Teacher Research

Project
Child Guidance
EDU 146-201
By: Heather Finster

Research Analysis
According to my research and the feedback from the teachers, E
demonstrates positive, appropriate behaviors while he is being actively
stimulated. Positive behaviors are exhibited mostly when he is building
and creating with blocks and manipulatives, implying that he has a desire
to be cognitively stimulated. He also shows positive behaviors with
teacher guided activities. Again, he is actively using his brain to achieve a
task. He smiles and seems the most relaxed outside, although challenging
behaviors become apparent with the free time associated with it.
The teachers use guidance strategies such as scaffolding to teach E how
to use his words for communication rather than aggression. They keep a
close eye and listening ear on his interactions to assist him with his
communication and social skills. Along with tactics to monitor his
behaviors, the teacher has changed portions of their routine to
incorporate more stimulating activities. The teachers use constant praise
and acknowledgment for his attempts to communicate and socialize
appropriately. He seems to be responding well as I have witnessed a
positive change in his behavior since September.

November 19, 2014 at 9:15 am E is positively interacting with his

teacher and classmates in a
small group activity.

November 19, 2014 at 9:15 a.m.

This weeks small group activity involved discussing the
characteristics of circles. The teacher asked the children to
associate objects in their classroom environment as well as in
general that are shaped like circles. E examined his circle. E stated
that a picture on the wall had a circle in it. The others named
familiar objects that were shaped like circles. E sat still and
interacted while the other children spoke.
Reflection: The teacher told me she has started putting E beside
her during lunch, small group, and large group activities for the
last 2 weeks to assist in keeping his focus and behavioral issues
under control. This tactic seems to be helpful as he demonstrated
restraint and stayed focused during this small group activity.

November 20, 2014 at 9:34 am - E is

engaged in free play, demonstrating
positive behavior with a classmate.

November 20, 2014 at 9:34 a.m.

E is engaged in free play with his classmates. E removed the magnetic
block bin from the shelves. B comes over and says I want to play, too. E
says, I need the circles. E begins creating a pattern. B sees the pattern
E is making and B begins to mimic the pattern. Each child is gathering
materials from the same bin. After 5 minutes B tells E that he is going to
attach his creation to Es. They laugh at how long it is. They break it apart
and start over. They engage in this activity for 10 minutes.
Reflection: E is demonstrating positive social skills as he agrees to allow
others to play with him, as well as their interactions together with the
toys. He demonstrates effective communication skills by telling his
classmate which materials he wants to collect. I have witnessed the
teachers guiding E in his language skills for communication instead of
using aggression. He used this knowledge to successfully play with his
classmate.

November 24, 2014 at 9:45 am - E is

engaged in positive play with his
brother, using small shape blocks.

November 24, 2014 at 9:45 a.m.

E chose the shape blocks from the shelf. He said, I am going to make a
building. His brother came over and asked, Can I play, too? E said,
Yes. E began to gather the yellow hexagon shapes. His brother began to
gather the same shapes. E began to gather other shapes and placed them
strategically around the hexagon. His brother watched and mimicked. They
engage together in this activity for 9 minutes. His brother then leaves the
center to go to another. E stays and plays for 5 more minutes.
Reflection: E is learning to positively interact and share more frequently
with his brother, with guidance from the teachers. The teachers watch this
particular interaction closely, as their behaviors toward each other often
become aggressive. They are both learning to use their language skills to
communicate with each other. E is showing progressively positive social
behaviors as he shared the shapes and interacted by talking about the
characteristics of the buildings they were making.

December 1, 2014 at 10:30 am - E is

demonstrating positive behaviors
while riding bikes with his classmates.

December 1, 2014 at 10:30 a.m.

E asks to ride a bike. The teacher gets out 5 bikes. The teacher
gives instructions to stay on the pavement as well as no bumping
into other childrens bikes. E makes motor noises while riding in a
circle. He smiles and laughs while pedaling. E follows the rules by
watching for other children and not running into their bikes. E
interacts with the other children on their bikes for 7 minutes.
Reflection: With warnings and negative reinforcement from the
teacher, E is safely riding his bike. The teachers state the rules
before the children get on the bikes and give one warning before
applying negative reinforcement which requires the children to get
off the bike and move on to another activity. Today E is
demonstrating positive behaviors by playing safely and having fun.

December 2, 2014 at 9:28 am - E

is demonstrating positive play in
the block area.

December 2, 2014 at 9:28 a.m.

E joins his classmates in the block area. R is beginning to build a
train track. E picks up a piece of track and begins to add to the track
R has started. Together, they form a circle. They each find train cars
and put them together. They put their trains on the track and push
them along saying Choo-Choo. They engage in this activity for 5
minutes. R then leaves the center and E continues to push the train
around the track.
Reflection: Although E doesnt communicate to R and ask to build
with him, they each pick an end of the track to add to. They each
get trains and cars out of the bin and assemble them. Once they
create a circle, they are able to positively interact while moving the
trains around the track. Positive social interactions are
demonstrated by building, sharing, and playing together.

December 4, 2014 at 9:51

am E is demonstrating
positive play with a 2 player
game, taking turns with B.

December 4, 2014 at 9:51 a.m.

B brought out a two player shape organizing game. He
was playing alone for 4 minutes. E came over and
began to pick up some shapes. B and E took turns
putting the shapes on the correct stand. They talked
about the types of shapes they were placing on the
stand. They interacted verbally and played together for
10 minutes.
Reflection: I think E could use some help using verbal
communication in joining a classmate in play. This
scenario worked out well in that B didnt mind him
joining without asking, but I feel learning this type of
communication would be beneficial for socialization in

Conclusion
Through my research I have realized how important stimulating
toys and activities are for children. They have a natural desire to
learn and explore. While being held in a structured environment
for hours at a time, it is our responsibility as teachers to provide
experiences for children to be excited about and learn from. Being
bored and unstimulated leaves time for children to display
challenging behaviors. Teaching positive communication is also
crucial for successful social and emotional development. Teachers
need to understand and evaluate each child to meet their needs,
so that they can successfully learn and thrive in all domains of
development. I now understand how to observe and assess
childrens behaviors to accommodate their learning styles.
This information could be helpful to his family by showing them
when consistent, positive behaviors occur, as well as how
effective the scaffolding strategy is in promoting communication.
With this information, the parents can imbed these activities and
techniques at home to ensure a collaborative effort in

Action Plan

I suggested that they use lines on the floor for lining up to go outside as well
as using a rope for the children to hold on to keep the formation of the line.
They are considering the strategy.
The teacher started this week, adding more stimulating activities during
small group time.
The teacher says she is seeing some behavioral improvement from having E
sit beside her during lunch, small group, and in large group time. The teacher
says they are trying to keep he and his brother separate during these specific
times as they seem to exhibit challenging behavior when they are together.
I suggested singing songs during transitions that incorporate the instructions
of what they are supposed to be doing. They already use a song for cleaning
up but are considering trying ones for other transitions.
One last suggestion I made was using numbers they could hold to organize
themselves in line. This would keep their focus on cognition rather than being
bored while waiting for everyone to put on their jackets. They are considering
this implementation.
I brought in different blocks from home to add to their inventory. The teacher
said they are enjoying them and are staying more engaged in that particular
type of activity for longer.