Classroom Management and the Guidance Approach by CB Cochran

Intro to The Guidance Approach

cbcochranbooks — 2024-07-27 05:43:00 UTC

The Guidance Approach focuses on putting children at the center, building positive relationships, setting clear expectations, and teaching appropriate behaviors through guidance and support instead of punishment. It also emphasizes understanding children's perspectives, helping them learn self-regulation, and creating a safe and nurturing learning environment.

Explanation of the Guidance Approach

cbcochranbooks — 2024-07-27 05:49:06 UTC

1. Physical: Planning the physical layout and design of the educational setting to promote student safety and enhance the learning experience.
2. Psychological: Fostering a supportive educational environment where students feel comfortable to engage, inquire, explore new ideas, and receive valuable feedback.
3. Emotional: Embracing diversity, individuality, and recognizing students' accomplishments to cultivate a positive emotional atmosphere within the educational setting.

Quotable:

"Conventional discipline too easily slides into punishment. For example, if we embarrass children by singling them out as part of our discipline strategy, this is punishment. Punishment makes young children feel stressed, hurt, rejected, and angry; these feelings make it harder for children to learn emotional and social skills" (Gartell, 2020).

Benefits of the Guidance Approach

cbcochranbooks — 2024-07-27 05:50:40 UTC

Improved social-emotional development.
Increased self-esteem and confidence.
Stronger problem-solving skills.
Enhanced academic performance.
Positive classroom culture.

Quotable:

Effective educators' guidance focuses on each individual child, "They also preserve the child’s self-esteem and dignity. Actions that insult or belittle are likely to cause children to view their parents and other caregivers negatively, which can inhibit learning and can teach the child to be unkind to others" (Marketeer, 2022).

Building Safe and Positive Learning Environments

cbcochranbooks — 2024-07-28 07:33:17 UTC

1. It is important to establish and convey unambiguous and rational guidelines for conduct. It is crucial to consistently acknowledge and strengthen suitable behavior. Additionally, it is essential to offer assistance to students who struggle to meet the set standards, as high-quality instruction is fundamental. (IRIS | Page 5: Create a Positive Climate, n.d.)
2. Foster an inclusive and encouraging atmosphere by, for example, warmly welcoming each student at the start of the day. Show genuine curiosity in the lives of students by, for instance, inquiring about their hobbies or interests. (IRIS | Page 5: Create a Positive Climate, n.d.)
3. Upholding consistency in delivering on promises is paramount. Address student needs in a timely manner and safeguard the confidentiality of student data. (IRIS | Page 5: Create a Positive Climate, n.d.)

Quotable:

"A safe learning environment goes beyond the classroom; it’s the intangible space that supports your students in the pursuit of knowledge, that inspires curiosity, and that makes them feel empowered to participate in class discussions. Creating this kind of safe learning environment in the classroom is essential for serving the vast spectrum of student learning styles" (15 Tips for Creating a Safe Learning Environment, 2022).

3 Activities with the Guidance Approach in Mind

cbcochranbooks — 2024-07-28 07:41:58 UTC

Activity 1 involves engaging children in Circle Time with a Feelings Chart, where they are encouraged to recognize and communicate their emotions, as well as practice active listening and empathy towards their peers.

Activity 2 children participate in the Cooperative Problem-Solving Corner, where they collaborate to overcome challenges, fostering teamwork and conflict resolution abilities.

Activity 3 students place dominoes with facial emojis down one at a time. With each placed emoji, students will match similar or like emotions to link dominoes together. First player to place all their dominoes wins. With each play, teacher will ask, "why do those two emotions/emojis match each other?" For example, a sick emoji would match a tired emoji for a correct match.

Foster a strong Home-School Connection by engaging in Family Tech Time

cbcochranbooks — 2024-07-28 07:47:47 UTC

This involves setting clear family rules for technology use, promoting open communication, and cultivating digital citizenship as a family unit. It is crucial to maintain consistency between home and school in order to support the child's overall development. Additionally, ensure that parents have access to school contact information and opportunities to participate in school activities.

References

cbcochranbooks — 2024-07-28 07:50:07 UTC

15 tips for creating a safe learning environment. (2022, February). Western Governors University. Retrieved July 28, 2024, from https://www.wgu.edu/blog/15-tips-creating-safe-learning-environment2202.html

Gartell, D. (2020, February). Instead of discipline, use guidance. NAEYC. Retrieved July 27, 2024, from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/feb2020/using-guidance-not-discipline

IRIS | Page 5: Create a positive climate. (n.d.). https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/beh1/cresource/q2/p05/

Marketeer. (2022, March 6). Positive Discipline and child Guidance | Living Montessori. Living Montessori Education Community. https://www.livingmontessori.com/positive-discipline-and-child-guidance/