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In a rush? Here's a quick breakdown:
When it comes to managing difficult child behaviors, teachers are often left feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and even defeated. As early education center leaders, it’s our job to support them through these challenges by providing the right tools, training, and coaching.
Behavior management isn’t just about correcting disruptive behavior; it’s about understanding the root cause, setting appropriate expectations, and equipping teachers with the strategies they need to create a positive learning environment.
And guess what? So much of providing behavior management techniques has to do with giving them new ways to think! It’s helping them learn to shut off their autopilot and think about how they approach challenging behaviors. Whoa, that’s deep, huh? Let’s dive in.
Children exhibit challenging behaviors for many reasons—some struggle with emotional regulation, while others may need additional sensory input or structure. The key to effective behavior management starts with understanding these behaviors rather than just reacting to them. When teachers recognize that every misbehavior is a form of communication, they can shift their approach from punishment to problem-solving.
Teachers need ongoing support to learn effective behavior management strategies to diffuse outbursts, to know that they aren’t the only one dealing with these behaviors, and to build their confidence in handling challenging behaviors.
As a leader, your role is to coach and guide them so they can develop these new skills. This means checking in regularly, providing feedback (in the right way), and offering professional development opportunities focused on behavior expectations and behavior management.
When you coach them well, they will grow both professionally and personally. This is HUGE because we know from research that helping our staff grow personally increases their loyalty and reduces turnover.
So now we know why we need to coach our team, let’s look at a few key coaching strategies.
Children experiencing emotional dysregulation may struggle with tantrums, defiance, or aggression. Ask your teachers: What triggers these outbursts? What patterns do you see?
Encourage them to practice connection before correction. Helping a child feel seen and understood can prevent behaviors from escalating.
Role-play is a great behavior management technique for teachers. Create scenarios with your teachers to help them respond calmly and effectively.
It is really important that teachers validate the child and show that they understand why the child is upset, because children will continue to tantram and have outbursts until they think the adult “gets it”. If a child continues to have an outburst several times a day, it is likely a case that the child does not feel that the teacher understands or cares about the problem.
Some children act out simply to gain attention. Instead of reinforcing negative behaviors, coach teachers to recognize and praise positive actions. Encourage them to set clear behavior expectations and use strategies like visual schedules and nonverbal cues to guide behavior.
Is the child having trouble sitting still? Do they play too roughly? Before labeling a child as hyperactive, ask: Is the classroom environment structured to meet their developmental needs? Are they getting enough movement breaks? Guide teachers to create opportunities for structured physical activity and sensory-friendly spaces.
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. When teachers are well-equipped with behavior management strategies, they can prevent many issues before they escalate. Teachers should:
So armor up! Find ways to reinforce best practices in early childhood education that promote social-emotional development and self-regulation.
This means not only addressing challenges as they arise but also proactively investing in training that empowers teachers. At Impact Early Education, we have courses to help you with behavior management tips and conversational skills so you can master the art of hard conversations.
When teachers feel unsupported, stress and burnout increase, which ultimately leads to high turnover rates. By creating a strong coaching culture – whether for behavior management techniques and strategies or anything else – you can help teachers feel more confident in their abilities, which improves their job satisfaction and effectiveness.
It also builds your connection with them and their trust in you, which creates loyalty. They will feel safe to try new strategies and possibly fail at implementing them, knowing that they can tweak and adjust their approach for each child with your support.
This is why coaching your team is so powerful! When you support your teachers – which is quite possibly one of the hardest aspects of their job – you create the best kind of loop! You help them grow, which improves your unique relationship with each teacher, classroom quality and child outcomes, which leads to happier children, happier families, and a happier team. It’s a win-win-win!
The work you do as an early education leader is among the most important there is. When you invest in your teachers, you invest in the children they serve. Stay committed to their growth, provide them with the resources they need, and encourage them to see every misbehavior as an opportunity to teach and connect.
At Impact Early Education, we offer professional development courses designed to help your teachers manage aggressive and defiant behaviors effectively. We also offer courses to help you lead well and coach them intentionally. Our training provides real-world strategies that can be implemented immediately. We help you master hard conversations and coaching so that you too build your confidence! We encourage you to take advantage of these resources to ensure your team feels empowered and equipped to handle any behavior challenge with confidence.
Remember, progress over perfection. With patience, consistency, and the right support, your teachers—and their students—will thrive.
Guidance from the Danish Health Ministry, translated in full to English.
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The full recommendations from a working group of over 70 nursery chains in the UK.
Please note: here at Famly we love sharing creative activities for you to try with the children at your setting, but you know them best. Take the time to consider adaptions you might need to make so these activities are accessible and developmentally appropriate for the children you work with. Just as you ordinarily would, conduct risk assessments for your children and your setting before undertaking new activities, and ensure you and your staff are following your own health and safety guidelines.
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