TheApple

How do I handle the problem child with acting in a way that I don't hate him or her? Right now I work at Rainbow Daycare center, and we have a ton of kids. Some days we have almost 100! And the other teachers and I do not have time to spend punshing a kid each time they do something bad. So a lot of the times we just do a rea quick "we don't do that at rainbow, so please stop".  The child may not do the samething but will find another bad thing to occupy him/ herself with..... So ok, I know that this is obviously not the way to handle children so how do we effectively handle the situation? Thanks!

Cassia

Great Advice!

However,  The whole student teacher ratio cannot be fix. We are licenced to have up to 100 kids at the center and we are not allowed to turn away kids because of low staffing because of the licencing rules her in California. So I guess I am re-asking the question how do we handle a large amount of kids all with different problems.

Also, how do we handle girls who are friends, but  constently fight. One girl is extremly bossy and will cry to get her way and then the other two girls will get in trouble for making her cry?

cassia_sunshine says ...

Great Advice!

However,  The whole student teacher ratio cannot be fix. We are licensed to have up to 100 kids at the center and we are not allowed to turn away kids because of low staffing because of the licensing rules her in California. So I guess I am re-asking the question how do we handle a large amount of kids all with different problems.

Also, how do we handle girls who are friends, but  constently fight. One girl is extremely bossy and will cry to get her way and then the other two girls will get in trouble for making her cry?

 

I'm from California and have worked in day care out there. Even though you are licensed  for 100 kids for the center you still have to be in ratio.  licensing will not wont you to be out of ratio due to safety issues.  Running a center like that could get you cited or even closed.  

But going back to your question because I have been in a situation where I have been short handed and had to have more than what my ratio indicates. Plan activities, keep them busy.  I don't know how you have your center set up, but in my experience we usually have center ( House area, blocks, manips, art, science, writing center, and ABC center)  Have some thing for each center, but only let a cretin amount of children in your center so you can manage your center. Only let about 4 to 5 children at a time.  And if your still having problem then that when you redirect them, remove them from the center they are having problem and have them go to another center.  Also time out also works, I don't usually give time out, I do time away, which mean they get to sit with me and talk about their problem and try to find a solution.  

Hope this helps, let me know!

Thats a great idea giving the children a job to do. I do that to my pre kinder class,  everyone get a job not, but my children that need more attention because they get in to trouble I give them an extra special job, (helping me) The teacher helper it make them feel special and I get to keep a close eye on them too!

joelheffner says ...

 Although I've never dealt with your problem, I think that some methods are universal...

1. Provide interesting activities that the kids like to do. When kids are doing things that are fun and interesting, even if they are doing something educational, the problems tend to go away.

2. Use monitors/helpers. Try to get the ones who need the most help to be the helpers. Give them special jobs.

3. This one may sound a bit odd, but I would try it in your shoes. Create a newsletter for the kids. Yes, I know they can't read yet. However, if you can include pictures/drawings and things like that with their names, they may be encouraged to do better to get into the newsletter.

One little story may help ... when I was teaching in a middle school I found out early one day that I would have to "cover" a class later. The class was, to put it mildly, not one that I would have chosen. At lunch the teachers told me about one boy to watch out for. As soon as the class came in I could see who he was. I had a ream (yes, a full ream) of paper on my desk. I asked him, very quietly, if he wouldn't mind helping me. Although surprised, he agreed. I asked him to count out the papers and put them in sets of 30, so I could use them with my classes. He reluctantly did it. Unfortunately, he completed the task in about 15 minutes. At that time, I told he I "realized" I made a mistake. There were actually about 35 students in each class...so I asked him to make the piles with 35 in each. All this time I had a straight face. Although he finished a few minutes before the end of the period, all was well. Give 'em jobs!

 

Cassia, I may not be understanding you correctly, but your comments about the teacher/child ratio not being fixable are confusing to me. It sounds like you are saying state licensing requires your center to keep that many kids, but doesn't allow your boss to hire adequate staff.  That isn't the same state licensing agency I work under!  State of California requires a ratio of one teacher (not aide) to 12 preschoolers or to 14 school age children. They will cite (and levy a fine on) a center for not being in that ratio.  Your posting gives me the idea that the people in charge of your center... not the licensing agency... are the problem and that they aren't handling their responsibilities well.  As I said at the beginning, I may not be understanding what you're saying, so if I'm getting an incorrect idea about your center, you may waqnt to re-state the issue to give us a better picture.  

That's what I was thinking too.  Thanks for the information.

Bettyjcr says ...

Cassia, I may not be understanding you correctly, but your comments about the teacher/child ratio not being fixable are confusing to me. It sounds like you are saying state licensing requires your center to keep that many kids, but doesn't allow your boss to hire adequate staff.  That isn't the same state licensing agency I work under!  State of California requires a ratio of one teacher (not aide) to 12 preschoolers or to 14 school age children. They will cite (and levy a fine on) a center for not being in that ratio.  Your posting gives me the idea that the people in charge of your center... not the licensing agency... are the problem and that they aren't handling their responsibilities well.  As I said at the beginning, I may not be understanding what you're saying, so if I'm getting an incorrect idea about your center, you may waqnt to re-state the issue to give us a better picture.