Understanding Childrens Behavior - Essay Example

Understanding Children’s Behavior Introduction Instinctively, all individuals are characterized by innate sanity. Our nurture and failure of provision in childhood stages and support for the personal, social, emotional, and academic requirements have taken a devastating turn and influenced our growth pattern. The question why understanding the behavior of children is important has in the recent times become a topic of concern to scholars. In realizing the factors underlying this question, understanding the fact that every individual undergoes several developmental milestones in their lifetime is paramount. Any growing child needs basic in order to adapt to the tenets of this life. In today’s schools, students with behavioral, emotional, and social difficulties have graced the current educational backyards and posed a great deal of problem to the teaching staff (McCall, 2004). Are these maniac types of students subject to rejection in schools or is it a challenge the modern educational system should address amicably? The truth though is that children’s with special emotional needs have come as the problem of the day in many schools. In support of such students and their parents, the government educational agencies have taken it their mandate as teachers’ response to such behaviors deems not very effective (Cook, 2006). These students’ have to be included in the mainstream schools. Their stay sees unrelenting application of palatable government adoptive policies, which has been termed as Inclusive Schooling. The facilitators of these policies are the teachers as they form the direct conduct with these behavioral kids. The beliefs, values, and attitudes of the teachers are much more of a necessity since the fate of such a kid is in his hands (Kolb & Hanley-Maxwell, 2003). This paper examines what balance is necessary between the practitioners and the sect of students with physical and medical needs, to those with moderate learning difficulties in mainstream schools. How children destabilize professionalism in schools. Cook (2006) asserts that to meet the extra-requirement of the additional resources in terms of their social, emotional, and behavioral needs of special emotional needs of students, teacher’s work ethics have changed a great deal. With everyday interaction, there have come a number of issues destabilizing the professionalism of teachers. The effect of dealing with such students can as well affect the production of any professional teacher. These students pose as a problem and much of time consumed in addressing their behaviors. This is an expense if there are other kids who are morally correct and ought to learn with little distraction (McCall, 2004). Teacher perception, feeling of frustration and mistrust between a teacher and such a distractive kid are some nuggets that crop-up in a professional in encounter with such students. Every child develops with ambitions especially in early days of schooling (Frédéric, 2011). According to Kolb & Hanley-Maxwell (2003), a teacher who handles a large group of intellectual diverse kids knows exactly the progress and capability of each child. If a child or a student develops some uncharacteristic behaviors, the teachers approach to the student and the class is as well affected. This is perception. It is in line with the teachers’ professional teaching and helps make the learning process a success. How a teacher perceives a child generally depends on his conduct and behaviors. Professionally, teacher perception of school and general life pegs on a motivational plat-form. His perception encourages the livelihood of the students’ school life. The teacher to greater extend pose as parental guiders unto to the students. The students in return create an emotional attachment especially if the teacher has an interesting charisma (Vulliamy & Webb, 2003). The teacher perception on his students is paramount to the role he performs to academically guiding the students. It posses a challenge if any student with develop a queer behavior towards the other kids or the teacher himself. Teacher perception changes in reference to towards pupils with behavioral difficulties. A teacher will attach label regarding such a kid at initial stages of his behavior. This affects greatly how the young lads act. It also fuels other problems of disrespect and disaffection on the way the pupil perceives his teacher (Cook, 2006). In a school were a section of students stand as a bother, the perception they receive from the professionals is a negative one. A teacher may act unknowingly at first stages but ultimately the damage stays on the perception between the two. Professionalism is at stake here and the stability of the teacher dealt a blow (McCall, 2004). A feeling of mistrust and frustration between the two, which indirectly transfers to the innocent young ones as well, affects the performance of these teachers. As the child feels the teacher dislike, the teacher develops a cold approach to not only the student but also the general profession. The disruptive students reinforce this sought of cyclic behavior. It is not any teacher’s free will to fail to rise up to his task (Frédéric, 2011). Mostly, there are external factors. Persistence of special emotional needs student’s category has prompted teachers and tutors to enroll in further training. The young ones with such needs pose a great challenge. Research shows that that even the experienced teachers have cried insufficient competence and expertise to deal with such young ones. As a remedy to the challenge, the teachers have embarked on training programme to bolster their approach to the overgrowing number of such kids (Vulliamy & Webb, 2003). This affects the long serving stability and their classroom effect dealt a blow as much concentration takes the rather emotionally challenged minority. As this is not enough, some teachers have assumed their own innovative ways to deal with these SED kids (McCall, 2004). They try their brains to come up with strategies in order to incorporate the SED students in the mainstream. This poses as a great challenge because some tactics do not perform. The initial teacher role and classroom impetus is watered and this greatly affects the performance of his works and the output of his students (Frédéric, 2011). Children with BESD and those SED, destabilizes the professional standards of any teacher. It is a challenge worthy addressing. Recent and current frameworks for principles and practice The young ones with BESD and SED deserve a chance in the run of educational and classroom mainstream. Countries where such cases have seen an increase, the government through their educational sector have initiated policies to incorporate these children. They should be rejects in our societies (Vulliamy & Webb, 2003). These frameworks have created a place for education for such kids as their emotional challenges get addressed. One of the outstanding principle frameworks has been through provision. To incorporate such children, there has been the practice of, in-school inclusion units, private BESD schools, alternative training providers and some came as pupil referral units. These have formed some of the government’s inclusive agenda to bring a lasting remedy to these problems (McCall, 2004). These educational provisions though have posed difficulties in their application. The greatest menace comes with the inevitable realization of such kids that they would have to do with exclusion in order to face they limitations. This greatly affects the kids and the emotion approach faces negative perception thus a problem top the guiding teacher (Cook, 2006). The kids develop a phobia of rejection. Even though this provision framework seems to work for the good of these children, their chance to acquire a life changing institution depends on the available vacancies and the available funding. Availability of these two ensures that the placement of these young ones receives a guarantee immediately after diagnosis. This recent government provision has also tagged the children with BESD as having trouble in learning. Thus, the government guidelines stipulate that they should as well receive special educational needs. The only posing threat is the financial support that should much the necessary resources required by the kids in order for them to receive a standard equivalent away from school. The government has tried to implement this provision but its real impact not fully arrived at as of recent research (McCall, 2004). There are the recent educational policies, which try to improve the achievement of these challenging students. These policies have combined with the broader community policies in helping such learners find their role in the society (McDonald & Thomas, 2003). The policies concentrate on basic skills. Early identification through the assist of willing parents helps to nurture these kids. In averting further materialization of emotional and behavioral difficulties, the early failures of the kid get subjected into a gradual improvement in his own interests and achievements. This is helping to create a fairer society, which provides opportunity for the each individual (Frédéric, 2011). The threat with this approach is that not all the students with such disability own-up their instincts and willingly create room for help. This framework nevertheless brings positive transformation and an enabling social climate that spells hope rather than estrangement. Moreover, the principle of strengthening staff skills is yet another framework to averting this SED challenges. In modern forms of education, teachers should be empowered with relevant skills to contain such behaviors in educational mainstream (Kolb & Hanley-Maxwell, 2003). Relevance training for these teachers equips them with expertise and the high demand for specialists kept minimal. The only challenge to this would be the extreme cases. Again, should special schools still exist for such kids if the mainstream inclusive ones have such teachers? The knowledge in dealing with such students effectively controls the classroom behavior. The SED children to some extend receive positive concern and minimal distraction witnessed, as they feel controlled. The only feasible remedy to addressing the immediate needs of the students with SED and severe behavioral difficulties is to enhance the skills in educational faculty. In cases where the circumstances of such kids are severe, scholars believe that the principle of acquiring a high-quality support has received the upper hand. This current framework aims at providing targeted zones for efficient support for such kids. It serves as an effective measure especially where explicit and critical involvements require. Some cases are not teacher based even if teachers have relevant skills (Vulliamy & Webb, 2003). They require methodical approaches and a well understanding of human psychological behaviors. The presence of an expert in such localities will ensure that the students may even learn outside conventional schools, and engage education in their capacity with regard to their own life interests. The aim of these two is to get the child back to the inclusive school setting where interaction with other kids is a key necessity to improving their behavioral difficulties. This will not work for all students with emotional problems (Barber and Summer, 2010). Why behavioral approaches can be effective Despite the limitations possessed by these challenged children, they still harbor the innate capability like any other human being. The difference comes in their approach to physical life, which is rather slow but promisingly gradual. Effective application of these behavioral approaches can be effective (Cook, 2006). One of the feasible proofs is the appliance of psychological behavior modification. This stands to be a very powerful avenue to making relevance of the world to the kids experiencing challenged developments. It has also worked miracles to changing the lives of children with learning difficulties (McDonald & Thomas, 2003). With competent personalities and specialists, these approaches have affected life to a greater height. They impart both new and unknown skills to these kids and train them to avert any unwanted behavior. This is a gradual change, that calls for professionalism and patience but it is effective (Boyden, 2003). Through behavioral modification process for examples, average kids can learn to dress themselves, work at variety of tasks alone, organize their life in a simple way, and cook light meals for themselves. These are some achievements been done by children with SED challenge. This posed to be too difficult for them. The magic of behavioral modification proofs otherwise. It changes a major part in the life of the challenged, from communication to physical use of his innate power. Behavioral parent training stand as an outstanding methodology the modern society has adopted. This involves training parents in child management especially those with BESD challenge. As early as at toddler’s age, the parents should engage positively with their kinds. This is a tactic which and a viable approach whose results have proven that behavioral approaches are effective (Frédéric, 2011). Parents can use play and involving activities to raise their children’s ego and help them see the world from a positive angle. Through such interactive engagement, the parents reinforces the appropriate behavioral and wit-fully make his child see the consequences of vices. If a child does something extra-ordinary, like a promising academic triumph, as a parent, one should enforce that with material things like rewards and presents. For example, in a wild situation where the child has greatly messed up, the parents should be positive always. This comes in engaging a positive conflict resolution strategies, implementing logical punishments such as lose of a privilege and non-violent punishments. The best approach a parent should build his or her kid experiencing behavioral challenge is applying the two principles. The parents should help the child see positively the two sides of the world (Moore &Kuol, 2007); the perfect and normal world and the messy side of it. A point of caution though is that the parents’ life perception can influence child’s behavior. hat failing to achieve desired goals by children due to poor and wrong guidance by parent is common in the recent times. In rectifying the behavioral distortion of any child, the parents should devoid themselves from negatives acts. Factors such as marital conflict, parent depression, social isolation, and single parent status are the mirrors through which the child reflects his world in and how he should live (McDonald & Thomas, 2003). Provision of a healthy, safe environment for the student with behavioral challenge can help them grow positively as well. For instance, in my present school, healthy environment has contributed significantly to the success realized. When children learn in a safe environment, they are less prone to diseases and other dangers thus their time is used constructively. Activities like learning how to take turns, sharing and observing politeness especially at young age builds a child in a morally strong ground (Cook, 2006). This instills into a child a sense of self-discipline. If a child grow to hear his positive deeds been appreciated, his self-esteem grows in a healthy manner. He learns self-control. Healthy environment also calls for knowing the child’s age and stage before setting any limit for him (Moore & Kuol, 2007). He develops and learns to achieve things at per with his capability. Provision of healthy state also means one maintain a consistency in his actions. Children need help to learn more on boundaries and that life has limitations. In return, a healthy environment for any child reinforces such virtues as self-control, self-direction, self-esteem, and cooperation in all life aspects (Boyden, 2003). How psychodynamic approaches can empower a teacher The psychoanalytic theory entails in encouraging people get involved more and closely with their thoughts and their hidden feelings. However, a difficult area of exploration for a teacher, the process has a profound reward and it is still empowering. In fostering new educational approaches, psychodynamic process aims at changing the belief and attitude of the teacher into becoming belief and attitude therapists. This perpetrates new teaching practices, which the teacher can put into use hence an impetus to deal with challenging learners in his classroom mainstream (McDonald & Thomas, 2003). In close reference, the teacher can pose as a leader. At this position, the teacher’s role transgresses any other form of leadership. He learns the ability to serve as an inspiring model to his learners. A leader never gives up; he leads his troupes and still stays-out when the situation is unbearable (Boyden, 2003). These are the psychodynamics a teacher applies to his students and magically transform their lives. This process is both beneficial to the two parties. As the teacher learns to push harder in his endeavors of life, he is motivated to transfer this to the students. He motivates the learners to move beyond their comfort zones. He engages in daily child activity and inspires the spirit of togetherness (Barber and Summer, 2010). This teaches the learners how to encourage group attempts and how life can be easy if we work in a common cause. If a teacher’s influence reflects towards on the out come of his students, he is motivated (Leichsenring & Leibing, 2003). His works transform a far better way than the little aged learners can imagine. The teacher’s role is just a facilitator and this makes his works easier. The balancing act of the task and the processes of implementing it, a student teacher should strike that equilibrium. He should extend to his students the perfect balance between the work and the emotional attachment to it. This motivates the learners’ and the teacher’s responsibilities catered for. This psychodynamic approach aims at teaching, mentoring and coaching individuals to apply and fit in any prescribed rules and regulations (Vulliamy & Webb, 2003). Achievement of this is a big boost to a teacher especially when dealing with challenging behaviors of the kids. Safe professional psychodynamics serves as another avenue, which empowers a teacher to work with behaviorally challenged learners. A teacher relationship towards his students serves as an added advantage to reinforcing his values to his learners (Cook, 2006). In order to have a healthy classroom environment, which encourages learning, a teacher should strike a perfect balance. A good supervisory relationship is neither cold n or sterile. This is only significant if proper boundaries remain. Any teacher serving as a supervisor, only serves as a fellow human and a partner to your student (Boyden, 2003). This draws the learners close and they tend to emulate whatever you put across. If they respond positively, the learner only turns to respect you as they model for having changed the status quo. This is a great motivation for any teacher. The learners have a cordial relationship with the teacher but the advantage is that this is hierarchical. This is the respect that teachers earn from their students and boosts their teaching perception hence serving as a motivation. The psychodynamic model of approach calls for a teacher to place his biggest emphasis on emotion in resolving the inner conflicts. This creates a personal attachment between the teacher and his learner (Cook, 2006). It is this personal perception that fuels the impetus of any teacher to perform with behaviorally challenging learners. The emotional attachment only calls for a teacher to pay attention to his learners since they possess the inner ability to solve their problems if provided with proper and encouraging environment (Moore & Kuol, 2007). Any misbehavior from a learner, the teacher sees it as an opportunity to advise the student to act more responsibly (McCall, 2004). Blames at this level of psychodynamic are not encouraged towards any misconduct from the learner. As a teacher, you help them achieve their desires positively, their social-economic, this builds them to socially involving learners to the joy of the teacher hence a great motivation. Own professional approach with behaviorally challenged young ones Dealing with behaviorally challenged young ones calls for an insightful approach. Despite the approach that you give, the improvement of their socio-economic needs and the practice of self-reliance and discipline should be at centre stage. As a profession, Leichsenring & Leibing (2003) argue that dealing with such kids employing progressive measure is key. First expansion of social programs would work best. In the respect of these students with challenges, the social involvement they would participate in should create an environment of learning. The environment should naturally pose a challenge for them to learn. Such setting triggers self-exploration, exercise of self-control and intrinsic powers. The learners develop a sense of autonomy and they inculcate hunger for self-fulfillment. Social programs would also encompass health and prevention maintenance (Boyden, 2003). This would apply if dealing with private empowerment locations for the kids. To reinvigorate them into full physical participation, the learners need to exploit their grounds with no limitation of fear. Healthy measure would also dictate for the continual parent participation (Cook, 2006). As a profession, the conduct between the parent and his child should create a direct attention. Ensuring that the guardians assume a direct child service mannerism would help great in intervention in dealing with misbehavior. Moreover, the social program would extend to quality day care and early education (Boyden, 2003). An encounter with a child with difficulties in his development and behavior, sometimes it calls for qualitative approach. Affording quality handling for such a child ensures convenient monitoring and his progress examined. This provides a standard data to help him grow purposely even though he experiences those challenges. Perfect result as a professional, would warrant that you follow-up all occurrences of misbehavior and provide a positive alternative. A profession should research the undercover reasons that trigger the misbehavior and positively portray to him the imminent consequences (Cook, 2006). This will help him accept and learn not to repeat with no phobia developed. A professional should distinguish between intentional and unintentional behavior. For that which occurs with no intent, as a professional you should strengthen problem-solving skills upon the learner. This makes him develop autonomy and curb off self-guilty in his life. If the behavior is intentional, the learner needs assist that would make him feel competent, self-controlling and secure in his handling. Bullying will only divert his progress to a negative spiral (McDonald & Thomas, 2003). A professional would improve the schooling bureaucracies to meet the level of the challenged learners. For instance, if dealing with the kids directly, one should personalize the classroom instruction this makes the learners feel part of the system and appreciated as others. The tutor should accommodate the wide range of developmental stages these learners have to go through (Barber & Summer, 2010). These kids need some tentative approach to inspire their potential into full capacity. This will only apply if the professional handling them would grant them a wide range of motivational field and enabling environment. Improving schooling significance for these students may also demand that you delegate statuses and position to bolster their self-worth. Appointing such a student in a position of authority, or a special role boosts their ego. They would want to act as superiors but this happens not until we afford them such statuses (Boyden, 2003). In conclusion, these professional processes of understanding the behavior of children, either normal or challenged helps to build them through the normal milestones of life hence realize expected goals. What plays a big part is the gradual self that these children you help to become. It is always good to base your response towards them on understanding, validating their arguments and yours until you gradually bring him into understanding (Leichsenring & Leibing, 2003). The calm and protective demeanor professional assume when dealing with these kids are the basics to their exponential growth. That is what as a professional would subject his understanding to achieve maximum benefit. References Barber, P. and Summer, R. (2010). Psychodynamic Therapy. A guide to evidence-based practice. London: The Guilford Press. Boyden, J. (2003). Children under fire: Challenging assumptions about children’s resilience. Children, Youth & Environment. Retrieved on June 8, 2012 from. http//www.colorado.edu/Journals/cye/13_1/vol13_1Articles/CYE_CurrentIssue_Article_ChildrenUnderFire_Boyden.htm . Cook, M. (2006). Rapid growth for troubled teens. The Age. Retrieved on June 8, 2012 from http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/rapid-growth-for-troubled-teens/2006/07/29/1153816390271.html Frédéric, F. (2011). Towards a new construct of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 16:3, 249-262. Kolb, S. & Hanley-Maxwell, C. (2003). Critical social skills for adolescents with high incidence disabilities: parental perspectives, Exceptional Children, 69(2), 163–179. Leichsenring, F. & Leibing, E. (2003). The effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavior therapy in the treatment of personality disorders: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 1223–-1232. McCall, C. (2004). A whole school approach to behaviour change at Tennyson High School 1998–2000, in: J. Wearmouth, C. Richmond & T. Glyn (Eds) Addressing pupil’s behaviourLondon: Fulton. McDonald, T. & Thomas, G. (2003). Parents’ reflections on their children being excluded. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. 8(3), 108–119. Moore, S. and Kuol, N. (2007). Matters of the Heart: Exploring the emotional dimensions of educational experience in recollected accounts of excellent teaching. International Journal for Academic Development. Retrieved on June 8, 2012 from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13601440701604872 12: 2, 87 — 98 Vulliamy, G. & Webb, R. (2003). Reducing school exclusions: an evaluation of a multi-site development project. Oxford Review of Education, 29(1), 33–49. Read More