. How to Handle an Incident

Scenario: A five year old child, Timmy, has a temper tantrum in the midst of a preschool lesson. This has been a recurring issue. This incident occurred in the middle of the morning period when the students are supposed to be practicing their writing skills, around 10AM. Before the incident occurred, the teacher had noticed that Timmy appeared restless and frustrated. He was struggling to navigate the writing activity and was becoming agitated as a result. Usually, Timmy and the other students in the group have a fruit snack at around 9:30AM just before the morning playtime. Based on the context, using professional judgement, the teacher could manage the incident as follows: 1. Calm the Situation: Firstly, the teacher calmly removed other children from proximity to ensure their safety and reassurance. To deescalate the situation, the teacher also lowers her voice and speaks to Timmy in calm, reassuring tones. 2. Identify the Problem: Acknowledge Timmy's difficulties. "It looks like you're having a tough time with this exercise, would you like some help, Timmy?" 3. Provide Clear Instructions: Give Timmy a chance to express his feelings whilst also providing clear direction on appropriate actions. The teacher can say, "I understand you're feeling upset right now. It's okay to feel frustrated, but we must also practice calming ourselves down." 4. Optimize the Environment: Check the surrounding factors, such as the time snack is served or the level of activity before the writing period. If needed, adjustments can be made to prevent triggering factors like hunger or the accumulation of too much energy. 5. Involvement of relevant party: Contact Timmy's parents and discuss the spell of tantrums Timmy has been having. Suggest a consistent approach towards managing his behaviour both at home and in school. 6. Consistent Follow-up: The teacher would need to continuously observe Timmy during the sanctioned play and learning periods to early-detour any signs of another potential outburst. Additionally, making sure that Timmy doesn't feel singled out or ostracized is crucial for his emotional stability and social inclusion. Each child's behavioral issue can have different contextual factors, so the way to handle these incidents may vary. Therefore, it's pivotal for educators to use their best professional judgement when dealing with each individual situation.