Tag Archives: classroom management

HELP! This Child Is Running Around The Classroom

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We have all probably experienced the frustration of having a child “act-out” and behave in a way we would prefer not to have to deal with. Children can be challenging.

Often a child’s behavior is like a window into the needs of that child. When we view behavior as a communication of the child’s needs, we are able to approach the child’s behavior from a problem-solving perspective instead of a behavior that needs to stop or be controlled.

While each child is unique and each situation is different, there are some basic trends that are seen frequently among young children.u
Children with special needs, trauma or truly challenging behaviors need more in depth interventions.

Let’s look at one situation and examine what might be behind the behavior.

Situation – A child is running around the classroom, seemingly lacking any direction and ability to make a decision as to where to play.

What is this child’s behavior trying to tell us?

Possibly there are too many choices for the child and they are having difficulty picking just one. Children can easily become overwhelmed by the number of choices available in a classroom, especially if they are new to the classroom or preschool in general. Try suggesting a 2 or 3 activities so their choices are fewer.

Maybe the child is bored. The activities may not be engaging for this child; either too easy or too difficult. Suggesting other activities or modifications to some of the available activities might help the child engage.

Sometimes a child just needs to be re-focused on what they were originally doing. Ask the child where they are playing. When they answer, point out where that area is located and ask if they need any help in that center. Or perhaps they’re ready to move to a new one.

Children can be easily distracted and unfocused. A planning time right before center time can help to focus the child’s energies. Have the child pick the center they would like to visit first. Maybe even ask if they have a plan for after that center. This helps the child to plan their activities and focus energies in a positive direction.

Your activity my not be open-ended, allowing a child to extend the learning on their own. Or it may be too easy for the child. Review the activity and center to determine what might be added or changed to make it more engaging for a wider range of abilities. This is one of the hardest parts of curricular planning. Open-ended activities provide the opportunities for children to experience the center at their best learning level.

Scaffolding frequently needs a little help from the teacher. Sit down with the child at an activity they seem to breeze through and provide provocations to extend the learning. The next time the child is at this center, you may see some extended learning initiated by the child.

Are there enough choices available for the child to choose their next activity? If there is not room at any of the centers that interest this child, wondering the room may be the only choice they see. Ideally, your classroom should provide 2-3 play spaces per child. A play space is defined as an activity that provides 10-20 minutes of engaged play. For instance, your dramatic play area may comfortably sustain 4 children playing. That would count as 4 play spaces.

Behaviors can be challenging. Many times, we can mitigate the behaviors by providing an rich, engaging environment for all children. Every group of children is different, so what might be a great environment for one group of children falls short for the next. When challenging behavior disrupts the flow of the classroom, perhaps a few tweaks in the environment can lessen those behaviors.

For A Predictable Classroom – Routines

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If you’re anything like me, you have your daily ritual or routine for getting ready in the morning. For me, it’s my coffee, watching the news, then shower, dress, etc. And, if anything interrupts my routine, I may forget to do something or leave something (like my phone) at home. We go through these routines without really thinking.

Routines serve a few purposes in our lives. They create a comfortable structure to our day. They help us complete daily, repeating tasks without much thinking. And they make our day (or at least their portion of it) more efficient. I know in my life, my day runs so much smoother when my routines and rituals have gone smoothly. It’s when something disrupts the routine that things start to fall apart. The phone call right before I get in the shower, the train on my way to work, or the unexpected visitor when I arrive at work. After these disruptions, it takes me a minute to get back on track.

Children benefit from predictable routines as well. They control so little of their world, that the predictability of the day brings comfort. Some of the ways we can create a predictable world in our classrooms include:

  • A consistent good-bye routine when the parent is dropping off the child
  • A consistent classroom schedule so the child knows what happens first, next, etc.
  • Consistent teachers in the classroom – being greeted by the same people each day
  • Consistent ways of doing things; such as transitions, bathroom, meals, etc.

There are many things that happen every day in your classroom. Your classroom schedule determines what those things are and when during the day they occur. The schedule guides the teachers throughout the day so all know what is happening when and next. The daily schedule also lets parents know what happens in the classroom while their child is in attendance. And though a child may not be able to read the actual schedule, they become familiar with the routine of the day.