WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND

There is a place for "No".
A child is running toward the busy road. "NO!"
A block is about to be hurled through the air. "NO!"
A child decides to explore under the kitchen sink. "NO!"

You see the pattern here? There is almost always serious danger involved. We need to recognize when it is imperative to just say "NO!", and when we have TIME to use more words.

When you have the time to use more words, the words should be positive.

Someone is climbing on a shelf. "Feet down, please."
Someone is running in a "no-running zone". "Walk, please."
Someone is trying to take a toy from a classmate. "May I have that toy, please? Now, let's talk about this."

If your classroom is full of "NO" and DON'T", you will have an atmosphere reflecting that. Screaming, yelling, hitting, kicking, pushing, crying, biting...etc. Doesn't sound like a place you want to go to every morning, does it? Children don't get the same results with their peers when they just say no. They have to resort to stronger behaviors to get the same results. So let's not have a power struggle with them. Let's just teach them how to say and do things using a positive approach.

Children learn from what they see and hear. A happy, fun and safe classroom is created by the ways in which we express ourselves around the children. If we are speaking with constructive, positive statements, the children will learn to do the same with each other.

It all begins with training ourselves to use positive phrases... and that takes time. However, when you start seeing the results, you'll LOVE going to work every day!

Be positive.