Assignment:
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, review Project IDEAL Online's Classroom Management web page. From this website, be sure to also review Positive Reinforcement, Involving Parents, and Consequences. Beyond just these resources, you are encouraged to continue looking through the additional resources within this website.
One of the most important aspects of your role as an educator will be to effectively address challenging behaviors that occur in your classroom. In your reading this week you learned that Klass, Guskin, and Thomas (1995) and McCabe and Frede (2007) define challenging behavior as "a pattern of behavior that interferes with a child's cognitive, social, or emotional development" (as cited in Kaiser & Sklar Rasminsky, 2017, section 1.1). As teachers, it can be difficult to address challenging behaviors in the classroom. This assignment is your opportunity to understand the risk factors of why challenging behaviors occur and create strategies on how to address these behaviors.
Before beginning the assignment, read the following two scenarios and select one for your paper:
Scenario A: Olivia is a 3-year-old girl in a classroom of 20 children. Olivia comes from a single-parent household and lives with her mother. Olivia's mother had Olivia as a teenager and is currently working full time and attending classes to earn her high school equivalency. In the last few weeks Olivia's behavior has been described as disruptive. She is continually acting impulsively and has been observed saying negative things to her peers.
Scenario B: Jose is a 2-year-old boy in a classroom of 15 children. Jose comes from a two-parent household. Both of Jose's parents work full time and Jose's mom is pregnant with her second child. Jose has been described as having low language skills and is often seen hitting his peers during free play times. Jose has trouble sitting at circle time and receives constant reminders to stay in his chair during classroom activities.
To prepare for your assignment,
• Refer to the Week 1 Instructor Guidance for further tips and examples that will support your success with this discussion.
• Review of your textbook (Risk factors are located on sections 2.1 and 2.2).
• Refer to chart 1.1 titled "A Rose by Any Other Name" for help.
In your paper, select one of the scenarios to write about and consider the question "Why are some children more challenging than others?"
Be sure to address the following:
• Identify and describe three risk factors which influence behavior (may include considerations of brain development).
• Discuss how each factor influences behavior.
• Analyze strategies teachers may use to support the process of changing or replacing behaviors.
• Brainstorm ideas to involve parents in the behavior modification process.
The Risk Factors of Behavior Summary paper
• Must be two to three double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the UAGC Writing Center's APA Style.