult children in two year old classroom

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom.

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt.

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------

Can I ask what circle time is like? Maybe the sitting aspect is too much for the children right now. Or circle time is too long for them. Have you thought of a busy bag for the child? I do think the reason for the behavior is the aunt though. He is super comfortable with the aunt so he does not think he has to listen. Especially if she is not helping with getting him to understand the difference.  

For the separation anxiety, maybe a favorite toy or pictures of his family on a family wall could help with comfort level.

------------------------------
Temesha (Ms. Tessie) Ragan
Family Child Care IF Facilitator
Perfect Start Learning
Family Child Care Provider
Edwards, CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2019 09:54 PM
From: Dominique Gibson
Subject: Dealing with difficult children in two year old classroom

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom.

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt.

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------

It almost sounds like you're describing my classroom! I also have a part timer who is prone to crying and separation anxiety, as well as a rough and rowdy little guy. While I haven't had a perfect day yet, I've discovered a few helpful things that work for me at least.

Don't make circle time a requirement. I've found that trying to force a bunch of two year olds to come sit still for even a minute is about as effective as herding cats. Instead, sit down and start your circle time with whoever is there. I generally announce it, then sit down and start to sing our welcome song. At first, they all just stared at me like I was nuts and kept doing whatever they wanted. But now, they all come running and will sit still for 15-20 minutes!

In fact, try to plop down and play as often as possible. I'm also the only teacher in a room of 6 twos, so I know how challenging that can be with all of the diapers and everything else. But they'll start to notice you, and this is a great way to develop play from parallel to associative because you can bridge the gap between the group. It doesn't have to be some fancy planned activity. In fact, I sat down in the kitchen area earlier with no plan in mind and soon we were all dressing up baby dolls and feeding them.

For the part timer with separation anxiety, consider making a collage of family photos or a photo book that they can keep going back to when they start to feel overwhelmed. It helped with my little guy! Drawing them into an activity with the parent still in the room will help as well. Ask mom if maybe next time, she can come and start playing with the child for a few minutes. I agree with the timer comment. If mom can spare 2 minutes to get her child settled, it may help a lot. Quick separations are not always the answer.

I truly sympathize with you. When I transitioned to the Twos room from my old age group, it was like a polar plunge. I floundered for a lot longer than I'd care to admit. But now I feel that every day I'm learning new tricks and new things that work. Don't get me wrong, I also discover about the same number of things that don't work :) But you will get there!

------------------------------
Olivia Schaffer
Teacher
Bright Horizons
Atglen PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2019 09:54 PM
From: Dominique Gibson
Subject: Dealing with difficult children in two year old classroom

Hello everyone, my name is Dominique Gibson and this is my first post in the hello community. I am happy to be with such a wonderful group of early childhood professionals this evening!

So, my problem deals with my two-year-old classroom. I just recently started in the two-year-old classroom two months ago and I have to admit that this had been the hardest job I've experienced since working with 8-12-year-old children in a daycare setting. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated working with two-year-olds again after leaving my job as an infant teacher at a previous daycare. A lot of times, I have stated to myself that I wanted to go back to working with infants because of what I have to deal with when it comes to the two-year-old classroom I'm in right now. Anyways, my question involves two difficult children in my two-year-old classroom.

I have one child who only comes to school one day out of the week and constantly cries every time he comes to school. I try my best to redirect him but it only works for a little while. There is another child in my class who doesn't listen to me at all. I have tried sitting him down on the carpet at circle time and interacting with him but that doesn't work. Every day, he comes into my room and takes his shoes off even though he knows he's not supposed to. No matter how much I reason with him on this situation, he doesn't budge. It has gotten so bad that there had been two incident reports on him so far when it comes to him harming other children. To make matters worse, my boss is the child's aunt.

There have been times where I have introduced an activity. They seem to love playdough and I did do a game with them the other day where the children rolled and shared the tennis ball to each other after playing a small bowling game which didn't go well considering I didn't have enough balls for everyone to share. As much as I would like to do more activities with them, I feel as if I can't because the lead teacher in the classroom is also the assistant director and spends the majority of the day outside of the classroom while I am dealing with six children all by myself. On top of that, I am the only one responsible for lesson plans.

I just really need help when it comes to this situation. How can I deal with the constant crying and misbehavior going on in this classroom? What are some of the ways I can deal with this situation?

Thank you

Dominique Gibson

------------------------------
Dominique Gibson
Assistant Director
South East Asia Center
Chicago IL
------------------------------