During center time, 4-year-old Mateo suddenly throws wooden blocks across the room when another child reaches for the same bin. He screams, “Mine!” and kicks the shelf when redirected.
The teacher's instinct is to remove Mateo from centers and take away block choice for the week.
How will you support the teacher in moving from consequences to connections?
Prompts to support discussion
1. What is the skill gap?
Impulse control?
Emotional regulation?
Flexible thinking?
Language to negotiate?
2. What is happening neurologically?
Amygdala activation?
Underdeveloped prefrontal cortex?
Limited working memory for social rules?
3. How would you co-regulate in the moment?
Body proximity?
Calm tone?
Physical grounding?
Visual cue?
4. What would explicit teaching look like later?
Modeling language for turn-taking?
Practicing “my turn/your turn” scripts?
Visual supports for sharing?