Solutions to Discipline Problems in a Pre-K Classroom

Old-fashioned discipline methods may be inappropriate for modern children.

It's every instructor's worst nightmare -- you come to class prepared to teach a group of well-behaved toddlers, and instead you get a gang of preschoolers run amuck. Discipline problems usually top the lead of every teacher's pet peeves. But don't despair just yet. Numerous practical and effective approaches exist to discipline your pre-K youngsters and turn your class into a relatively quiet and orderly one. Put it in place before the students start running themselves -- and you -- completely ragged.

Time-Outs

Time-outs are a time-honored way to handle discipline pre-K students, and for good reason: they work. By sitting the child quietly in a corner or other private area, you can quickly send two important messages: that he needs to calm down and that his behavior is unacceptable. Although long-term social isolation is inappropriate at any age, ten- or fifteen-minute time-outs remove the child from a potentially overstimulating situation that may cause a discipline problem.

Compromise

Compromising is another good way to handle discipline problems, especially when the situation at hand involves more than one student. The ability to compromise also constitutes a valuable skill that children must learn in order to successfully navigate life outside of school. For instance, if two students want to use the same toy at the same time, and are arguing or fighting about it, make suggests about how to share the toy, or use it one at a time. Let the children choose their own method of compromise, while informing them that yelling or hitting over the toy will mean its loss for both of them. This makes for a key teaching opportunity as well as a good means of discipline.

Boundary-Setting

One solution to discipline problems in pre-K is to nip them in the bud. On the first day of school, most teachers have a list of rules they go over, sometimes creating them with the help of the students themselves. Posting these rules (or pictorial reminders) where students can easily see them goes a long way in preventing discipline problems. But don't forget that you can reiterate these rules all year long. Try making a game out of how many rules the children can remember without having to be reminded.

Calling Parents

Finally, teachers may need to consider calling in the parents as a solution to discipline problems. Discuss whether or not they are seeing chronic behavioral problems at home, similar to the one that the student demonstrates in class. If so, you may need to call in expert help, such as a child psychologist.

References

• Constructive Guidance and Discipline: Preschool and Primary Education (5th Edition); Marjorie V. Fields, Nancy J. Perry, and Debby M. Fields; 2009