Running head: HD 426 REFLECTION WORKING WITH CHILDREN WHO CHALLENGE

TEACHERS SKILLS
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HD 426 Reflection Working with Children Who Challenge Teachers Skills

Pauline Abu-Tayeh
Denise Rugg
Pacific Oaks College

HD 426 REFLECTION WORKING WITH CHILDREN WHO CHALLENGE TEACHERS

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Working with Children Who Challenge Teachers Skills

In this course, I have obtained many new concepts that I may implement in the new
school year with the students in my class. One main concept is learning to problem-solve with
reflective teaching. First, I need to recognize and understand my feelings so that I am equipped
to handle childrens feelings. In Children with Challenging Behavior: Strategies for Reflective
Teaching, Brault (2005) writes, Take ownership with your emotions and begin to understand
them (p. 75). For example, when I get frustrated with a child with a challenging behavior, I
need to manage my feelings of frustration first before I can tackle his/her feelings and/or
behavior. Second, I have discovered as I manage my feelings, I can then recognize the feelings
of others with a clearer sense. Third, I realize that I can clarify critical matters regarding specific
behaviors; for example, provide opportunities to children by giving them responsibilities and
choices. The final step is to identify the childrens strengths. It is easy to focus on the
challenging behavior. Addressing the negativity in a childs behavior stays with that child who
may begin to feel unaccepted. However, addressing positive strengths first to the parents in a
conference can help the parent feel better about themselves and their child.
The lectures from the professor on sensory processing disorders motivated me to learn
more about strategies I can use in the classroom. One idea I learned is to follow the childs lead.
For example, if I can practice recognizing when he/she is about to take away a toy from another
child, then I can quickly help the child redirect his/her behavior. I also realize that open
communication and active listening are important skills to assist a childs journey especially
when he/she is experiencing challenging behaviors. For example, when I return to work in
August, I am going to create a message board where children can write down how they are

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feeling, what their interests/needs are, etc. I will describe to them that this is another way to
communicate to each other when we need something or are having a tough day.
It surprised me to find out about People First Language by Katie Snow. The professor
gave us an article to read for our discussion. First of all, People First Language is a way of
talking to each other and about others, with respect. It is a guide for choosing accurate words for
people with disabilities. I have learned that the focus is on the person not the disability. For
example, avoid describing someone as handicapped. Instead, it is preferable to say that he is a
person with a disability. People First Language has affected the way I think now about my
words for those with disabilities. I will be mindful about the labeling of others. I will support
others to do the same when they label me or other people with disabilities. Snow (1991) states,
The words about a person have a powerful impact on the person. And often we talk about
people with disabilities in front of them, as if theyre not there. Lets stop this demeaning
practice.
One of the numerous activities in this class that was important to me involved our
feelings. We had to construct a large caterpillar on paper using circles to write down feeling
words such as happy, angry, frustrated, surprised, scared, sad, etc. Then, we used a die and rolled
it on the caterpillar. Wherever the die landed, then we had to share about a time we felt that way.
For example, if my die landed on the word sad, then I would give an example of what made
me feel sad. I felt we all contributed to this game because I saw it as a way to understand our
own feelings as well as the feelings of others. This is an activity that I plan to use in my
classroom with the children.
I found that expanding my knowledge on assessments helped me to plan effectively my
written goals for the children in my program. The professor expressed that assessments

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determine a specific diagnose. She also said that it was a tool for assessing the overall outcome
of a specific behavior. I have learned that it is important to sit with the parent when doing an
assessment before school starts and find out about the child and his/her family. Assessments are
important to me because they will help me understand any medical or developmental concerns of
a child.
In this class, I learned a lot about myself. I learned about my feelings and how they are
important for me to express so that I can move forward in order to work with the children in my
program. I understand the importance of a balanced routine, health and safety, and consistency
to encourage positive behavior in children with challenging behaviors. I realized that positive
expressions toward children resulted in positive behaviors. Overall, this was an informative
class that increased my knowledge for creating an effective environment.

HD 426 REFLECTION WORKING WITH CHILDREN WHO CHALLENGE TEACHERS

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References
Brault, L. & Brault, T. (2005). Children with challenging behavior: strategies for reflective
teaching. Phoenix, AZ: CPG Publishing Company.
Snow, K. (1991). People first language. Retrieved from http://www.disabilityisnatural.com