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Educators can be more successful by shifting their mindset from discipline to positive guidance. These educators who choose to shift their focus to guidance can transform the way that they understand and interact with children positively. This is achieved by the teacher exploring issues more deeply to find an effective solution (Gartrell, D., The Power of Guidance, p. 6).

By utilizing positive guidance methods, teachers can better meet the needs of children, while finding an effective, appropriate solution. For example: while looking for solutions, the teacher should take time to recognize the current development level of each student, and develop an understanding of the difference between "Misbehavior" and "Mistaken behavior". Additionally, teachers can encourage the students, rather than disciplining them, to reinforce and model positive attitudes and behaviors in the classroom. Whereas, traditional discipline would simply react to the "problem" behavior (Gartrell, D., The Power of Guidance, pp. 28-32).

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Children, like all people, come from diverse cultural backgrounds that deserve to be recognized and should be supported by caregivers and educators. The cultural and diverse needs of children are what shape how children interact with others, both within the home and the community. The "Building Positive Relationships with Families" video by The Center shared that educators should approach families in a caring and genuine way, allowing stories to lead the conversation to best comprehend the needs of the family.

A way that an educator may support these needs is by building a relationship with the family to better understand the unique needs and cultural diversity of the family. By doing this, educators equip themselves with a better understanding of the child's behavior, and how it has developed in relation to their family rules, traditions, and values (Marion, M., The Guidance of Young Children, p. 30).

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As an educator, I believe that children are fascinating, unique, and deserving individuals. I believe that children deserve high-quality caregiving and education; and that these high-quality opportunities should be accessible and equitable in their practices and instruction. I believe that guidance should reflect similar qualities, and I feel that the resources shared through CDE 227 Guidance of Young Children support these ideals. Guidance for children should be equitable and support the whole child in a way that supports the individual unique needs of children. In addition, the educator should utilize age-appropriate, research-based strategies.

As an educator, I understand that I must develop these skills to implement practices that meet the needs of students successfully. Some principles I will apply when guiding children to meet these standards are to identify mistaken behavior, to use developmentally appropriate practices, and to maintain professional practices in which I hold myself accountable for aspects that may need improvement (Gartrell, D., The Power of Guidance, pp. 164-165).

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As defined on page 28 of Marion's Guidance of Young Children, "theory" is defined as an explanation of something that is confirmed by observations, facts, and research. Educators can develop and utilize their understanding of developmental theory, and how this factor affects the positive guidance of children. Educators can create a healthy, respectful, supportive, and age-appropriately challenging learning environment for young children by using developmental knowledge-based practices to lead their approach to positive guidance (Marion, M., The Guidance of Young Children, p. 27-28).

As covered on page 58 of Guidance of Young Children, Figure 3.1 covers the things that teachers should develop before guiding children effectively. This section detailed that teachers need to develop the knowledge to understand the characteristics of children's development, as well as the skills to know how to use a variety of positive guidance strategies. An example of this could be a caregiver of young children 18 months to 36 months understanding that they may need to help children articulate and vocalize their feelings due to their limited vocabulary and communication skills (Marion, M., The Guidance of Young Children, p. 58-59).

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"It's Okay to Be Different" by Todd Parr

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The book I've chosen to highlight for the diversity and inclusion portion is "It's Okay to Be Different" by Todd Parr. This book is one that I have utilized during a read-aloud, and have seen the effects that modeling inclusivity can have on children. Throughout the book, Author Todd Parr explores the many ways in which people may be different from physical attributes such as glasses to differing family dynamics such as having two moms. The overall moral of the story is that it's okay to be you, and it's okay to let others be themselves. A virtual read-aloud for this book is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1iXrIeoC6c.

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The "Understanding the Potential Effects of Trauma on Young Children" module by The Center details that trauma's effects can vary on children. This is an important aspect for educators to keep in mind to prepare themself to observe a wide variety of responses to trauma (Understanding the Potential Effects of Trauma on Young Children, The Center, YouTube). Other ways stress, or trauma, can affect children is through both psychological, behavioral, and physical factors. Some of the ways this may manifest in a physical sense through children are stomach aches and headaches. Whereas psychological factors may be anxiety (Marion, M., The Guidance of Young Children, p. 231).

An example of this variety of responses is represented by the "fight or flight" response, which is a result of the child's response to major stressors such as abuse, which can trigger the child's body to prepare to defend itself from danger. Whereas, other children may react to major stressors more passively. These distinct differences outline the way children may uniquely respond to trauma (Marion, M., The Guidance of Young Children, p. 231).

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A children's book that I believe would help support the emotional development of children is Tom Percival's "Ruby Finds A Worry". I chose this book because it effectively demonstrates communication skills for children to elevate their worries and anxieties in life. It also displays positive relationships between children in which they can mutually recognize and support each other while facing strong feelings. Read-aloud for this book is available here: https://youtu.be/hIPMZGPF64c?t=32.

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Strategy 2: Facilitating Positive Environments; Class Meetings

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Strategy 5: Anticipating Predictable Problems

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In conclusion, as an educator and caregiver I aim to utilize best practices that are research-based, positive guidance strategies. The guidance strategies I have selected are supportive of the positive, collaborative educational environment I aim to create as a Child Development professional. My goal as an educator is to center my guidance around supportive, equitable strategies that aim to develop the skills of children so they may be able to better represent themselves. I aim to make these ideals apparent through my dedication to involving families, and supporting the individual factors of children's lives, such as culture. Finally, I am an advocate for age-appropriate materials and instruction, increasing the success of young children.

I feel that this course has solidified my connections to these important goals, and appreciate the dedication of Professor Midcalf throughout my CDE 227 journey.

Kindly,

Jill Reiber

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Gartrell, D. (2004). The Power of Guidance: Teaching Social Emotional Skills in Early Childhood Classrooms. Cengage Learning, pp. 6, 28-32, 37-39, 92-93, 98, and 164-165.

Marion, M. (n.d.). Guidance of Young Children, 10th edition, pp. 27-28, 30, 58-59, 128, and 231.

The Center. (2023). GYCB Segment 5: Objective 1 - redirection. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cxQyh6ohkw

The Center. (2023). GYCB Segment 6: Objective 3 - Guide Children in Expressing Emotions. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj7w2QqaZo8

The Center (2016). Supporting Children's Individual Needs. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd6Qvu18p_s&t=269s