How Teacher can Shape the behaviour of an Infant in school?

                                             PREPARED 

BY                                      BY   Makoye,A.

An infant (from the Latin word 'infans', meaning "unable to speak" or "speechless") is the very young offspring of a human. When applied to humans, he term infant is typically applied to young children between the ages of 1 month and 12 months; however, definitions may vary between birth and 2 years of age(Garrard,J. et al ,1988)

            A Teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils (children) and students                     (adults) (From www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teacher). Teachers and caregivers of infants are the people who have the greatest influence in shaping the lives of future generations. That is why it is so critical for teachers of infants and to have the knowledge and skills necessary to build meaningful relationships that nurture children and families. Genuine relationships must be built on manual respect

The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional qualifications or credentials from a university or college. These professional qualifications may include the study of pedagogy, the science of teaching. Teachers, like other professionals, may have to continue their education after they qualify, a process known as continuing professional development. Teachers may use a lesson plan to facilitate student learning, providing a course of study which is called the curriculum.

A teacher's role may vary among cultures. Teachers may provide instruction in literacy and numeracy, craftsmanship or vocational training, the arts, religion, civics, community roles, or life skills. A Teacher can shape the behavior of an infants as follow;

A Teacher should motivate and reward the Infants. Motivation leads to repeated behavior. There are two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Most behavior is motivated by a combination of the two. Intrinsic motivation means that the pleasant consequences of a behavior come from the essence of the behavior. Extrinsic motivation comes from a consequence that is separate from the behavior itself. For example, motivation to study biology comes from interest in the topic (intrinsic) and desire to get good grades (extrinsic). Motivation is the product of expectation and value. If a student expects that she can accomplish the task, and values the reward, she or he will be highly motivated. Teachers need to manipulate both types of motivation and consider the student's expectation to succeed and value of the rewards.

Teachers should implement both positive and negative consequences for good and bad behavior. Consequences should be linked to both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Positive consequences could include comments on a student's work, public recognition and increased responsibilities or freedoms. Negative consequence should follow a predictable progression. Start with a reminder of the rules, then a verbal reprimand, then continue to a more serious discussion, contact with parents or detention. Try to interact more with students who behave well. Do not reward bad behavior with a lot of attention.

Overcorrection is another possibility. Teachers instruct students to correct the inappropriate behavior and execute the act within a natural sequence of events. For example, in one case a child who mouthed objects was told "no" and required to brush his teeth and wipe his lips with a washcloth each time he put a potentially harmful or unhygienic object in his mouth.

The use of touch to comfort even as a Pre school Teacher. It is appropriate to hug gently as a shoulder or hold hands. This is to make the Infants to know how the Teacher is more close to him or her, if you do this to them they will love you and it will simplify in shaping the behavior because they appreciate you.

Spend more time with the Child. As Teacher listen careful the feelings of the Infants in order to correct them and understanding the demands of the Infants, Its is better to use a polite language when you are discussing a certain issue with the Infants in order to make more easier in shaping the behavior of an Infants.

Helping the child to learn appropriate social emotional Language. This means you teach how to use eye contact and how to touch. The eye contact will help an infant to generate the tendency of paying more attention over the subject matter is addressed by a Teacher, their fellow Children and later to the whole society. These pave the way of understanding the bad and good behaviors.

A Teacher should negotiate with his or her Infants. Bargaining with your child (student) does not compromise your authority. It strengthens it. Children respect Teachers who are willing to listen to them. Until they leave school, children must accept your authority that is not negotiable, but that does not mean you cannot listen to their side of things. In this, you will find that negotiating becomes your main behavior management tool to the Infants

CONCLUSION
Understanding the developmental factors that contribute to the biting behavior can help the Teachers and the caregivers’ makes environment or programmatic changes as necessary to remove or minimize the behavior; Teachers need to provide accurate information to Parents. Guidance to the Infants who bite should be provided with the goal of helping the Infants develop inner control of their feelings and actions. A quick and consistent response at school and center can help children who bite to learn to express their feelings in words so that they become better able to control their behaviors.

REFERENCES

Garcia. (1999).Understanding and preventing toddler biting. Texas Child care. London.

Garrett, E. (2007). Infant Mortality: A Continuing Social Problem. Ashgate Publishers  

 Company.Carfonia.

Gerrard J.Lenand, N.and Smith, D.K(1988).Epidemiology of human bites to children in a day          

 care center. American Journal of Diseases in children. America.

.Kuehn, B. M. (2008).Infant Mortality JAMA: the Journal of the American Medical Association 300.America.   

 Simkin, P. et al. (1992). Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn: The Complete Guide. Meadowbook Press. Cambridge.

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teacher