Know No Nos! Supporting Children’s Behaviours Using Positive Guidance Strategies

We’re bringing back our in-person community workshops! Our second community professional learning day will be a full-day event!

When: Saturday, May 11, 2024

Time: 9:00AM – 3:30PM

Investment: $135.00+GST

Host Location: The Meadows Early Learning and Child Care Centre, Edmonton, AB

Topic: Know No Nos! Supporting Children’s Behaviours Using Positive Guidance Strategies (3 session – 6 hours of training)

• From Crying to Smiling: Understanding Children’s Behaviours
• The Third Teacher: Creating Responsive Environments to Support Children’s Behaviours
• The Daily Struggle: Facilitating Conflict Resolution

Overview

Ever wonder WHY some children react in ways we just don’t understand? The screaming, biting and hitting came from no where! When a seemingly small situation throws them right into a major meltdown. Feeling like you’re at a standstill of what to do next? Well, then this professional learning day is for you! Join us as we discuss the why’s behind children’s difficult and challenging behaviors and how we can support them during these difficult moments. Learn what happens in a child’s brain when the are dysregulated and take away some tools that can help you bring them to a responsive state of mind. It’s not easy sometimes…but YOU are the one who can make a difference. YOU can help them move from reacting to responding by making meaningful connections and adding some great activities and strategies that everyone can use! Let’s begin this journey with identifying some co-regulation strategies that work for the children in your care!

Now that we understand these big feelings and have big actions that children are using to communicate these feelings with the people around them. It’s important that early childhood educators create an environment that is safe, physically, mentally, and emotionally, for children to learn about these emotions and discover ways to express these emotions. This is where the third teacher – our early learning environments- can help! By knowing what works for each child, we can create spaces and routines that help them feel safe to explore and express these emotions without negative outcomes. We all understand that this is a learning process for children, so why don’t we engage in proactive strategies that support them on their learning journey. Let’s collaborate and look at the four key components to creating responsive environments; routines, transitions, play spaces and engagement. Since one strategy doesn’t work for each child, every time, we will brainstorm a variety of strategies and approaches you can add to your behavioural support toolkit! Let’s look to our environments for help!

Finally, what do we do when children still engage in conflict…despite everything we’ve done to be proactive? Conflict is something that we all experience on a daily basis. We all have our own perceptions and experiences and opinions, and with children…these opinions can get very vocal! It’s up to us, the adults in their lives, to facilitate how to resolve conflicts constructively so that our children can grow into success problem solvers and engage in healthy conflicts! It’s not an overnight process, but with positive supports, children will start to understand different perspectives and understand how to resolve conflicts in a healthy manner. Let’s bring our calm to their chaos and help children (and each other) on this journey of success and understanding!

Some reflective discussions we will discuss:

• What are children trying to communicate through their behaviours?
• What are my biases, assumptions and expectations on children’s behaviours? What is my image of the child when it comes to behaviours?
• How does co-regulation support children’s ability to regulate their big feelings?
• What skills and tools are helpful?
• How do we create a responsive and playful environment that minimizes the intensity and frequency of moments of dysregulation?
• How can we successfully walk children through the process of conflict resolution so they feel confident and capable in their problem solving skills?
• How can I change my mindset and professional practices to support children better?

Learning Objectives:

• Identifying Behaviour as Communication
• Strategies for Co-Regulations and Positive Supports
• Identify strategies to support four key components of responsive environments: routines; transitions; play spaces; engagement
• Discuss the learning behind conflict
• Identifying steps & strategies to facilitate conflict resolution

Things to Keep in Mind:

• Registration closes 48 hours in advance!
• Coffee, tea and light snacks provided; lunch not included
• Doors open at 8:30AM
• Minimum registration required; Limited spaces available!
• 48 hours notice will be given to registered participants in case we do not meet the required minimum registration
• PD funding available to eligible participants.
• Certificate of participation, workshop handouts and reflection forms will be available to attendees.
• E-transfers to be sent to tina@inspiredmindsecc.ca