Open Discussion Forum

Expand all | Collapse all

How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

  • 1.  How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-25-2023 03:02 PM

    Hi all!

    I am looking for resources that I can use to help a teacher manage her toddler classroom, I am the Education Specialist and part of my role is to support the classrooms when they struggle. She is a very experienced teacher with a great environment and is knowledgeable about appropriate activities and common behaviors. She isn't needing information about the basics or any thing she needs extensive support beyond that. 

    She just so happens to have a group of 18-24 month old's who are brand new to the room, have special needs, seek a lot of stimulation, and have very little self help skills. She understands this is all very normal, it is just a lot to deal with all at once. 

    We have learned that our infant teachers should spend more time developing self help skills with the kids before they transition as well be more diligent with interventions but now we still need to support her with the group. For the mean time, I am simply trying to just be an extra set of hands for her, while the children adjust to the room and develop some skills, and while she brainstorms and tests out activities. 

    Are there any resources out there for this situation? If you have been in this situation what have you done? When I was the toddler teacher, I felt obligated to just endure the tough times and looked forward to when the days got easier, but that does not mean I wish the same struggles on another teacher. 



    ------------------------------
    Natalie Collins
    Education Specialist
    Full Heart Child Care
    Rochester NY
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-26-2023 12:33 AM
    Implement mixed age groups in your rooms so that one teacher doesn't have so many young ones to handle at once; taking some toddlers out and adding some 3-4 year olds is beneficial for all. Children learn and behave best in a mixed-age environment; we are supposed to have a village, not be isolated among peers our age. The youngest learn from the older kids, the older kids learn to be patient and kind with the smaller children, and the teacher has a more balanced classroom without everyone having the same competing needs.

    ------------------------------
    Aimee Witt
    Owner, Teacher
    Miss Aimee's Childcare
    La Crosse WI
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-27-2023 09:16 AM
    Our state regs only permit us to mix the age groups at the beginning or end of the day, so we do sometimes have a chance to mix them but only when the numbers are low and not really during the challenge times of the day.  The classroom can range from 18 mo-2 year 9 mo and sometimes up to 3 but since our classroom ages are heavily determined by the birth month of the children enrolled we kind of just happened into this perfect storm.

    ------------------------------
    Natalie Collins
    Education Specialist
    Full Heart Child Care
    Rochester NY
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-26-2023 08:34 AM

    I just wanted to say I appreciate the way you have framed this. You are so supportive, developmentally mindful, and kind. 

    I think it's really important for staff to have a place to brief/debrief about their classrooms, especially when there is this kind of intense volume of need. If you have an early childhood consultant (a developmentalist or a therapist), routine team meetings are a really helpful strategy to help the adults stay resilient while navigating this. 


    I do like the other comment about the benefits of mixed aged rooms. 

    Toddlerhood needs so much 1:1. Floating you in so theees an extra person means a lot. Perhaps as the bonus adult, you can think about rotating your 1:1 focus throughout the day so each child is getting you once or twice in a 1:1. That might help them w their self regulation. It's hard because a toddlers job is to be dysregulated and to develop curiosity and connection over time, which helps them develop beyond the self-focused and chaotic behaviors. 


    I do think that any activities that allow each to feel helpful will be useful. They can make drawings or letters to cheer someone up (like a volunteer project, then donate the collection to a senior center). Just know their attention span will be short. But everyone likes being a helper. 

    And connections to their family are regulating. Drawing for their family members. Ways of keeping them in mind. Have a stack of blank books (cut and stapled copy paper) to introduce the idea of writing their own books. They can make a book to tell they're grown up about something that felt big at school, thereby managing the big feelings and bringing the home connection to buffer dysregulation. They'll need an adult to help them write or draw a little but it teaches them this powerful method. 


    This may not be what you were looking for but I hope you find a piece or two helpful. 


    Shari Nacson, Clinical Social Worker
    Specialist in Child Development & Trauma 
    Cleveland/Pittsburgh



    ------------------------------
    Shari Nacson
    Cleveland OH
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-26-2023 09:48 AM
    Hello,
    Like Aimee shared, my classroom also involves mixed age groups (0-3 years) which I have noticed aids in the development of the younger infants and toddlers through observation and investigation of their peers and the skills they profess. But, this still comes with challenging behaviors and needs. I have begun to notice that while the older toddlers are trying to work on individual skills or tasks, the younger toddlers often come over and wreck their work or begin antagonizing by shoving or hitting so to alleviate some of these behavior patterns I have started offering "heavy work" for the younger toddlers. This has basically involved providing them heavy items to carry or push to not only work on motor skills but cognitive and exploring how to get the items from one place to the next and attention maintenance. What I have done is take empty gallon water jugs and fill them with various items such as sand, rocks, beans etc. and offer those for carrying, pushing, lifting etc.

    ------------------------------
    Ashley Jones
    KV-CAP Educare
    Norridgewock ME
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-26-2023 09:57 AM
    ​Ashley that is brilliant.

    ------------------------------
    Shari Nacson, Clinical Social Worker
    Specialist in Child Development & Trauma
    Cleveland / Pittsburgh
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-26-2023 10:03 AM
    Thank you so much!

    ------------------------------
    Ashley Jones
    KV-CAP Educare
    Norridgewock ME
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-27-2023 10:53 AM
    Thanks! I'm going to get to work on some heavy work ideas the teacher can do! I shared the idea of the milk jugs and told the teacher about a time when I put some water in some milk jugs and my toddlers loved it!

    ------------------------------
    Natalie Collins
    Education Specialist
    Full Heart Child Care
    Rochester NY
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-26-2023 10:26 AM
    Hi! This link is to my entire Behavior Mastery system.

    https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC5sxjsoD6-zJLd5uwfLxVU12qAX8cMY-

    I presented it at NAEYC National in DC last year with spectacular feedback and I'm in communication with ECE educators from the conference using the system with powerful results. The first 2 parts are full of auditory,  visual and kinesthetic cues that IMMEDIATELY refocus the classroom...if the teacher chooses to aim to create a Win-Win environment. Share the course with your staff and anyone else you like!

    ------------------------------
    Ron Shuali, M.Ed.
    ECE gardener
    Ronspeak
    Davie FL
    ------------------------------



  • 10.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-26-2023 06:00 PM
    Hi everyone,

    First of all, Natalie, thank you for posing a very good question. I am an owner operator of a preschool program with the toddler component in Arcadia, CA. I am currently planning and will be working closely with our toddler class teachers on reinforcing developmentally appropriate activities with the toddlers. This is especially important now, because one of our toddler class teachers is enthusiastic about practicing tracing with the toddlers using the dotted lines on paper/board with crayons/markers/pencils. When I asked her why, she responded that she really liked how children were learning a new skill in the previous programs, where she worked before us.

    I have been learning leadership in early education for the last 7 years, and motivating teachers to be adult-learners, explore and experiment, and make important discoveries on their own terms, applying their personal teaching methods while aligning with the program goals, are all of the essence to me. So, while I voiced my opinion on what the research tells us about toddlers and their sensory-motor learning and how the type of tracing she was offering is more for children at the elementary school level, I also welcomed her to try the concepts she was curious about. At the same time, I offered her to review the California Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework, and to draw parallels between what she observed with the children while teaching them tracing, and how it aligned with the curriculum framework. She has also signed up to take an online class on curriculum development and implementation at UCLA Extension. 

    With that being said, I must admit she is a spectacular teacher, who provides a very warm and loving environment in the classroom where children, at the age of 18 months quickly transition to her classroom after they start in our program, and she plans and sets up a lot of sensory-motor activities for her class. I understand that now she is curious to grow professionally and gain experiences beyond what she has been doing, which is a great plus for the program quality. 

    Ashley, thank you for sharing such a great idea on the "heavy work" concept. I have shared this thread with my coworkers, and I hope they'll be interested to use this method, because they will do great with setting up these activities. 

    Ron Shuali, thank you for generously offering your online video trainings. I just watched all of them from start to finish, and I heard myself laughing a few times, and even shed a tear when I saw "the number 0" run off excited about his ball in the basket. It is so unfortunate that I didn't get to see you in person while I was attending the NAEYC's Annual Conference in Washington DC last year. I was there, and looking at the Whova app, you were presenting on November 16 at 12 pm. I was in the room 202A at that time, learning about guiding Infant and Toddler Behavior to Support Social and Emotional Development. I think you are such a tremendously awesome speaker. I hope you will get to present again at the upcoming conference in Nashville. I will definitely attend to learn from you more. 

    I think of myself as an open-minded learner. Learning can come from anyone, anywhere, anytime, and for that reason, please feel free to share your thoughts, suggestions, as they would be of a great value to us in Arcadia. 

    Thank you!
    Ranum Magellan
    ArcadiaPlayschool.com

    ------------------------------
    Ranum Magellan
    Co-Founder
    Arcadia Playschool Inc.
    Arcadia CA
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-26-2023 06:15 PM
    I appreciate your words and am looking forward to helping and sharing again with as many people as possible.

    ------------------------------
    Ron Shuali, M.Ed.
    ECE gardener
    Ronspeak
    Davie FL
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-27-2023 10:58 AM
    Thank you Ron! I started watching the videos, and I love them! I regret not making it to your presentation at NAEYC. Next time I go, I will keep you in mind and if you're presenting, I will definitely be attending. I cannot wait to share your videos with some of my teachers. I so very much appreciate your perspective and deep thinking on behavior.

    ------------------------------
    Natalie Collins
    Education Specialist
    Full Heart Child Care
    Rochester NY
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-27-2023 11:03 AM
    Tremendous! It's my pleasure. Let me know how it goes with the staff. I have heard sooooo many stories of teachers truly working the system and magic happens. Complete energy shift as the alpha kids transform into the classroom captains!

    Ron Shuali M.Ed

    Transformational Speaker

    & Founder of YOGARATE®


    "Breathe, hydrate and take one action for your life today..."

    (732) 777-1328
    ron@ronspeak.com
    www.ronspeak.com
    South Florida








  • 14.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-27-2023 12:59 AM
    There may be a gap in their sense of belonging in the classroom, along with the particularities of the special needs you mentioned. Students of this age group especially desire to be valued as members of their classroom community, to be seen as special, and to have something special to offer to the group.  So, one layer of support is rituals embedded throughout the day. There should be very clear, easy, consistent activities for entering, welcoming, joining, cleaning up, washing up, beginning a meal, asking for help in solving social problems, transitions and goodbyes.  Songs, "sayings", clear routines with visual supports, posters modeling what behaviors are highly valued... all contribute to creating a sense of belonging.  One great resource on specific activities and the underlaying basis for these is Becky Bailey's "I Love You Rituals." But with a careful eye and ear, a mindful adult can begin crafting rituals and routines that bring the children closer together and help them to feel fully competent in many parts of the day, with the calmness that comes from knowing they are valued and the classroom is for them, and about them.

    ------------------------------
    Mars April Caulton

    Chicago IL
    ------------------------------



  • 15.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-27-2023 09:12 AM
    Thank you all for the amazing feedback. I love all of the dialogue that has opened up and I really appreciate the resources!

    ------------------------------
    Natalie Collins
    Education Specialist
    Full Heart Child Care
    Rochester NY
    ------------------------------



  • 16.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-28-2023 04:48 PM
    The first thing I would do is exactly what you are doing - add another adult. But who the other adult is can make a difference. The same adult every day who is learning the routine and building relationships with the children? Or an adult who feels like an additional child? I realize finding another adult in this time of staffing shortages is hard. The only other thing I would suggest is to look at the play environment. Are there enough things to do? When kids have more activity choices there is less difficult behavior. When I packed up to leave my Early Head Start classroom I was shocked to realize the half of the play materials were from my own personal stash. I had trouble finding suitable replacements. It's a constant budget struggle. Most centers do not have enough toys. Since I was a university professor when I built my stash my budget was probably more liberal than that of a typical classroom. There is solid, though dated, research demonstrating that more play choices result in fewer troublesome behaviors (Getz & Berndt, 1982 J of Applied Dev Psych for other nerds out there). An out of print naeyc book explains the idea of play spaces per child. You want at least 4 play spaces per child. Few classrooms meet that criteria. I'll try to find the book & see if it's available used - I can't remember the author - only that's its yellow and that is no help. Or at least find a better description of play spaces from my work with students for you.

    ------------------------------
    Loraine Dunn
    Provider
    Only Toddlers
    Norman OK
    ------------------------------



  • 17.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-29-2023 07:23 AM
    I would suggest two things...

    1. Manage the children's nutrition. I get so frustrated when my kiddos show up wired to the sky on sugar. The parents are giving them a lot of sugary treats for meals instead of healthy choices. Some of the culprits are PopTarts, Toaster Strudels, mini-muffins, juice boxes, etc. Obviously, these aren't great for calming the kids, and I've witnessed the frenzy first hand. Try educating the parents on how a healthy start to the day will help their children be more attentive and successful in your care.

    2. The second thing I would suggest is changing up the children's routine. Maybe they need more time for active play outside, our try some indoor, aerobic activities.  We like to sing and dance to interactive songs like "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes...",  "Freeze dance", or just play some fast-paced music and do silly dances. The kids love it and it wears them out a little. We follow it up with water hydration and storyline. It works.

    So, it may not be a problem with the teacher's ability to manage the kids, but a problem managing the kids' energy.

    ------------------------------
    Shawn Alee
    Pittsburgh PA
    ------------------------------



  • 18.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-29-2023 06:47 PM
    A happy child is a good child. talk to him or her and explain the consequences of their
    actions. repetition of  your action works. Always stop the child with a smile.( question) are you overly active?







  • 19.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-29-2023 08:31 PM
    I found the book on sale at Amazon, Abe Books, & Better World Books. The last 2 are book-reseller cites I've used through Amazon. They are reliable. The book is green & white, not yellow - see image below. That sounds like a child describing the book! The book might be older that you. 1969 was the original copyright but it was republished several times. I'll provide the reference here and keep looking in my files for instructions on play spaces. It's been over 10 years since I taught that class and the info is not on my current computer.

    Kritchevsksy, S., Prescott, E., & Walling, L. (1969). Planning Environments for Young Children: Physical Space. NAEYC, Washinton DC.






    ------------------------------
    Loraine Dunn
    Provider
    Only Toddlers
    Norman OK
    ------------------------------



  • 20.  RE: How to help a teacher manage a highly active young toddler classroom

    Posted 01-30-2023 12:01 PM
    Hello, Natalie. One thing I am wondering about is the group size (how many children are in the space)? Children, especially at this age, do best when the group size is smaller. High quality is generally no more than 10 children of this age (12 months to 24 months) in a space. If there are more than 8 or 10, could the group be divided into two smaller groups?  Smaller group sizes change so much about the dynamics of the class - there is less competing for teacher's attention, less noise, less chaos, more cozy.

    I love the ideas generated in this thread!
    Be well,
    Andrea

    ------------------------------
    Andrea Amari Dekker
    Early Education Specialist
    United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
    Tucson, AZ
    ------------------------------