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Discipline trends in the 1980s
a. Observe an instance in a classroom when a teacher
intervened to stop a conflict or disruptive situation. Respecting privacy, how
did the adult teach or fail to teach more appropriate social skills through the
intervention? Referring to ideas from the chapter, did the teacher use guidance
or traditional discipline? Why do you think so?
b. One issue raised in the debate of the obedience
discipline systems of the |1980s is the role of punishment. Interview a teacher
about what she considers to be the difference between guidance, discipline, and
punishment. When, if ever, does the teacher believe punishment is justified?
How do the teacher’s thoughts about each term compare to ideas from the
chapter?

Misbehavior, an inappropriate term
a. Respecting privacy, observe an incident in a classroom
where a teacher intervened. Do you think the teacher regarded the situation as
misbehavior or mistaken behavior? What difference did the teacher’s decision
make for the child or children involved? For the teacher? Compare results to
ideas from the chapter.
b. Respecting privacy, interview a teacher about typical
problems she sees concerning children in the classroom. To what extent does the
teacher seem to think misbehavior is involved? Mistaken behavior? Compare your
findings from the interview with ideas from the chapter.

The concept of mistaken behavior
a. Observe a conflict situation in a prekindergarten,
kindergarten, or primarygrade classroom. Analyze the situation using the
concept of mistaken behavior. What lack of understanding or awareness did you
perceive in the child that suggests the conflict was mistaken behavior? Compare
your observations to ideas from the chapter?
b. The concept of mistaken behavior is a new one for many
teachers. Talk with a teacher about the concept. What parts of it are they
comfortable with; what parts are they not sure about? Compare your findings
from the interview with ideas in the text about mistaken behavior.

The three levels of mistaken behavior
a. Observe an example of Level One, experimentation mistaken
behavior. What did you observe that makes you think the mistaken behavior is at
this level? In what ways does recognizing this level of mistaken behavior help
you to understand the child? Compare your observations with ideas from the
chapter.
b. Observe an example of Level Two, socially influenced
mistaken behavior. What did you observe that makes you think the mistaken
behavior is at this level? In what ways does recognizing this level of mistaken
behavior help you to understand the child? Compare your observations with ideas
from the chapter.
c. Observe an example of Level Three, strong needs mistaken
behavior. What did you observe that makes you think the mistaken behavior is at
this level? In what ways does recognizing this level of mistaken behavior help
you to understand the child? Compare your observations with ideas from the
chapter.

What are considerations in understanding mistaken behavior,
aggression, and challenging behavior in young children?
a. Observe a conflict situation from its beginning until
after it is resolved. (The conflict should include purposeful acts of
aggression that might easily be called challenging.) Record in detail what the
children, and an adult, said and did during the situation. Referring to pages
in the text, analyze the behavior in terms of its being intentional,
aggressive, and challenging. Again referring to the text, discuss why the
conflict does or does not seem to you to be mistaken behavior.
b. Interview an early childhood teacher about the concept of
strong unmet needs mistaken behavior as it is explained in the text. Pointing
out what the book says about Level Three mistaken behavior, ask the teacher
questions around this issue: Does the teacher accept the idea that challenging
behavior, which is often aggressive and on purpose, can be considered mistaken
behavior? Why or why not? Record in detail the dialogue from your interview.
Referring to ideas from the text, compare the text ideas with the ideas of the
teacher about mistaken behavior

Communicating with parents about mistaken behavior
a. Talk with a teacher about the approach she uses when
talking with a parent about a problem the child is having in the classroom.
What is important to the teacher to convey to the parent? How does the
teacher’s approach relate to the concept of mistaken behavior? Compare the
teacher’s thoughts with ideas from the chapter.
b. Talk with a parent about the approach she would like a
teacher to use if the parent’s child were having a problem in the classroom.
How do the parent’s comments relate to the concept of mistaken behavior?
Compare the teacher’s thoughts with ideas from the chapter.