Conflicts are normal. They provide children with the opportunity to learn about boundaries, to communicate and rectify situations, and to gain social skills needed to successfully interact with a group of their peers.

 

The goal for guiding children’s behaviour is to assist children in developing respect, self-control, self confidence and sensitivity in their interactions with others. Guiding children’s behaviour is an ongoing process that takes skilled and supportive caregivers. Guiding children’s behaviour is done while appropriate behaviour is occurring, as well as before, during, and after socially unacceptable behaviour is displayed.

 

Nanaimo Innovation Academy staff model the kind of good behaviour

and communication skills that we would like the children to learn:

• Provide a caring and supportive environment

• Treat everyone with respect and kindness

• Teach respect for all living creatures and the environment

• Encourage honest, integrity, and to be genuine

• Use positive and respectful language

• Treat conflict situations with and open-mind and fairness

• Own up to mistake and be willing to learn from them

 

Positive guidance techniques will be used to encourage appropriate

behavior from children. They include:

• Establishing clear, consistent, and simple limits

• Stating limits in a positive way, rather than a negative way

• Focusing on the behaviour, rather than on the child

• Stating what is expected, rather than pose questions

• Providing real choices

• Allowing time for children to respond to expectations

• Reinforce appropriate behaviour, with both words and gestures

• Allow for children to practice conflict resolution skills and independent evaluation of how to right a situation.

• Encourage children to use a staff member or teacher as a resource when there are occasions that they cannot resolve issues on their own.

 

Inevitably there will be occurrences of inappropriate behaviour; it is at these times that there may be a need to intervene. The following intervention strategies, or combination of the strategies, will be used to help ensure that guidance is supportive, rather than punitive.

• Gain attention in a respectful way

• Remind children of the appropriate behaviour.

• Acknowledge feelings before setting limits

• Redirect or divert when appropriate

• Model problem-solving skills

• Offer appropriate choices

• Use natural and logical consequences

• Provide opportunities for children to make amends.  Rather than demand a superficial apology, encourage genuine opportunities for children to restore relationships after an incident of hurt or harm.

 

Any serious behavioural concerns will be discussed with the family so that we might work together to encourage appropriate behaviour.

 

These strategies for guiding children’s behaviour are based on ‘Guiding Children’s Behaviour Handbook’ available at www.healthservices.gov.bc.ca/ccf/child/index.html#publications