facing the challenge...
Training with Devereux Early Childhood Initiative's DVDs on Challenging Behaviors
by Toby Hunter, Child Development and Inclusion Coordinator, Early Learning Coalition of Alachua County, Inc.
I was recently approached by the Agency for Workforce Innovation’s Office of Early Learning to conduct trainings on “Facing the Challenge.” In the past year, I have been approached by the staff and director several times concerning extreme behavioral issues at this site. Several of these cases have led to formal assessment and eventual placement in exceptional educational programs. Other cases have been resolved through a series of interventions, but with the recognition that additional staff training would be beneficial. To bring in this training, I partnered with O2B Kids, Midtown campus, a corporate child care center that serves a diverse population of children. The audience consisted of all of the lead teachers, along with their director.
The training was divided into two parts, What is Challenging Behavior? and Why Do Kids Misbehave? I presented the printed activities and handouts from the accompanying Trainer’s Guide and proceeded through the introductions. The most interactive component was participant response to the Facing the Challenge video clips. These short vignettes were perfect for initiating conversations, allowing the staff to explore their teaching styles, especially as related to their own experiences.
As a trainer, I liked the ability to flow between lecture-style presentation, discussions, and video clips. The expert commentators on the DVD increase the authority of the material, and serve to reinforce the concepts being taught. Teachers enjoy seeing authentic clips of children in the classroom, because they can relate to the scenarios and understand that they are not alone in dealing with similar situations. Finally, the Trainer Guide handouts can be used in a variety of creative ways, such as ice-breakers, follow-up activities, pre/post assessment of knowledge, and reflection/discussion points. In this way, the trainings can be customized to each audience and circumstance.
The center director later told me she was proud of how much her staff had grown as a result of the training, and that she was sure that the principles they learned would translate into successful interventions in the classrooms. To build on this success, we hope to present another series of trainings in the near future, and expand the audience to include child care providers from other centers throughout our county.
The “Facing the Challenge” training materials are available online, or through the Devereux Foundation sales team at (866) Train-US (872-4687).
