Сhаllеnging Bеhаviоurs Essay Example

Introduction

When teaching children, some of them present behaviours that tend to challenge their understanding and learning. This is based on the fact that some children have some developmental problems, which make them to demonstrate some challenging behaviour when going through early childhood education (Essa, 2012). There are some issues and characteristics associated with the challenging behaviours of the children learning such as their developmental characteristics. Besides, there are some approaches and attitudes that are likely to enhance or prevent children’s learning and experience in relation to their challenging behaviour. This essay seeks to explore the major issues and features linked to challenging behaviours in children learning. There is the identification and discussion of the attitudes and approaches that are capable of inhibiting or enabling children’s learning and experience in connection to challenging behaviour. Additionally, there is the analysis of the responsibility of the teacher in making sure the best consequences for children in learning.

Key issues and characteristics

The definition of challenging behaviour is associated with different explanations given by scholars, therefore leading to confusion in what is rely recognized as challenging (McLachlan, Fleer, & Edwards, 2013). Moreover, children behave differently and this leads to people making judgments about the appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. The challenging behaviour is characterized by high intensity, duration, persistence, and frequency. According to the argument put forth by Ashdown and Bernard, (2012), the behaviour is challenging the moment educators portray their appropriate efforts, but fail to minimize its intensity or frequency. Besides, such behaviour is stressful to the teachers, as they try to make the children change and behave according to the learning environment. In schools, numerous children present some disruptive behaviour that tends to prevent their learning. In the early childhood settings, some children show learning disabilities that in most cases display their challenging behaviour. In addition, the challenging behaviour is characterised with the individual child living a life that is influenced by poor quality. Moreover, children with challenging behaviours have different levels of interests, activity conduct system and temperament (Ashdown, & Bernard, 2012).

The major problems linked to challenging behaviour in childhood include; communication difficulties, dysfunctional family systems, special learning conditions,, severe learning disabilities, educational neglect, problematic developmental method, alzheimer’s disease, autism, huntington’s disease, child temperament and opposition defiant disorder among others (Gordon, & Browne, 2013). It is clear that the children with autism face some increased difficulties to remain in the school education. There is also the issue of difficulty in relation to defining a challenging behaviour based on whether it is continuum or falls in the distinctive category. Kazakoff, Sullivan, and Bers, (2013) identify that there is an issue linked to the effort towards identifying the point when a behaviour would cease to become irritating or challenging because people make their diverse judgments and based on their personal reasons (McLachlan, Fleer, & Edwards, 2013). For example, the behaviour that a certain teacher identifies to be challenging might be recognized by another teacher to be carried out by a typical youngster. On the other hand, teachers have different abilities to tolerate the behavior differences, thus making unnecessary conclusions that children and portraying some challenging behaviour (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009). This is because, at times, the problem might be with the teachers and not the children.

Challenging behaviour is majorly developed because of biological factors, such as the family’s history of temperament, delinquency, and mental health disorders. Other issues are gender linked, whereby girls and boys are socialized differently. Parette, Quesenberry, and Blum, (2010) identify that because of the males being involved in more active conducts; their behaviour is tolerated differently from that of the girls. Besides, mothers and fathers parent their children differently since fathers play more vigorously with their children than the mothers. Moreover, they play more vigorously with their male children than how they do with the female children. Seemingly, the male sex hormones tend to play a major function in the boys’ aggressive behaviour. Furthermore, there are some ethical issues that arise when in the process of creating policies, programme, and interventions for those children who display challenging behaviour. These issues revolve the decision-making regarding the necessary sorts of measures, the need for punishments and sanctions and the kinds of behaviour that one would try to change and the expenses involved (Essa, 2012). It is possible for children to stay in a vicious and hostile environment to pay a cost in the case of their aggressive responses being eliminated in the learning institution. Another ethical issue is associated with the aspect of paying more attention towards the child’s behaviour than on the school’s structure. Therefore, challenging behaviour is associated with numerous issues and features, especially in the early childhood learning (Tayler, Ishimine, Cloney, Cleveland, & Thorpe, 2013).

The attitudes and approaches that can inhibit and enhance children’s experiences and learning in relation to challenging behaviours

It is possible to enable or hinder children’s learning and experience, but this depends with the methods and attitudes portrayed by people to the displayed challenging behaviour. Among the major approaches and attitudes enhancing a child’s leaning despite one’s challenging behaviour are; the provision of support services to the victimized children (McLachlan, Fleer, & Edwards, 2013). It is apparent that when a learning institution, teachers, and parents of children with challenging behaviour offer the required support, this aids in allowing the children to learn. Besides, it assists such an approach helps in a child’s experience of positive personal development. In addition, the provision of the required materials, tools, and technique towards the learning of a specific child is efficient in helping the child who displays some disruptive behaviour to experience love, care, and concern, as well as developing the interests of learning (Gordon, & Browne, 2013). This means that once families and educators develop positive relationships with their children, they tend to understand the situation of individual children having challenging behaviour (Spodek, & Saracho, 2014). Therefore, they provide some positive and meaningful support towards the change of behaviour of the particular child.

The conduct of research and gathering the relevant information is another effectual approach in helping the families and educators to understand the children’s circumstances and responding to them efficiently (Kazakoff, Sullivan, & Bers, 2013). This assists such children to develop positive experiences and learn accordingly. In addition, in the process, the educator acquires information concerning the child’s histories, family’s lifestyle, his or her rearing practices, traditions, and languages. Such data assists in making conclusions about a child’s behaviour since the families offer the necessary information concerning the child’s experience (Tayler, et al., 2013).

The development of positive attitudes towards the child and his or her behaviour helps in encouraging that child learn how to change his or her disruptive conduct (Essa, 2012). In addition, when one shows the interest of being closely connected to a child displaying challenging behaviour, that person’s attitude helps in making that child learn and develop positive experience in school and when among other people in the school’s community

The major attitudes and approached hindering a child’s learning and experience in relation to challenging behaviour include; lack of support from families, educators and other children in the same school. This is because, when a child is isolated and others tend to separate themselves from him or her, such a conduct discourages the affected child from learning (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2010). Besides, one feel’s being hated and not wanted in the particular community. In addition, when a child with some disabilities is not provided the required equipment and tools to aid in his or her learning, the aspect tends to inhibit personal education irrespective of remaining in school (Ashdown, & Bernard, 2012). Furthermore, the issue of families, educators, and schoolmates developing negative attitude towards a child’s disruptive behaviour, this leads to his or her development of stress and other psychological problems, which hinder him or her from learning and developing some positive experience with school’s community and at home (Spodek, & Saracho, 2014). Allowing children with disruptive behaviour to live in environments where they are prevented from exercising their interests and preferences also prevents them from learning. In addition, when the environment is characterised with disrespect and torture, this prevents the learning of the children displaying disruptive behaviour. Moreover, failure to assess the children’s conduct that is concluded to be challenging prevents in the setting of the appropriate strategies towards enhancing the particular children’s learning (McLachlan, Fleer, & Edwards, 2013). When a child develops the attitude of self-neglect and self-harm, such an issue prevents his or her learning. This also applies in the case where a child lives in a family that subjects him or her to child abuse and neglect. Therefore, the environment determines the learning of the children displaying challenging behaviour.

The role of the teacher in ensuring the best outcomes for children

To help children with challenging behaviour experience some improvements and manage to learn accordingly, the teacher has to play the role of conducting some investigations through the families (Tayler, et al., 2013). This is where the teach works towards understanding the child’s history, likes, dislikes, ability to respond to different situations, and personal needs among other information that would aid in the decision-making and setting of the appropriate strategies in helping such children change their behaviour. The other major role that the teach needs to play is ensuring that children who display some disruptive behaviour are allowed to learn in an environment where they feel motivated to change their behaviour (Essa, 2012). This is where the teacher ensures that other children in class are not laughing around, mocking, or behaving in a manner that isolates the particular children based on their display of challenging conduct. It is also the role of the teacher to encourage such children to learn some appropriate behaviour through interacting closely with them and helping in the improvement of their strengths, as well as change of their weaknesses in relation to learning.

Conclusion

In conclusion, challenging behaviour is the conduct that shows that an individual is not able to perform despite the exerted effort. Children display challenging behaviour when in school, which are connected to their developmental problems, learning disabilities, and family histories among others. Challenging behaviour is characterised with high levels of temperance. There are various issues connected to this problem, such as ethical, gender, and definitions of challenging behaviour, which are many and different. The approaches and attitudes likely to help in the learning and development of positive experience by children with disruptive behaviour include; efficient learning environment, provision of support from families and educators, the development of strong relationships from the educators and families, as well as being encouraged to learn. Besides, the ability of people to show concern and develop positive attitude towards such children motivates them to learn. On the other hand, lack of support from the educators and families, discrimination, and poor social environment inhibit a child’s learning. Therefore, it is the role of the teacher to conduct some study and understand a child’s history, language, lifestyle, preferences, strengths and weaknesses, as well as personal needs. This assists in helping such children to learn well in school and stay positively with other children in early childhood education settings.

References

Ashdown, D. M., & Bernard, M. E. (2012). Can explicit instruction in social and emotional learning skills benefit the social-emotional development, well-being, and academic achievement of young children?. Early Childhood Education Journal, 39(6), 397-405.

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2009). Belonging, being & becoming. The early years learning framework for Australia. Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved from; https://education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/258084/BelongingBeing-Becoming.pdf

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2010) Educators’ guide to the early years’ learning framework. Retrieved from; http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/educators_guide_to_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf

Essa, E. L. (2012). Introduction to early childhood education. Cengage Learning.

Gordon, A. M., & Browne, K. W. (2013). Beginnings & beyond: Foundations in early childhood education. Cengage Learning.

Kazakoff, E. R., Sullivan, A., & Bers, M. U. (2013). The effect of a classroom-based intensive robotics and programming workshop on sequencing ability in early childhood. Early Childhood Education Journal, 41(4), 245-255.

McLachlan, C., Fleer, M., & Edwards, S. (2013). Early childhood curriculum: Planning, assessment, and implementation. Cambridge University Press.

Parette, H. P., Quesenberry, A. C., & Blum, C. (2010). Missing the boat with technology usage in early childhood settings: A 21st century view of developmentally appropriate practice. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37(5), 335-343.

Spodek, B., & Saracho, O. N. (2014). Handbook of research on the education of young children. Routledge.

Tayler, C., Ishimine, K., Cloney, D., Cleveland, G., & Thorpe, K. (2013). The quality of early childhood education and care services in Australia. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 38(2), 13.