Behavior Guidance: Creating an Integrated Policy
Kids aren't perfect 100 percent of the time. Making mistakes and testing boundaries
is part of growing up.
The
challenge for programs is to create safe, caring environments
in which
kids can understand their mistakes and learn from their
behaviors.
Developing a clear, concise Behavior Guidance Policy
is one way you can
set guidelines and reinforce positive behavior in your
program.
Aside from
providing an important legal safety net, Behavior Guidance
Policies
outline strategies for preventing problems and set
consequences for
when conflicts arise.
They can also establish channels of
communication with parents and set processes for making
new rules.
Most important,
a well-crafted Behavior Guidance Policy can add clarity to
your
program’s overall approach to modeling positive behavior.
According to
Lori Ottolini, a consultant specializing in behavior
guidance and
curriculums tells us, “Writing your Behavior Guidance Policy is not
enough, you’ve got to instill a philosophy of behavior guidance
at
every level of your program.”
Behavior can’t
be governed from the top-down. By following a few key tips, you can
create an integrated Behavior Guidance Policy to achieve
more
effective, unified results:
-
Get involved.
“Administrators can’t talk about behavior guidance on a yearly or
monthly basis,” says Lori Ottolini. “It’s has to be an ongoing
process.” You’ve got to get involved and stay involved to see results.
-
Consistency is key.
Try to make your policy consistent with methods being
applied in other
areas of kids’ lives. If children receive consistent messages about
good behavior, they will respond consistently.
-
Review your programs.
Often, behavior problems disappear when children are
engaged and
active. Make sure staff are prepared, and schedule
age-appropriate
activities.
-
Assess your rules.
How are the rules in your program created? Who has
input? Involving
staff and children in setting and maintaining rules
is an integral part
of fostering good behavior.
