Discipline is something that is dealt with daily, especially with this age group. Children are still learning and figuring out their boundaries. Rules pertaining to what is expected in school are presented to the children at the beginning of each day, in language that is understood by them. These rules are...
-Listen to teachers
- Keep your hands and feet to yourself
-No running
- Share the toys
- Inside voices (No Yelling)
-Use your words
Don't let your butterfly get caught in the net! If you need to be reminded more than once about a particular rule, your butterfly goes in the net and you lose 5 minutes of playtime. If you are reminded more than that, your butterfly moves to the jar, and you will lose 10 minutes of playtime. If the infraction continues, a note will be sent home and you will lose all of your playtime.
If behavior is of the physical nature, a note will be sent home to the parent, and the child is taken to the principal. We have a zero tolerance for physical aggression in this classroom. Time-out is the number one consequence used. Children learn faster when something that they value, such as playtime, is taken away.
In this classroom, we encourage the use of words to solve problems. Words such as "I don't like that", and "Please give that back" are used all the time. Children are encouraged to come to a teacher if their words do not work. A teacher steps in at this point to help mediate the situation and help the students solve their problems.