Welcome back to this week’s segment of After School Tea Time! Get your tea cups ready because we have more to spill this week! Keep your questions coming because you could be helping someone who has similar questions!
Question from New Haven County- There is a student in our program having behavioral issues. They have always had trouble following directions, but lately the behavior has been progressing to more troublesome actions. For example, this student was playing with a pair of scissors and cut a piece of another student’s hair. When they were asked to give the scissors back, they did listen, but later on in the day they were caught playing with them again. What advice do you have on how we can navigate this situation?
Hey New Haven, thank you for asking this question. Behavioral issues are difficult to handle, especially if the behavior is repeated. There are a few different solutions you can look into for this situation. First, ask yourself questions about the situation. Maybe this student is having problems at home. How long has this behavior been happening? Did it start around a certain time? After reflecting, I would start by having a direct conversation with the student. Maybe they are not comfortable opening up to you, but they’ve opened up to another staff member. It is important that this student feels supported and knows that they are in a safe space. If a direct conversation isn’t the best option, I would reach out to a parent/guardian and explain what has been happening. Maybe they will have some information on why this behavior has been happening. In the meantime, make sure that this student isn’t causing harm to the other students or to themselves. It would be a good idea to have one of your staff members keep an extra close eye on this student in case another incident like the scissors example happens. Another method you can explore is incorporating emotion regulation activities into your lesson plans. These are very important skills for students to have. It can be something artistic or active. Here is an emotion regulation activity that requires students to draw what they are feeling. Maybe this will help your student express how they are feeling. We hope this is helpful!
We’ll see you next week for another segment of After School Tea Time! Don’t forget to submit your anonymous questions here.