REFLECTIVE PRACTICE GUIDANCE LOGS

DATE: March 27, 2012

GUIDANCE STRATEGY USED: Direct guidance: delivering I-message and teaching

helpful or appropriate behaviour.

OBSERVATION

(observe, identify the problem, examine the context of the problem)

Pseudonyms: “Mickey” and “Vicky”

Age of the child:

Observation: After lunch, the observer and I untied the seatbelt of the high chair and let

the children go to free play, while one of the ECEs was still feeding the other younger

children. On the other hand, while the rest of the children were crawling and plating on

the mat, one of the ECEs placed one child on the rocking chair. The high school co-op

student sat on the ground while she held a story book with both hands. Mickey came

over and leaned in front of her, and then the high school co-op student started to tell the

story about “the bear.” Mickey flipped the pages with her right hand and then Vicky

looked at them and she ran over to “Mickey” with a smile and tried to sit in front of her.

When Vicky sat down, Mickey frowned and stretched out her neck to bite Vicky’s wrist

and extended her right hand to hit Vicky’s head, and then, Vicky cried.

Context of the Problem: Mickey bit Vicky and hit her head, when Vicky tried or

attempted to sit in front of her. This behaviour may indicate that Mickey is still

developing her concept of sharing. DECISION

(choose a guidance strategy from this course that fits with the problem. Clearly state

why the chosen strategy is appropriate for this child/situation)

From the above situation, I chose to apply direct guidance strategy particularly by

teaching helpful or appropriate behaviour and by delivering i-messages. As Marion

shared, through the use of teaching helpful or appropriate behaviour, I can help Mickey

“build self-control and helpful behaviours (Guidance of Young Children, p.125).” As

Marion mentioned, ECEs use I-messages if “they own the problem.” By owning the

problem, it means “a child has done something that interferes in some way with the

adult’s needs (Guidance of Young Children, p.135).” In this case, the child interfered to

the group’s supposed reading activity by showing the mentioned behaviour to the child

who wants to join the group. Marion also discussed that ECEs who uses such strategy

has fully realized that “a child has done something annoying that has cost them time,

energy, or money, but they know that they are the ones experiencing the feelings

(Guidance of Young Children, p. 136).” Also, Mickey’s behaviour can be considered

unacceptable that’s why I-message can be appropriate for the situation since in this

strategy the adult “take responsibility for communicating the feelings to the child in a firm

but respectful and nonaccusatory way (Guidance of Young Children, p. 136).” I believe

that this strategy can efficiently solve the problem because you’re avoiding accusing the

child, thus saving her dignity but at the same time, you’re addressing his unacceptable

behaviour.

ACTIONS

(Clearly discuss your actions, the child’s response and the results of the guidance

strategy)

After Mickey bit Vicky, Vicky cried and her wrist appeared a little bit red. I came over to

the spot and “stop it.” I held Vicky away from Mickey and checked how hurt she is. I told

Vicky, “Don’t worry, it will be fine. I know you are suffering.” I placed Vicky beside the

music table, and then she seemed to be amazed by it. And then I asked her, “Where is

the sound coming from? Can you hear that? Oh! Can you press some button to make

some sound?” and after five minutes she stopped crying and being cranky, then she

focused on the musical table. I came back to Mickey and said “Stop it. I don’t like it. You

hurt Vicky that’s why she cried.” Mickey laughed as a response and then I told her, “I am

not laughing, I am serious.” I picked up a baby doll and brought it in front of her and then

I said, “when you play with your little friend, please just gentle touch. No fighting.” This I-

message is to tell the children what you’re feeling is. I gave data about the child’s

behaviour, while still avoiding accusing the child. The I-message that I told the child

clearly communicates “what the adult saw, heard, smelled, touched, or tasted and are

stated in a way that you’re just translating facts and not opinions (Guidance of Young

Children, p.136).” Just like what I did, I told the child what she did. On the other hand, I

also communicated my feelings towards her behaviour and not towards her. By saying

telling Mickey this, “Stop it. I don’t like it. You hurt Vicky that’s why she cried” – I told her

that I don’t like what she did to Vicky, which made her friend cry. After telling that,

Mickey let her head down a little bit and didn’t say anything. When she went back to

play with the other children, I told her “gentle touch, no fighting.”REFLECTION

(Specify what went well. Are there some things that you need to change)STRENGTHS

From the above situation, I had applied

guidance strategies for children such as,

“teaching helpful or appropriate behaviour

and delivering I-messages.” When

necessary, teacher should intervene with

children’s play. Such as fighting for a toy,

hitting, bullying, biting, and the like. I

showed concrete example to Mickey by

bringing a doll in front of her and shared to

her how appropriate behaviour is through

dramatizing how gentle touch is and

reminded her how to be friendly and not to

fight with others. I also kept reminding the

appropriate behaviour during free play.

When I implemented the I-message

strategy, I have acknowledged my feeling

of anger, but still refraining from accusing

the child’s behaviour. I just explained the

behaviour that she did and how it affected

the other child.

NEEDS

What I thought is, I should consider which

child will have a hard time to go along with

others. I should set some limits before they

gather together to play. Aside from this, I

will always try to scan the environment,

and foresee situations that might cause a

series of problems. For example, some of

the children may prefer playing on his/her

own and they might dislike other children

interrupting their play – I may need to pay

more attention about this so that when the

same situation happens again, I can

immediately come over to prevent it. In

daily observations, I should try to write

insights regarding children’s temperaments

that will assist me to understand their

personality better. This will make it easier

for me to solve their problems and at the

same time, meet their needs.

CHANGES

This is my first time to see a child get bitten in the daycare centre. When I saw this

situation, at that moment, I was so scared and stunned. The thing I want to change is

that moment where I could have separated Mickey from Vicky before things occurred. I

could have made a different activity to attract Vicky instead of approaching Mickey. I

should have seen signals and/or cues for appropriate behaviour ahead of time. During

their play, I should have reminded the children about appropriate behaviour rather than

after the situation happened. On the other hand, I lack the experience that could teach

me how to deal with this inappropriate behaviour, that’s why I feel like I wasn’t that

confident when I dealt with the situation. I felt nervous after seeing the child cry. By

reviewing our placement manual, it reminded me that at any time, I should remain

professional and calm.

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE GUIDANCE LOGS

DATE: March 19, 2012

GUIDANCE STRATEGY USED: Indirect guidance: Redirection through diversion

and/or distraction

OBSERVATION

(observe, identify the problem, examine the context of the problem)

Pseudonym: Child A

Age of the child:

Observation: During free play, three children and I were sitting on the mat, while one

child was pushing the baby walker. The younger one was sitting on the bouncing chair

holding a rattle with both hands, and sucking it. The ECE placed the youngest child to a

bumbo chair for her to feed the child with some cereals. The rest of the children were

walking around and playing. One of the ECEs was writing an observation while the ECA

was changing the diaper of Child A. After five minutes, Child A walked towards the table

and he bended down to pick up a toy insect. He picked it up and placed it inside his

mouth. He threw it on the floor and climbed on a chair. He used both hands, holding two

sides of the handle, and stepped one foot on the stool and stood up on the chair.

Context of the problem: Child A could have hurt himself when he climbed and stood

up on the stool.

DECISION

(choose a guidance strategy from this course that fits with the problem. Clearly state

why the chosen strategy is appropriate for this child/situation)

The strategy I chose to deal with this situation was redirection, particularly diverting and

distracting children. As Marion discussed, this is a strategy where “an adult immediately

does something to distract a child from the forbidden or dangerous activity (Guidance of

Young Children, p. 132).” Based on the observation, while Child A was standing on the

chair, he was in danger and he might possibly fall down.

As for guiding the child to do a safer and more acceptable way, I also applied

substitutions for the child. When I discovered the child’s behaviour in an unsafe

environment, the first thing I thought was to distract them and the next step is to makes

substitutions to entice them and instruct them to play in a safe surrounding.

ACTIONS

(Clearly discuss your actions, the child’s response and the results of the guidance

strategy)

Child A stood up on the stool and put both hands over his head and had a big smile. I

saw this case and immediately said: “Hi, do you know, I think it is time to play the piano

now. I know you like it, right? Let’s go!” I went over to Child A, and held him in his arms.

Child A was unwilling to get down of the chair, and he was struggling and wanted to do

what he wanted. The observer put him down and then he threw himself to the floor. I

took the piano in front of him and pressed the keyboard and said, “I remember the last

time you played with this, you played it really well. You created a beautiful music. Try it

again!” Child A hesitated at first, looked at me for a few seconds and then he picked up

the stick and hit the keyboard with it. When he was able to create some sounds, he kept

on repeating it over and over again. I clapped and said, “Oh you’re doing great! You

played better than last time.” Child A smiled and stood up and walked to the front door,

went to the cupboard and pulled up the sink.

REFLECTION

(Specify what went well. Are there some things that you need to change)STRENGTHS

I consider the application of redirection as

my strengths in handling the situation. I

adhered to the professional attitude to

solve the problem. When the child’s

behaviour places himself in a dangerous

situation or when his inappropriate

behaviour may endanger other children or

animals, applying a correct strategy to

solve the challenging situation is believed

NEEDS

to be important.

REFERENCE

Marion, M. (2011). Guidance of Young Children. (8th Edition). Upper Saddler River, New

Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.