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Running head: REFLECTION 3

Critical Reflection 3

Fabiola Nunez

Pacific Oaks

HD 426

Summer 2018

Professor Honor
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REFLECTION 3
It is said that that classroom is the second teacher in a classroom. A classroom can help or

hinder how children behave and learn. Putting thought into the arrangement of a classroom as

well as what is accessible to the children and what is off limits can help prevent unwanted

behaviors.

In the book, “Children with Challenging behavior”, it is stated that, “Early educators have

seen dramatic results after closely examining their environment for elements contributing to

problem behavior and then simply making appropriate adjustments.” When an educator sees a

challenging behavior, they must first observe the situation and see how other influences might be

contributing to this behavior. There are several questions an educator might ask themselves, for

example are the material organized, do the centers have a clear purpose and does the physical

organization allow for adult observation? After you have done your observations there are a few

tips to keep in mind when arranging your space. Some examples are creating rooms within

rooms, carefully arranging areas and keeping groups small. These are all helpful tips to prevent

unwanted behaviors from children. By observing the children you can see if the classroom layout

is encouraging positive behavior or active interaction. If you see children fighting for art supplies

you can see that maybe you need to set up more areas for the children to create art. If you see the

children being able to pick up toys they want to play with as well as easily put them back then

you can see that the area is set up to promote positive behavior.

By setting up the classroom in a way the children can move around freely they will gain

self-confidence and be less reliant on the teacher to hand them toys. Allowing them to help clean

up the classroom gives them ownership of their classroom and it will make the children more

likely to help clean up without unwanted behaviors. Another strategy to help encourage positive

classroom behavior would be to have clear and set standards for the children. According to
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Brault, “he scene might have been (different) if the toys that were off limits had been out of

reach or covered up, or the adults had been available to monitor the play.”(Pg. 12) Here the child

was reprimanded and felt confused because she was not aware that there had been rules

established about what toys could be played with and which toys were off limits. In response the

child cried and did not want to stay in the classroom. By simply putting away the off limit toys

the situation might have been prevented.

Special consideration for children with special needs begins with learning about the

special need. An educator can do research or even speak to the family to see which would be the

best strategy to use with each individual child. In “Challenging behaviors in young children”,

they state that one must “first, search out his strengths-what he can do, not what he can’t do –

and build a relationship” By addressing each child individually the educator will be better able to

individualize a plan for the child. Having help from an Individualized Education Plan can also

help address any issues that might arise with that specific child. One point the book stresses is

not to focus on the negative instead to be informed.

In conclusion, as an educator it is important to create an environment that allows the

children to move around freely while allowing the adult constant supervision. Rules have to be

clear and established so the children can know their limits and therefore prevent unwanted

behaviors.
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References

Brault, L. & Brault, T. (2005). Children with Challenging Behavior: Strategies for Reflective
Thinking. Phoenix, AZ: CPG Publishing. ISBN: 78-1882149452
Kaiser, B. & Rasminsky, J. S. (2012). Challenging behaviors in young children: Understanding,
preventing and responding effectively (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN 10-
0205342264