Behavior Guidance
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Behavior Guidance Overview
Behavior Guidance is one of the most popular topics for OST staff; use these resources to help get you started. If you need additional support or have questions - fill out our Request Technical Assistance form in Quick Links and check out our Mental-Emotional Wellness, Trauma Informed Care, and Behavior Guidance videos in our 5 Minute Edge for Frontline Staff playlists on YouTube.
For deeper learning on this subject, consider enrolling in our course Guiding Children's Behavior in Out-of-School Time Programs. Course availability can be found on our landing page.
Staff Resources
Much of the work of behavior guidance is through our own modeling and ability to remain calm while supporting a child or youth in the midst of a challenging situation. Read these articles from the Child Mind Institute - What is Co-Regulation? and How to Model Healthy Coping Skills for some additional learning on the subject.
Access the CASEL Adult SEL Reflection Tool to assess your personal strengths, think about how to model those strengths when interacting with others, and plan strategies to promote growth in your own skills.
Listen to these Beyond the Bell with WOSTA podcast episodes for additional learning: How to Recognize Our Own Signs of Stress and Burnout - What to do About It.
Developmentally Appropriate Behavior Guidance
Watch this video from Parks and Recreation Ontario on Ages and Stages of Middle Childhood and access this guide on typical developmental characteristics of 5 - 18 year olds. Read about the School-Age Principles of Development that guide our understanding of how young people learn and grow.
Learn about social-emotional milestones for school-age children and how they develop relationships, manage their emotions, cope with stress, and develop social-emotional skills in this article from Virtual Lab School.
Read about the importance of the learning environment in school-age programs as a prevention strategy - including the use of routines and schedules, the physical space of the learning environment, and supervision practices - in this article from Virtual Lab School.
Transitions can be a challenging time for children and youth. Check out these articles from Child Mind Institute - Why Do Kids Have Trouble With Transitions? and How Can We Help Kids With Transitions? to support you in navigating one of the more challenging times in programming.
Check out this article Supports to Decrease Fight or Flight Behaviors from Edutopia
Visit the Search Institute to learn about the Developmental Relationships Framework and access this guide for more information.
Listen to this Beyond the Bell with WOSTA podcast episode for additional learning: How to Proactively Keep Kids Regulated.
Read this article on Understanding Behavior as Communication and review these Tips and Reminders to help you think about reasonable and appropriate interventions to challenging behaviors.
Use this Behavior Guidance Filter to help staff navigate challenging situations.
Share the 5 Finger Formula for Conflict Resolution with youth in your program and read this article from Child Mind Institute on Teaching Kids How to Deal with Conflict for more tips.
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