6.4: Addressing Challenging Behavior
Preschool children rely on guidance from their teachers to practice and eventually master the complex skills required to navigate social interactions with peers and adults. With guidance from caring adults in their environment, preschool children can develop a sense of competence, learn developmentally appropriate ways to socialize with peers, and resolve conflicts.[1]
Teacher’s Role
As the adults that work with children on a daily basis and who form positive relationships with them, teachers have a critical role in addressing challenging behaviors. Teachers should:
- Observe and identify the emotions underlying challenging behaviors.
- Gather input from colleagues, other program staff members, and families
- to gain a greater understanding of the function or purpose behind children’s challenging behaviors and to develop strategies—including self-reflection and peer-reflection—for addressing those behaviors.
- Share observations appropriately and respect confidentiality when discussions involve children and families.
- Implement strategies designed by colleagues, families, and other specialists to address children’s challenging behaviors.
- Develop, modify, and adapt schedules, routines, and the program environment to positively affect challenging behaviors.[2]
Program’s Role
Teachers also need support from their programs. Programs should:
- Provide support and professional development on the practices that are most likely to prevent challenging behaviors in young children, including strong relationships, supportive environments (including carefully planned transitions, schedules, and grouping), and teaching social–emotional skills to children.
- Provide professional development opportunities to staff and resources to families on the use of strategies to respond to challenging behaviors, including support from behavioral or developmental specialists, early interventionists, and mental-health professionals as necessary.[3]
Conflict Resolution
Conflict is a natural part of social interactions. Teachers can help children navigate conflict successfully by facilitating conflict resolution. Teachers should:
- Support children in expressing their emotions and negotiating conflict in developmentally appropriate ways.
- Model appropriate behavior for resolving conflicts.
- Refine and implement developmentally appropriate strategies to help children learn how to express emotions, negotiate conflict, and solve problems.
- Work with coworkers to utilize a similar and consistent process with children in the same classroom or environment.
- Engage colleagues and other program staff, children, and families in discussions around conflict resolution.[4]
Supporting Inclusive Early Learning: Working Together for Inclusion & Belonging[5]
Include the children directly involved and use these steps
1. Acknowledge there is a problem or conflict: What happened? How do you feel?
- Approach children calmly, take deep breaths, and acknow