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- Children respond to a positive and smiling leader or teacher. A positive
leader creates a learning environment where each child feels loved and accepted
and where the Spirit of the Lord can be felt.
- Teach correct social behavior by instruction and by example.
- Establish a few simple rules, and help every child understand what is
expected. Be realistic in your expectations.
- Be consistent, patient, loving, and firm.
- Always seek to build self-worth when responding to a child.
- Provide a great deal of recognition and praise for good behavior, and
avoid pointing out the negative. A good rule is to give at least six positive
statements to a child for every negative statement.
- Reinforce good behavior or responses by using positive comments such as "Great," "Wonderful idea," "Good response," or "I
appreciate your attention."
- Plan for a short attention span by providing activities and involvement and by being flexible and sensitive to the child’s
needs. Keep it simple.
- Reinforce appropriate behavior by allowing the child to help mark the
roll, gather or dispense materials, hold a picture, and so on.
- Encourage the child’s peers to ignore inappropriate behavior and compliment
the child when he or she does contribute in a positive way.
- Send home special notes that point out the good things the child does.
- Recognize that other children may learn Christlike behavior by assisting
a child with a disability.
- Review "Creating a Positive Classroom Atmosphere." from the Primary Leader
Training videocassette (53008).
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