STaR Education

NOTE:
This is a three session course, and you should attend all three sessions. Following each session, you will also have access to a 20-minute online coaching call to help you put course content into practice.

Course Description:

This 3-session workshop provides a framework for guiding young children’s engagement and positive social behaviour in early childhood education and care services. It includes research-based strategies for supporting any child’s behaviour, including those with disability or developmental delay.

In this course, you will learn what you can do as educators to promote and encourage the positive engagement of all children in your learning environment. You will also develop the knowledge and skills to write, implement and monitor a Positive Engagement Plan when needed.  

Session 1 includes an overview of what positive engagement in an ECEC setting looks like and a reflection on behaviours that challenge us as educators. You will be introduced to a framework for promoting the children's engagement and positive social and emotional skills within your ECEC setting. Using real-life examples, our presenters will guide you to reflect on how the physical learning environment, learning experiences offered, and your interactions with the children and adults in your learning environment affect the children's behaviour. You will choose one change to make in your setting between sessions 1 and 2 to promote engagement and positive interactions. You will also be guided through how to collect observations and information that you will later analyse and use to develop a positive behaviour support plan for an individual child.  

In session 2, you will reflect and receive feedback on the changes you made to the learning environment, learning experiences, and your interactions with children and adults, as well as the observations and information you collected between sessions 1 and 2. The possible purpose/s of behaviours will be explored, and you will be presented with a range of strategies that can be used to promote engagement, communication and social skills.  

Session 3 presents the process of developing, implementing and reviewing a Positive Engagement Plan. You will learn about when a plan is needed and who should be involved in creating it. Using the observations you have collected between sessions and knowledge of the environmental adjustments and strategies to support engagement, communication, and social skills presented in sessions 1 and 2, you will create a draft plan to share with your colleagues, the child’s family and other relevant professionals. Our presenters will guide you through how to implement and monitor the Positive Engagement Plan and how to review and adapt teaching strategies. 

By the end of the course, you will have the knowledge to: 

• structure your ECEC environment to promote engagement and avoid behaviours that challenge
• teach and support children to use positive friendship and social skills
• assess a child’s engagement and behaviour, identify possible purpose/s of the behaviour and develop a Positive Engagement Plan
• collaborate with others, including families, colleagues and other professionals, in supporting children's behaviour
• implement, monitor and update a Positive Engagement Plan

Links to National Quality Standard Descriptors 

1.1.3 Program learning opportunities 

1.2.1 Intentional teaching 

3.2.1 Inclusive environment

5.1.1 Positive educator to child interactions 

5.2.2 Self-regulation 

6.1.2 Parent views are respected 

6.2.2 Access and participation

Links to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers 

4.1 Support student participation 

4.2 Manage classroom activities 

4.3 Manage challenging behaviour 

7.3 Engage with the parents/carers