The "Why" Behind Classroom Behaviors, PreK-5. Jamie Chaves
The “Why” Behind Classroom Behaviors, PreK–5
Integrative Strategies for Learning, Regulation, and Relationships
Jamie Chaves
Ashley Taylor
Foreword by Tina Payne Bryson
Copyright © 2021 by Corwin Press, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Chaves, Jamie, author. | Taylor, Ashley (Pediatric psychologist) author.
Title: The “why” behind classroom behaviors, PreK-5 : integrative strategies for learning, regulation, and relationships / Jamie Chaves, Ashley Taylor.
Description: Thousand Oaks, Califorinia : Corwin Press, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020022953 | ISBN 9781071816103 (paperback) | ISBN 9781071816158 (epub) | ISBN 9781071816141 (epub) | ISBN 9781071816134 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Problem children—Education (Early childhood) | Problem children—Education (Elementary) | Behavioral assessment of children. | Classroom management.
Classification: LCC LC4801 .C43 2021 | DDC 371.93—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020022953
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Foreword
“Kids are different from how they used to be.” This is a refrain that, over the last few years, I’ve heard repeated by seasoned educators all over the United States. They mean a variety of things when they say this, but in general, the message is typically something along the lines of more kids being more dysregulated more often in response to the typical demands of the school day, and that more children struggle when it comes to attention, behavior, and mood, all of which obviously impact learning. I’m consistently told by teachers that they don’t feel that they’ve been trained to work with so many kids with such varieties and intensity of needs, and they don’t feel supported enough to do this demanding work well. Add in a generation of parents who are sometimes less trusting of teachers, and the job, in many ways, really is harder than it’s ever been.
If you’re like many educators these days, you’re feeling tremendous pressure to do more in shorter periods of time and with a larger number of students in your classes—many of whom have higher needs. Understandably, you feel that despite (or maybe partially because of) your desire to be a great teacher who loves your students and wants to champion them, you experience toxic levels of stress. You feel desperate for tools and perspectives to help you make sense of and address the most challenging behaviors you see in your classrooms, and you want ways to reach parents so that they partner with you and support you instead of blaming you. You may be a gifted teacher who’s even considering leaving the field because the challenge feels too great. You’re inspired by the idea that you can do hard things, but you’re tired of doing those hard things day after day without the tools and support and time to manage classroom dynamics more effectively. For years I’ve wished that committed educators like you could find powerful, practical tools to help you be more effective in dealing with these challenges.
Now, Dr. Jamie Chaves and Dr. Ashley Taylor, both of whom have spent countless hours in classrooms observing students, providing support to teachers and administrators, and working as consultants and collaborators in school settings, are making that wish come true. They both bring a tremendous wealth of knowledge to the table, and I’m so proud of them, of the work they’ve done and of how many schools and families have been transformed by having worked with them. And I’m excited about this book, which brings you incredibly interesting, meaningful, and relevant knowledge from their fields which will help you face the pedagogical and behavioral challenges before you.
Working from their respective fields of expertise, Jamie and Ashley take what’s crucial in order for children to learn, and make it accessible and readily applicable. In this book, they’ll guide you in how to approach situations with curiosity, allowing you to work from a deeper awareness of a child’s nervous system and internal landscape. After reading The “Why” Behind Classroom Behaviors, PreK–5, you’ll be in a strong position to begin to make transformative changes, particularly for the most difficult children who need the most help. You’ll discover how to create a sensory-aware environment, as well as how to honor individual differences and learning capacities, and make sense of and change behavior. You’ll have new analogies, examples, and language to encourage parents to see what’s really happening with their child, and to join with you in doing what it takes to help their child learn. This book offers you a toolbox that