BEST PRACTICE FOR NAVIGATING TRANSITIONS
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the adult-child relationship will be compromised , should we not exert our power . However , the truth is that our most powerful move in response to challenging behaviors in times of stress and transition is to show support .
To understand how to best support a student struggling with transitional reactivity without compromising the relationship or complicating the situation , I invite you to think about how young children learn to swim . We do not punish young children for being unable to swim , we help them develop the necessary skills . We encourage them , and empower them , and remind them that they are safe while they learn to tolerate the water . We model strategies for successful swimming , slowly reducing the intensity of our intervention as their skills naturally grow stronger . In time , we watch them swim across the deep end without so much as a second thought regarding their ability to do so . This is developmentally respectful guidance . This is emotionally sound and supportive leadership . This is
“... the truth is that our most powerful move in response to challenging behaviors in times of stress and transition is to show support .” best practice and what we all should strive to do .
We cannot deny , however , that our own preoccupations , stress level , and faulty thinking can get in the way of reacting most appropriately at times . We are , of course , only human . Additionally , it can be a challenge to know exactly how to empathetically support a student struggling through a transition , especially when they are behaving in an overtly inappropriate or unacceptable way , without reinforcing the behavior . In order to best preserve the healthy working adult-child relationship and guide the development of critical skills , remember these universally appropriate interventions :
Reflect
Reflect on the behaviors you are observing within the student at times of transitions . Apply no weighted judgment to your observations , simply share what you have noticed as a matter of fact .
“ I noticed your body tends to get really busy just before recess . I often see you wiggling around by the cubbies , or poking at your neighbor , instead of staying seated quietly at your desk .”
Validate
Validate the struggle that is likely creating the behavior . While we can never fully know what someone else might be struggling with , we can safely assume that chal-
Page 8 Fall 2022 CSEE Connections