Mistaken Behavior In Early Childhood Education

Mistaken behavior Vs Misbehavior

“Behavior is the mirror in which everyone shows their image.” Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe.

In early childhood education most of the caregivers; teachers, assistants teachers and parents have difficulties with the way children act or what they say in certain situations or activities. Thanks to the many early pioneers in Early Childhood Education we have now so many bases that help us to understand and promote a healthy and appropriate environment for a good development of the kids. Guidance that means “teaching children to learn from their mistakes, rather than punishing children for making them” (Gartrell, 2004) is a powerful tool we have as teachers to deal and

Adults assume that children already have born with these democratic skills and they know how to react in the day by day activities/situations. We just think children choose to misbehave. Jean Piaget (1896-1980) provided a foundation for the study of the child development and he cites that children are egocentric. Kids only think of themselves, their own wants and they don’t consider other people, so imagine if a kid is playing with a popular toy in the classroom; what make us think he is going to share that toy with his peer that is starting to cry because he wants it? If a teacher doesn’t apply guidance in these situation and she only focus on the misbehavior, she is going to point and label this child character as “unkind”, “bad kid”, “egoist” and she is going to punish or discipline the kid maybe giving him time- out; typical form of traditional classroom disciplined, as a punishment, “time out doesn’t help young children learn positive solutions from their mistakes” (Schreiber, 1999) trying to shame this kid into a better behavior. Kids tend to internalize negative labels because the absence of development and experience. They see themselves as they are labeled and they react accordingly. We have to be very careful with this because this negative labels affects self-esteem and launch them into a negative

Teachers and parents who use guidance know and comprehend that is hard for children to learn difficult skills so they make mistakes (Gartrell, 1995). “Young children are still developing the social understanding and the ability to make intelligent, ethical decisions, they are developing autonomy (Jean Piaget 1936-1960) Mistaken behavior is an opportunity for teachers and parents to correct this behavior thru teaching what is correct instead of only punish the child for something that the child is not yet able to comprehend. Based on Harlow (1905-1981) ideas, Gartrell (2004) cites that are 3 levels of mistaken behavior:

• Experimentation: It can be intentionally, for curiosity to see what will happen and unintentionally; the child is involve in a certain conflict.

• Socially influenced: Children are like sponges. A child can be socially influenced by adults, friends, teachers, family and media, they repeat what they see in the environment they live.

• Strong needs: For some reasons like genetic or life circumstances children have frequent and severe problems. They have deep unmet