October 13, 2023 • 20 mins
What if the challenging behaviors of your early learners are actually their way of communicating their needs and emotions? This episode takes you on a journey into the fascinating world of early learning with Diana Torres, Damaris Sandoval, and Andrew Montoya. We explore the importance of empathetic connections and unique insights into how we can understand these silent messages behind every action. Diana gives us an insight into the significance of understanding the 'why' behind every behavior, while Damaris elaborates on the impactful role of classroom environments and their contribution to a child's cognitive, social, emotional and imaginative growth. Andrew redefines our perception of transitions, viewing them not just as physical relocations but as behavioral recalibrations.
We also venture into the important realm of trauma-informed approaches in early learning. The episode emphasizes the collective effort required from educators, specialists, and administrators to set clear expectations and develop mentally appropriate strategies. We discuss how to create safe, predictable environments and build meaningful relationships, that can help mitigate the impacts of trauma. The focus is on understanding these silent messages hidden in the behaviors of our little ones to foster an environment that facilitates success and holistic development. Join us as we strive to decipher these encoded messages and pave the way for our young explorers to navigate their early learning journeys with confidence.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Bianca Barquin (00:06):
Welcome back to SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership.
I'm your host, Bianca Barquin.
Our journey today leads us intothe intricate world of early
learning, a pivotal periodshaping a child's educational
journey, especially now withuniversal pre-kindergarten in
play, younger souls are enteringour educational realms.
(00:27):
Their behaviors, oftenperceived as challenging, paint
a mosaic of their inner worldand unexpressed needs.
Today we weave throughinsightful discussions with
Diana Torres, our ExecutiveDirector of Teaching and
Learning, Damaris Sandoval, ourgo-to specialist in Early
Learning, and Andrew Montoya, aBehavior Intervention maestro.
(00:51):
Diana Torres, taking us intoher world, beautifully
elucidates the importance ofbuilding empathetic connections
and a profound understanding ofthe why behind every behavior.
Diana Torres (01:06):
Well, first, and foremost, I want to start by
thanking you for giving me theopportunity to be here today
with Andrew and with Damaris totalk about this really important
work, the important work that'shappening in our school
district, especially with whatyou mentioned during your
opening our UPK initiative andthe fact that children are
(01:27):
coming to us younger and younger, and so there's some
considerations around that.
And so, in answer to yourquestion, I think what I'll say
that the link between thechallenging behaviors that we're
seeing and the adults in ourclassrooms, it really goes back
to what you said in the openingas well, empathy and
relationships.
(01:47):
So when you take the time to tryto understand the why behind
the behavior, I think that thenyou're able to really kind of
target the behavior andsometimes see that it's not, it
changes your perspective.
You no longer see it as achallenging behavior, you see it
as a need that needs to be metright, and there are times that,
(02:10):
for a variety of reasons maybea child who's still learning to
communicate, maybe in a languagethat's something different than
the home language, sometimesthose are some of those
considerations, but that onlycomes when you take the time to
get to know the child and Ithink that that personalized
approach is really the way thatyou not only build relationships
(02:34):
with the child and the family,but then it starts, I think the
perspective starts to change.
It's not necessarily achallenging behavior, it's just
one that maybe we typicallyhaven't seen in the classroom,
because now the kiddos arecoming to our classroom settings
younger.
Bianca Barquin (02:51):
A need that needs to be met.
Diana's words echo, remindingus that these behaviors are not
mere disruptions, but anonverbalized plea, possibly
arising from a myriad of rootcauses language barriers, unmet
emotional needs or simply anunfamiliarity with the
structured world of a classroom.
(03:11):
To unravel these knots, we takea closer look at the impact of
the learning environment, acanvas where these behaviors
often play out vividly.
Damaris Sandoval weaves intoour understanding the
quintessential role of classroomenvironments, and her tale
doesn't just speak of merespaces but invites us to
(03:33):
envision realms where littlehearts and minds explore,
express and sometimes exasperate.
Damaris Sandoval (03:40):
Just like Diana said, it's very important
to have that relationship withour students, but it's also
important as a teacher to havesafe classroom environment for
our students to be able tounderstand those difficult
behaviors, especially whenthey're so young.
They're coming in younger andyounger now.
(04:02):
Now we're having four-year-oldscoming into our classrooms and
it's important to havewell-organized classroom, clear
areas or centers, differentactivities.
For example, a cute littlereading corner that's inviting
and encouraging, you'reencouraging the love for reading
and language development.
(04:23):
Having a dramatic play area tobuild that social-emotional
component and build empathy andimagination.
Having a block area forbuilding and supporting that
cognitive and problem-solving,math and manipulative hands-on
activities that promote theearly math, science, exploring
(04:43):
and understanding the worldaround them.
All of these components it'simportant to have in our
classroom.
But one of my favorites isproviding a safe and calming
space for our students.
Sometimes our students feelfrustrated or they're having a
bad morning and they need thattime and that space to feel
(05:05):
comfortable.
Bianca Barquin (05:06):
The blocks, the reading corner, the dramatic
play area.
Each component meticulouslycurated, serves as a conduit for
developing various facets of achild-- cognitive, social,
emotional and imaginative.
Damaris emphasizes the creationof these areas, including a
calming space, a gentle harborwhere turbulent emotional storms
(05:30):
can be soothed.
An interesting query arises: how universally are these areas (05:31):
undefined
adopted and implemented?
Damaris Sandoval (05:39):
Yes, we're in that process and that's the
beauty of all of this.
Teachers are actually havingthe opportunity to build these
areas and we're purchasingmaterials and it's great to go
into these classrooms and seethat change and see how students
are actually engaging in all ofthese activities and they're
(05:59):
learning through all of thesecenters and using all aspects of
the classroom.
Bianca Barquin (06:06):
We're in that process.
Damaris's words underscore anevolving reality where the
conscious, intentional creationof these spaces is happening,
lighting the way for our youngexplorers to safely navigate
through their early learningjourneys.
Transitions subtle, yetsignificant.
Andrew Montoya paints a vividpicture of transitions, not
(06:30):
merely as physical relocationsbut behavioral recalibrations.
How does the energy shift fromthe boisterous playground to the
structured classroom?
Andrew Montoya (06:41):
I think it's also important to think about
those transitions and how we'reliterally transitioning from one
physical space that expects acertain type of behavior into a
new space that expects acompletely different type of
behavior.
And we can see those asopportunities to kind of break
(07:03):
the behavioral expectations inone environment and set up for
the behavior expectations inanother.
And those check-ins allow us tosee which students are ready
for those transitions and whichstudents might need a little bit
more, as Diana said, supportwith their behavior before
(07:24):
entering.
If we think about when studentsare coming into the classroom,
they're coming in from outside,from running around, from
engaging with their peers, whereyou can be loud, where you can
be fast, and that's okay.
And now we're going into anenvironment where we don't want
you to be loud and fast, atleast not initially, and so I
was thinking more in that sense.
(07:46):
But even within your classroom,if there are different behavior
expectations within thosecenters, being able to kind of
create a break, break that spaceand then provide the next
expectation.
It's really important.
Bianca Barquin (08:03):
These shifts, these transitions encapsulate
opportunities for redirectingbehavioral expectations.
But beyond these transitionsand subsequent expectations lies
a deeper inquiry understandingthat behaviors emanate from a
deeper source, a root that, whenunderstood, allows for a
nurturing growth.
(08:24):
Root cause, an expression thattakes us deeper into our
understanding of behavior.
Andrew, sharing personalinsights elucidates that
immediate reactions, thoughprevalent, often cloud the
pathway to understanding theunderlying triggers of behaviors
.
Andrew Montoya (08:42):
That root cause is really important.
But before we get there, thefirst part of your question was
how do we create that time andspace and avoid that immediate
reaction, r ight?
And I just wanted to kind ofthrow out there, I have a
four-year-old and a two-year-oldat home and so I understand
that there are a lot ofimmediate reactions going on in
my house as well.
But I think that part of itallows us to look at the
(09:07):
behavior from the lens of theroot cause, so I didn't want to
skip over that part of it.
I think it's really importantto have the self-awareness and
the self-management skills asadults.
There's a really cool activitythat I like to do.
It's called the Hot ButtonActivity.
I'll go ahead and link it, butreally it just kind of walks you
through what are my hot buttons, what are the things that get
(09:29):
under my skin, what impact doesthat have on me?
And then how might that impactmy interaction with students?
And I think understanding thatallows us to create some time
and space so that we can look atthe behavior from more of a
functional lens rather than areactive lens.
(09:50):
So then when you start thinkingabout the functions of behavior
, really there's two bigfunctions and then we kind of go
from there.
It's either getting or avoidingsomething.
All behavior kind of servesthose two main functions,
getting or avoiding.
You could get or avoid adultattention, peer attention,
(10:13):
activities, items, sensorythings are too loud, things move
around too much, the lightingis off, whatever it is.
And understanding what the needthat behavior is serving for
the student is really important.
So I know if we have to see itthrough a student's lens, not
(10:34):
through how it's impacting theenvironment, but what need is it
meeting for the student?
And it's really important todistinguish that, because my
strategies for supporting astudent who's trying to get out
of something is going to becompletely different and almost
opposite in most cases for astudent who's trying to get
something.
(10:54):
So being able to kind ofdistinguish that is important.
Bianca Barquin (11:00):
Unraveling behaviors through a lens of
understanding, empathy,structured environments and a
deep delve into the root causesbecomes the harmonic symphony
that paves the way fornavigating through the intricate
tapestry of Early Learning.
Setting the stage for thedevelopmental journey is crucial
.
Diana Torres amplifies theessentiality of clear
(11:22):
expectations and establishingstructure for these young minds.
Clear expectations act as anunseen guide, directing them
through the organized chaos thatis the learning environment.
But these expectations must notbe rigid.
They must be imbued withunderstanding and compassion.
Diana Torres (11:42):
I think the first thing I think of are clear
expectations, right?
Andrew mentioned earlier thatthe transition from the outside
into the classroom--i f you knowthe outside rules but you don't
know what's expected insidethat classroom, how can you
expect, right, a child or anyonereally to be able to adhere to
(12:03):
expectations?
So much of that work has beendone for years here in Santa Ana
through PBIS, and so justteaching the expectations, I
think, is something that hasbeen super effective for
classroom teachers, and then,when those expectations are
taught, then reinforcing thebehavior, right, through a
(12:26):
variety of incentives, and Iknow there's lots of ideas and
thoughts around that, but Ithink it's something that has
proven to be successful in ourclassroom settings.
The other, and I know this isagain right, I mentioned earlier
, our youngest learners arehumans in smaller versions,
right?
So, just like all of us craveroutine, crave structure, right,
(12:50):
we all I know I have my routine.
We, I think, off mic, we talkedabout coffee and espresso, and I
know 5 am that's when my firstcup of coffee is served, and so
I think the same holds true forour kids, and I know Andrew was
talking earlier about his twoyear old and his four year old
and, honestly, even I have twolittle ones you know eight and
(13:13):
11, they need structure, theyneed routines, and when kids
know what to expect and what'scoming, I think it makes for
just a more harmonious kind ofenvironment for our teachers and
for the students.
Damaris mentioned somethingearlier as well, and it was the
use of visual supports, and Ithink that's pretty crucial.
(13:35):
Sometimes we hear something,but if we don't have a visual
anchor, it may not stick.
I know that's true for me.
I need visual anchors all thetime, and so I think that's also
a really, really effectivestrategy to support the types of
expectations, right, that wehave for children in our
classrooms.
Bianca Barquin (13:54):
Damaris Sandoval echoes the sentiment that
understanding each child ispivotal.
By utilizing developmentallyappropriate practices, we
understand that there's a silentcall from every misbehavior, a
plea often masked by actionsthat may be perceived as
disruptive or non-compliant.
Damaris Sandova (14:15):
Developmentally appropriate helps you
understand the child as a whole,because each child has their
own individual needs and theymake progress and grow at their
own pace.
So as educators, we're creatingand nurturing an environment
that's tailored to each child'sneeds and interests and
(14:37):
accommodating various learningstyles and supporting their
development effectively.
So developmentally appropriateencourages teachers to establish
behavior expectations that areat the child's age level.
For example, we havefour-year-olds and these
four-year-olds are sometimes,you go into these classrooms and
(14:59):
are expected to sit at thecarpet or doing work for 30 to
45 minutes.
The expectation is too long forthem and they can't attend too
long.
You see students wiggling intheir chairs.
You see them not payingattention, looking at something
else, playing, fidgeting andwhat is appropriate for them?
(15:22):
You can start off with maybefive minutes if the child can
attend, and then slowly increasethat time to be able to foster
that child's needs.
Bianca Barquin (15:35):
It's not a singular battle.
Educators aren't isolatedsoldiers in this quest to
decipher and respond tochallenging behaviors.
As Diana mentions, the districtis proactively providing
learning opportunities.
Diana Torres (15:49):
That's where at the district level, it's really,
it's been our responsibilityand our response to provide
professional learningopportunities related to
developmentally appropriatepractices, related to how to use
the environment as theextension of learning
opportunities, and so I thinkthat what I would add is yes,
there's all of this, but don'tworry, there's somewhere in a
(16:13):
team that's ready to support ourteachers in the classroom so
that they do feel equipped andthey do feel that they have the
skill set to respond insituations, to set up the
classroom in a way that's goingto help students be successful.
Bianca Barquin (16:28):
Delving deeper into the psychology behind
challenging behaviors, AndrewMontoya enlightens us on
trauma-informed teaching.
It's not merely a buzzword.
It's a lens through whicheducators can perceive the
unseen struggles that manystudents bear.
Trauma doesn't always scream.
Sometimes it whispers throughsubtle behaviors, reactions or
(16:50):
resistances encountered in theclassroom.
Andrew Montoya (16:54):
When we think of trauma-informed, a lot of times
we think of, when we heartrauma, we think of those big
events that have a huge impacton us.
But I actually wanted to startwith what trauma is and what it
encompasses, because, althoughsome of those would be
considered trauma, such as abuse, neglect, things like that,
(17:18):
trauma also includes things likefood insecurity.
It includes things like housinginsecurity.
It includes things like a senseof safety in my community.
Those are probably going to bea lot more common that we see in
the classroom.
You might not be able topinpoint what it is, but we
(17:38):
might encounter those more oftenin our classroom.
The next thing I wanted totouch on is the impact that has
on the person.
It really does start and it'sall in the brain.
When we think about are kidsready to learn?
What we're really saying is arethey operating in their
prefrontal cortex?
Are they in that executivefunctioning part of their brain
(18:01):
that deals with organization,time management, planning,
ability to focus?
When you experience trauma eventhose more broad you're finding
more broad sense, it impactsthat prefrontal cortex.
It becomes harder to focus, itbecomes harder for organization
and time management andmotivation and things like that.
(18:23):
We might see that in theclassroom, as the student's
disorganized, the studentdoesn't know how to focus, the
student won't start their taskor whatever that is, and to just
understand that those are alsoimpacts of trauma.
Now what we can do, again,going back to a lot of what
(18:44):
we've been saying, this isreally the root of why we want
safe, predictable environmentsand establishing meaningful
connections and relationshipswith students, because those are
going to help us kind of bufferthe impacts of trauma.
Bianca Barquin (19:01):
As the narrative weaves through diverse
perspectives, the confluence ofunderstanding, structure and
support emerges as a holisticapproach towards managing
behaviors in Early Learning.
It's a collective endeavor: educators, specialists and (19:12):
undefined
administrators joining forces tocarve out a path that
encompasses clear expectations,developmentally appropriate
strategies, and atrauma-informed perspective.
Join us for part two, where wecontinue to explore the myriad
facets of behavior management inearly learning environments,
(19:35):
deciphering the silent messagesbehind every action and
sculpting an atmosphere thatbeckons success, understanding
and holistic development.
So until our next deep dive,keep amplifying, keep leading
and keep making a differencewithin the walls of our schools
and in the hearts of ourstudents.
I'm Bianca Barquin, and thishas been SAUSD's Amplifying
(19:57):
Leadership.
Stay Inspired.
Welcome back to SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership.
I'm your host, Bianca Barquin.
Our journey today leads us intothe intricate world of early
learning, a pivotal periodshaping a child's educational
journey, especially now withuniversal pre-kindergarten in
play, younger souls are enteringour educational realms.
(00:27):
Their behaviors, oftenperceived as challenging, paint
a mosaic of their inner worldand unexpressed needs.
Today we weave throughinsightful discussions with
Diana Torres, our ExecutiveDirector of Teaching and
Learning, Damaris Sandoval, ourgo-to specialist in Early
Learning, and Andrew Montoya, aBehavior Intervention maestro.
(00:51):
Diana Torres, taking us intoher world, beautifully
elucidates the importance ofbuilding empathetic connections
and a profound understanding ofthe why behind every behavior.
Diana Torres (01:06):
Well, first, and foremost, I want to start by
thanking you for giving me theopportunity to be here today
with Andrew and with Damaris totalk about this really important
work, the important work that'shappening in our school
district, especially with whatyou mentioned during your
opening our UPK initiative andthe fact that children are
(01:27):
coming to us younger and younger, and so there's some
considerations around that.
And so, in answer to yourquestion, I think what I'll say
that the link between thechallenging behaviors that we're
seeing and the adults in ourclassrooms, it really goes back
to what you said in the openingas well, empathy and
relationships.
(01:47):
So when you take the time to tryto understand the why behind
the behavior, I think that thenyou're able to really kind of
target the behavior andsometimes see that it's not, it
changes your perspective.
You no longer see it as achallenging behavior, you see it
as a need that needs to be metright, and there are times that,
(02:10):
for a variety of reasons maybea child who's still learning to
communicate, maybe in a languagethat's something different than
the home language, sometimesthose are some of those
considerations, but that onlycomes when you take the time to
get to know the child and Ithink that that personalized
approach is really the way thatyou not only build relationships
(02:34):
with the child and the family,but then it starts, I think the
perspective starts to change.
It's not necessarily achallenging behavior, it's just
one that maybe we typicallyhaven't seen in the classroom,
because now the kiddos arecoming to our classroom settings
younger.
Bianca Barquin (02:51):
A need that needs to be met.
Diana's words echo, remindingus that these behaviors are not
mere disruptions, but anonverbalized plea, possibly
arising from a myriad of rootcauses language barriers, unmet
emotional needs or simply anunfamiliarity with the
structured world of a classroom.
(03:11):
To unravel these knots, we takea closer look at the impact of
the learning environment, acanvas where these behaviors
often play out vividly.
Damaris Sandoval weaves intoour understanding the
quintessential role of classroomenvironments, and her tale
doesn't just speak of merespaces but invites us to
(03:33):
envision realms where littlehearts and minds explore,
express and sometimes exasperate.
Damaris Sandoval (03:40):
Just like Diana said, it's very important
to have that relationship withour students, but it's also
important as a teacher to havesafe classroom environment for
our students to be able tounderstand those difficult
behaviors, especially whenthey're so young.
They're coming in younger andyounger now.
(04:02):
Now we're having four-year-oldscoming into our classrooms and
it's important to havewell-organized classroom, clear
areas or centers, differentactivities.
For example, a cute littlereading corner that's inviting
and encouraging, you'reencouraging the love for reading
and language development.
(04:23):
Having a dramatic play area tobuild that social-emotional
component and build empathy andimagination.
Having a block area forbuilding and supporting that
cognitive and problem-solving,math and manipulative hands-on
activities that promote theearly math, science, exploring
(04:43):
and understanding the worldaround them.
All of these components it'simportant to have in our
classroom.
But one of my favorites isproviding a safe and calming
space for our students.
Sometimes our students feelfrustrated or they're having a
bad morning and they need thattime and that space to feel
(05:05):
comfortable.
Bianca Barquin (05:06):
The blocks, the reading corner, the dramatic
play area.
Each component meticulouslycurated, serves as a conduit for
developing various facets of achild-- cognitive, social,
emotional and imaginative.
Damaris emphasizes the creationof these areas, including a
calming space, a gentle harborwhere turbulent emotional storms
(05:30):
can be soothed.
An interesting query arises: how universally are these areas (05:31):
undefined
adopted and implemented?
Damaris Sandoval (05:39):
Yes, we're in that process and that's the
beauty of all of this.
Teachers are actually havingthe opportunity to build these
areas and we're purchasingmaterials and it's great to go
into these classrooms and seethat change and see how students
are actually engaging in all ofthese activities and they're
(05:59):
learning through all of thesecenters and using all aspects of
the classroom.
Bianca Barquin (06:06):
We're in that process.
Damaris's words underscore anevolving reality where the
conscious, intentional creationof these spaces is happening,
lighting the way for our youngexplorers to safely navigate
through their early learningjourneys.
Transitions subtle, yetsignificant.
Andrew Montoya paints a vividpicture of transitions, not
(06:30):
merely as physical relocationsbut behavioral recalibrations.
How does the energy shift fromthe boisterous playground to the
structured classroom?
Andrew Montoya (06:41):
I think it's also important to think about
those transitions and how we'reliterally transitioning from one
physical space that expects acertain type of behavior into a
new space that expects acompletely different type of
behavior.
And we can see those asopportunities to kind of break
(07:03):
the behavioral expectations inone environment and set up for
the behavior expectations inanother.
And those check-ins allow us tosee which students are ready
for those transitions and whichstudents might need a little bit
more, as Diana said, supportwith their behavior before
(07:24):
entering.
If we think about when studentsare coming into the classroom,
they're coming in from outside,from running around, from
engaging with their peers, whereyou can be loud, where you can
be fast, and that's okay.
And now we're going into anenvironment where we don't want
you to be loud and fast, atleast not initially, and so I
was thinking more in that sense.
(07:46):
But even within your classroom,if there are different behavior
expectations within thosecenters, being able to kind of
create a break, break that spaceand then provide the next
expectation.
It's really important.
Bianca Barquin (08:03):
These shifts, these transitions encapsulate
opportunities for redirectingbehavioral expectations.
But beyond these transitionsand subsequent expectations lies
a deeper inquiry understandingthat behaviors emanate from a
deeper source, a root that, whenunderstood, allows for a
nurturing growth.
(08:24):
Root cause, an expression thattakes us deeper into our
understanding of behavior.
Andrew, sharing personalinsights elucidates that
immediate reactions, thoughprevalent, often cloud the
pathway to understanding theunderlying triggers of behaviors
.
Andrew Montoya (08:42):
That root cause is really important.
But before we get there, thefirst part of your question was
how do we create that time andspace and avoid that immediate
reaction, r ight?
And I just wanted to kind ofthrow out there, I have a
four-year-old and a two-year-oldat home and so I understand
that there are a lot ofimmediate reactions going on in
my house as well.
But I think that part of itallows us to look at the
(09:07):
behavior from the lens of theroot cause, so I didn't want to
skip over that part of it.
I think it's really importantto have the self-awareness and
the self-management skills asadults.
There's a really cool activitythat I like to do.
It's called the Hot ButtonActivity.
I'll go ahead and link it, butreally it just kind of walks you
through what are my hot buttons, what are the things that get
(09:29):
under my skin, what impact doesthat have on me?
And then how might that impactmy interaction with students?
And I think understanding thatallows us to create some time
and space so that we can look atthe behavior from more of a
functional lens rather than areactive lens.
(09:50):
So then when you start thinkingabout the functions of behavior
, really there's two bigfunctions and then we kind of go
from there.
It's either getting or avoidingsomething.
All behavior kind of servesthose two main functions,
getting or avoiding.
You could get or avoid adultattention, peer attention,
(10:13):
activities, items, sensorythings are too loud, things move
around too much, the lightingis off, whatever it is.
And understanding what the needthat behavior is serving for
the student is really important.
So I know if we have to see itthrough a student's lens, not
(10:34):
through how it's impacting theenvironment, but what need is it
meeting for the student?
And it's really important todistinguish that, because my
strategies for supporting astudent who's trying to get out
of something is going to becompletely different and almost
opposite in most cases for astudent who's trying to get
something.
(10:54):
So being able to kind ofdistinguish that is important.
Bianca Barquin (11:00):
Unraveling behaviors through a lens of
understanding, empathy,structured environments and a
deep delve into the root causesbecomes the harmonic symphony
that paves the way fornavigating through the intricate
tapestry of Early Learning.
Setting the stage for thedevelopmental journey is crucial
.
Diana Torres amplifies theessentiality of clear
(11:22):
expectations and establishingstructure for these young minds.
Clear expectations act as anunseen guide, directing them
through the organized chaos thatis the learning environment.
But these expectations must notbe rigid.
They must be imbued withunderstanding and compassion.
Diana Torres (11:42):
I think the first thing I think of are clear
expectations, right?
Andrew mentioned earlier thatthe transition from the outside
into the classroom--i f you knowthe outside rules but you don't
know what's expected insidethat classroom, how can you
expect, right, a child or anyonereally to be able to adhere to
(12:03):
expectations?
So much of that work has beendone for years here in Santa Ana
through PBIS, and so justteaching the expectations, I
think, is something that hasbeen super effective for
classroom teachers, and then,when those expectations are
taught, then reinforcing thebehavior, right, through a
(12:26):
variety of incentives, and Iknow there's lots of ideas and
thoughts around that, but Ithink it's something that has
proven to be successful in ourclassroom settings.
The other, and I know this isagain right, I mentioned earlier
, our youngest learners arehumans in smaller versions,
right?
So, just like all of us craveroutine, crave structure, right,
(12:50):
we all I know I have my routine.
We, I think, off mic, we talkedabout coffee and espresso, and I
know 5 am that's when my firstcup of coffee is served, and so
I think the same holds true forour kids, and I know Andrew was
talking earlier about his twoyear old and his four year old
and, honestly, even I have twolittle ones you know eight and
(13:13):
11, they need structure, theyneed routines, and when kids
know what to expect and what'scoming, I think it makes for
just a more harmonious kind ofenvironment for our teachers and
for the students.
Damaris mentioned somethingearlier as well, and it was the
use of visual supports, and Ithink that's pretty crucial.
(13:35):
Sometimes we hear something,but if we don't have a visual
anchor, it may not stick.
I know that's true for me.
I need visual anchors all thetime, and so I think that's also
a really, really effectivestrategy to support the types of
expectations, right, that wehave for children in our
classrooms.
Bianca Barquin (13:54):
Damaris Sandoval echoes the sentiment that
understanding each child ispivotal.
By utilizing developmentallyappropriate practices, we
understand that there's a silentcall from every misbehavior, a
plea often masked by actionsthat may be perceived as
disruptive or non-compliant.
Damaris Sandova (14:15):
Developmentally appropriate helps you
understand the child as a whole,because each child has their
own individual needs and theymake progress and grow at their
own pace.
So as educators, we're creatingand nurturing an environment
that's tailored to each child'sneeds and interests and
(14:37):
accommodating various learningstyles and supporting their
development effectively.
So developmentally appropriateencourages teachers to establish
behavior expectations that areat the child's age level.
For example, we havefour-year-olds and these
four-year-olds are sometimes,you go into these classrooms and
(14:59):
are expected to sit at thecarpet or doing work for 30 to
45 minutes.
The expectation is too long forthem and they can't attend too
long.
You see students wiggling intheir chairs.
You see them not payingattention, looking at something
else, playing, fidgeting andwhat is appropriate for them?
(15:22):
You can start off with maybefive minutes if the child can
attend, and then slowly increasethat time to be able to foster
that child's needs.
Bianca Barquin (15:35):
It's not a singular battle.
Educators aren't isolatedsoldiers in this quest to
decipher and respond tochallenging behaviors.
As Diana mentions, the districtis proactively providing
learning opportunities.
Diana Torres (15:49):
That's where at the district level, it's really,
it's been our responsibilityand our response to provide
professional learningopportunities related to
developmentally appropriatepractices, related to how to use
the environment as theextension of learning
opportunities, and so I thinkthat what I would add is yes,
there's all of this, but don'tworry, there's somewhere in a
(16:13):
team that's ready to support ourteachers in the classroom so
that they do feel equipped andthey do feel that they have the
skill set to respond insituations, to set up the
classroom in a way that's goingto help students be successful.
Bianca Barquin (16:28):
Delving deeper into the psychology behind
challenging behaviors, AndrewMontoya enlightens us on
trauma-informed teaching.
It's not merely a buzzword.
It's a lens through whicheducators can perceive the
unseen struggles that manystudents bear.
Trauma doesn't always scream.
Sometimes it whispers throughsubtle behaviors, reactions or
(16:50):
resistances encountered in theclassroom.
Andrew Montoya (16:54):
When we think of trauma-informed, a lot of times
we think of, when we heartrauma, we think of those big
events that have a huge impacton us.
But I actually wanted to startwith what trauma is and what it
encompasses, because, althoughsome of those would be
considered trauma, such as abuse, neglect, things like that,
(17:18):
trauma also includes things likefood insecurity.
It includes things like housinginsecurity.
It includes things like a senseof safety in my community.
Those are probably going to bea lot more common that we see in
the classroom.
You might not be able topinpoint what it is, but we
(17:38):
might encounter those more oftenin our classroom.
The next thing I wanted totouch on is the impact that has
on the person.
It really does start and it'sall in the brain.
When we think about are kidsready to learn?
What we're really saying is arethey operating in their
prefrontal cortex?
Are they in that executivefunctioning part of their brain
(18:01):
that deals with organization,time management, planning,
ability to focus?
When you experience trauma eventhose more broad you're finding
more broad sense, it impactsthat prefrontal cortex.
It becomes harder to focus, itbecomes harder for organization
and time management andmotivation and things like that.
(18:23):
We might see that in theclassroom, as the student's
disorganized, the studentdoesn't know how to focus, the
student won't start their taskor whatever that is, and to just
understand that those are alsoimpacts of trauma.
Now what we can do, again,going back to a lot of what
(18:44):
we've been saying, this isreally the root of why we want
safe, predictable environmentsand establishing meaningful
connections and relationshipswith students, because those are
going to help us kind of bufferthe impacts of trauma.
Bianca Barquin (19:01):
As the narrative weaves through diverse
perspectives, the confluence ofunderstanding, structure and
support emerges as a holisticapproach towards managing
behaviors in Early Learning.
It's a collective endeavor: educators, specialists and (19:12):
undefined
administrators joining forces tocarve out a path that
encompasses clear expectations,developmentally appropriate
strategies, and atrauma-informed perspective.
Join us for part two, where wecontinue to explore the myriad
facets of behavior management inearly learning environments,
(19:35):
deciphering the silent messagesbehind every action and
sculpting an atmosphere thatbeckons success, understanding
and holistic development.
So until our next deep dive,keep amplifying, keep leading
and keep making a differencewithin the walls of our schools
and in the hearts of ourstudents.
I'm Bianca Barquin, and thishas been SAUSD's Amplifying
(19:57):
Leadership.
Stay Inspired.
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