Challenging Behaviors

 A controversial topic in educational psychology and classroom management is the concept of a time-out. While most people envision a time out as a student sitting alone in a dark corner, facing the wall, with their head down in depression and embarrassment, that is not the purpose of procedure of an educational time-out in 2022.  In the classroom, the purpose of a time-out is to remove a student from an environment that is reinforcing their negative behaviors and allow them a space to recenter themselves without the reinforcers. During this time, they will have the opportunity to calm down, and self-assess their current situation and behavior. This time-out can be within the classroom, out outside of the classroom. When implemented effectively and appropriately, time-outs are significantly beneficial at eliminating numerous challenging behaviors. Next time your child comes home explaining the time-out process for his classroom, instead of picturing that student with his nose a...

 Students, and children in general, are not perfect. If we as adults struggle to get through our work week without feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, exhausted, and frustrated, how can we expect the children in our lives when they have even fewer coping skills and experiences managing difficult emotions? How can we expect them to learn the lessons of self-regulation, if we as the adult role models in their lives have not?  It is important that as teachers, and as parents, that we don't hold these children to higher standards than we hold ourselves, but to remember that they are human as well. They are fully capable, and entitled, to strong feelings, difficult emotions, and challenging behaviors. As the adults in their lives, it is up to us to get to the root of what is causing those behaviors, provide the supports necessary to assist them in changing those behaviors, and make sure we are modeling the appropriate reactions we expect out of them.