Procedures - Behavior Management

Section: Human Resource Procedures 
Procedure Owner: Ignition633 Ministries Nigeria Human Resources 
Procedure Name: Behavior Management Procedures
Origination Date: January 2025 

Purpose
To establish clear guidelines for promoting positive behavior, preventing and addressing challenging behaviors, and maintaining a safe and respectful environment for children.

Scope
Includes establishing behavior expectations, implementing strategies for addressing challenging behaviors, training staff on managing behavior, communicating with parents, documenting incidents, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

Definition
Behavior: refers to the actions, reactions, or conduct of an individual in response to external or internal stimuli.
Management: is the process of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling resources and activities to achieve specific goals or objectives efficiently and effectively. 

Behavior Management Procedures
We are dedicated to providing children with a safe and nurturing environment. This policy outlines our approach to promoting positive behavior, discipline, and managing challenging behaviors to ensure the well-being and development of each child.

Avoiding Bad Behavior
Set Clear Expectations:
- Establish clear and age-appropriate expectations for behavior.
- Remind students of classroom expectations first thing each day.
- Go over all rules/expectations before beginning any activity.
Engage the Child:
- Talk to children about the plan/schedule.
- Set timers to remind children of transition periods
Use of Positive Reinforcement:
- Reinforce positive behaviors through praise & encouragement. “I love how you are sitting nicely in your chair!” or “Wow! You are working so hard and trying your best!” or “That is a great inside voice
- Positive reinforcement helps motivate children to repeat desirable behaviors rather than focusing on the negative.

Correcting Bad Behavior:
Redirection, Problem solving, and natural Consequences:
- Use redirection as a strategy to guide children away from inappropriate behaviors.
- When redirecting a child, it is important to approach the child calmly and get down to their eye level. Ensure you have their attention by holding their hands and meeting their eyes. Take note of the inappropriate behavior and redirect to the desired behavior.
Redirection Scenario:
Children are playing with blocks. One child continues to throw blocks, which was already communicated as something not allowed.
- The teacher should get to the child’s eye level, get their attention, and say, “OUCH! Blocks can hurt people. How do we play with blocks?” The child says, “build.

Avoiding Bad Behavior
Set Clear Expectations:
- Establish clear and age-appropriate expectations for behavior.
- Remind students of classroom expectations first thing each day.
- Go over all rules/expectations before beginning any activity.
Set a good example:
- Children watch the adults around them all the time. They see how you talk to other children and adults, cope with anger or frustration, and deal with sadness and joy. They listen to how you say, "I'm sorry," and how you handle life's ups and downs, which teaches children a lot about how to behave and get along with others.
Engage the Child:
- Talk to children about the plan/schedule.
- Set timers to remind children of transition periods
Use of Positive Reinforcement:
-Reinforce positive behaviors through praise & encouragement. “I love how you are sitting nicely in your chair!” or “Wow! You are working so hard and trying your best!” or “That is a great inside voice!”
- Positive reinforcement helps motivate children to repeat desirable behaviors rather than focusing on the negative.

Correcting Bad Behavior:
Talk with children, not at them:
- Children often don't pay attention when you are talking (or shouting) "at" them. Guidance is much more effective when you talk to children at their eye level. Look them in the eyes and talk with them at their level. Resist the urge to lecture. Instead, give children time to respond and listen genuinely to their points of view.
Redirection, Problem Solving, and natural Consequences:
- Use redirection as a strategy to guide children away from inappropriate behaviors.
- When redirecting a child, it is important to approach the child calmly and get down to their eye level. Ensure you have their attention by holding their hands and meeting their eyes. Take note of the inappropriate behavior and redirect to the desired behavior.
Redirection Scenario:
Children are playing with blocks. One child continues to throw blocks, which was already communicated as something not allowed.
- The teacher should get to the child’s eye level, get their attention, and say, “OUCH! Blocks can hurt people. How do we play with blocks?” The child says, “build.”
- Teacher says, “That’s right! We must keep the blocks in our hands or on the carpet to stay in the block area. We do not throw.”
- The child throws another block; the teacher comes to the child and says, “We are not being safe with the blocks. Would you rather color or read a book?”
- When the child moves on to the next activity, praise them for the positive behavior. “You are working very hard on coloring! I like the colors you picked!”

Problem-Solving Scenario:
Two children argue over a toy in the play area.
Acknowledge Feelings:
- Approach the situation by acknowledging the feelings of both children.
- "I see that you both want to play with the toy. It's okay to feel that way."
Define the Problem:
- Encourage the children to express why the toy is essential to each of them.
- "Can you tell me why you both want to play with the toy?"
Brainstorm Solutions:
- Ask the children to think of possible solutions together.
- "How can we find a solution so that both of you can have a turn with the toy?"
Agree on a Solution:
- Help the children come to an agreement or choose a compromise.
- "It seems like taking turns is a fair solution. How about one of you plays first, and then we switch?"
- Positive Reinforcement:
- Praise the children for working together to find a solution.
- "You did a great job solving the problem and being fair with each other!"
Natural Consequences Scenario:
At snack time, a 3-year-old child named Emma refuses to sit at the table and throws her food on the floor.
- Express Expectations:
- Calmly communicate the expectation: "At snack time, we sit at the table and eat our food."
Give a Warning:
- Provide a gentle warning about the potential consequences of not following the rule.
- "If we throw our food on the floor, we might not have snacks for the rest of the time."
Allow Natural Consequences:
- If Emma continues throwing her food, allow natural consequences.
- For example, her plate is taken away, and she is not given additional snacks for that mealtime.
Connect Behavior to Consequence:
- Explain the connection between Emma's behavior and the consequences.
- "Since we threw our food, it's all gone now. Next time, let's try to keep our food on the plate so we can enjoy it."
Involve in Cleanup:
-Involve Emma in cleaning up the mess she made.
- "Let's clean up together. We take care of our eating area."
Encourage Positive Behavior:
- Encourage Emma to sit at the table and participate in snack time appropriately.
- "When we sit nicely, we can enjoy our snacks together. Can you show me how you can sit like a big girl?"
Reinforce Positive Choices:
- Reinforce and praise Emma when she makes positive choices during the next snack time.
- "I love how you're sitting nicely and eating your snack. Great job!"
Offer Choices:
- Provide Emma with some control by offering choices within acceptable behavior.
- "Would you like apple slices or crackers for your snack today?"
Note: When offering choices, offer clear and simple choices. Give clear, simple choices. Give children a choice only when there is a choice. For example, saying, "It is nap time; do you want to lie down now?" is not an option if your rule is that everyone will rest at nap time.
Consistency in Expectations:
- Reinforce the expectation of sitting at the table during subsequent snack times.
- "Remember, we sit at the table during snack time. It helps us enjoy our food together."

Teaching Rather than Punishing:
- Focus on teaching children's appropriate behaviors rather than punishing them for misbehavior.
- Help children understand the consequences of their actions, become more independent, and problem-solve independently.

Children need to understand that their full range of emotions is okay (it is okay to be frustrated, angry, and sad), but not all BEHAVIOR is okay. It is not okay to hit, scream, or whine. When a child is having a “BIG FEELING,” have them stop, take a deep breath, and make a smart choice. Here is a guide to help:

Say what you mean
Use "do" instead of "don't" whenever possible. Choose your words carefully, especially when you are guiding children's behavior. Keep sentences short and simple. Focus on what to do rather than what not to do.

Teach children how to say sorry
Children will not have to be prompted with time and practice, and their apologies will be more genuine. Teach children the four basic steps of apologizing:
- Look at the other child
- Say the child's name
- Say "I'm sorry"
- Say why
Encouraging Empathy:
- Help children develop empathy by discussing the impact of their actions on others.
- Encourage them to communicate their feelings.
- Encourage them to consider the feelings of others.

What You Can Do To Help Toddlers Develop Empathy
Empathize with them:
For example, "Are you feeling a little down because you're hungry? It's all right; sometimes, hunger can make us feel that way. How about we have a snack now to help you feel better before your break?”
Talk about others’ feelings:
For example, “Sarah feels sad because you took her toy car. Please give Sarah her car back, and then you can choose another one to play with.”
Suggest how children can show empathy:
For example, "Let's give Jason a hug to make him feel better."

Parent Communication:
- Maintain open and transparent communication with parents when challenging behavior incidents occur.
- Regularly communicate with parents, including sharing incident reports and discussing strategies for addressing behavior at home.

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This procedure will be reviewed annually and is subject to change. Any changes will be communicated to all employees promptly. 

For any questions or further assistance regarding this policy, employees should contact the HR department at hr.nigeria@ignition633.org.