Timely Tips When Working with Young Children

Overview
High school students observe, discuss, analyze, and evaluate the behaviors of young children in an effort to improve interaction with this age group. These mentors create their own menus of "Timely Tips" and plan to use them when they work with their Book Buddies.
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Learning Standards
  • Understand, analyze, evaluate, and respond effectively to visual presentations.
  • Engage in effective discussions.
  • Understand and effectively employ structures of written language.
    • Classroom Activities
    To prepare for their mentoring roles, students:
  • View children's classroom behavior from videos taped by the school's media classes.
  • Discuss appropriate reactions for youngsters' conduct and actions.
  • Analyze reasons for behaviors and ways to change them.
  • Use Book Buddies Journals to reflect on what video observations and their own experiences have taught them about children's behaviors.

    • Create individual menus of "Timely Tips" when working with young children.
    • Format menu as a poster, a PowerPoint presentation, or flyer.
    • Write an essay that describes ways to react to children's behavior.
    Community Activities
    Students exhibit "Timely Tips" flyers, posters, or slide presentations in the school library, community stores, and the school newspaper. Students also try out newly acquired strategies by volunteering at daycare or after school programs, and babysitting at home or for friends.     		Careers
    Taking a small but effective look at behavior management when working with young children, students become aware of skills needed to be an effective teacher. Students also learn skills for babysitting, day care employment, or parenting.
    Materials
    Students As Teachers by M. L. Gregory, 1995: J. Weston Walch; video tapes of different classroom situations from school's media library; examples of flyers and posters that advertise a message, art materials.     		Technology
    Students view videos that have been taped by the school's media center; search the Internet for research on classroom behavior; Compile "Timely Tips" presentation with Microsoft Word or PowerPoint.
    Assessment
    Student journals, "Timely Tips," and reflective essays are used for evaluation.

    Web Sites
    Students continue to find good material at Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators and http://teachnet.org