Positive Environment

Lecture notes from The Positive Environment PSY240 PVCC and Continuing Education Paradise Valley Community College

Five major causes of behavior problems:

A negative environment is where the negative feedback outweighs the positive.

Increase the positive frequency and intensity= increase the learning, establish a healthy self image, improve attitude and establish desired behaviors.

Always schedule a negative before a positive. I.e. do your chores then snack. Finish homework then games. Wash dishes then watch movie. End in positive always!

  • A positive environment should have a 4 to 1 positive to negative feedback responses.
  • The single most important factor to determine how well and how fast a child learns is the learning environment itself.
  • How much they learn is a direct reflection of how much they like learning.
  • How much they like learning is a direct reflection of how they perceive themselves.
  • We love to do things that we do well. We avoid the things we don’t do well.
  • We, as well as the child, are motivated by success.

Intensity cup explained

Every man, woman, and child have an intensity cup and every one’s cup is a different size. Some children need ten minutes of tickling a day to fill their cup and some need twenty minutes of serious conversation, or thirty minutes invested with them in physically building something with—or any combination and duration of activities imaginable. A two-year-old will probably need more physical activities and playtime with you and a ten-year-old will likely need something deeper and more constructive, like building a plastic model, or engaging in a hobby of high interest together with you. The thing about the intensity cup is, if you don’t give them the positive attention and they need to fill their cup, they will exact the same amount or more in negative attention—either way the cup gets filled.

Lack of structure

You can never let your “tude” determine your boundaries (how far a child can push you).
Boundaries are structure. Structure comforts a child and directs them. Set your boundaries and stick to them. Set the rules and abide by them
If your boundaries shift you will be tested relentlessly and the child will display forms of anxiety. This is because of lack of structure.

Education by nature is structure. A positive learning environment forms good attitudes, self images and perceptions, improves the rate of learning and how much the child learns.

Absence of appropriate feedback

Includes; expressing bad temper, disdain, ignoring the child’s success, highlighting failures. Affects attitude, self image, relationships with peers, siblings, caregivers, parents, friends and later in life their spouse and kids.

Never correct a child when you are angry. Prov 22:15 “Foolishness is bound in the heart of the child.” Not malice, hatred, vengeance, retaliation, opposition… its all foolishness.

Ineffective punishment is just another fat negative in the life of a child.

Children look to parents, teachers and caregivers for guidance and correction.

A child does a 10 question math test. Did they get 1 wrong or 9 right? You got 7 right and 2 of those were real tough! How did you do that? (Less than 5 right) Wow you are really staring to get this! Look! You got this one right and this one right and etc…

If its no fun and the child thrives on success they move on… we don’t

Developmental issues

Developmental issues cause aberrant behavior and learning difficulties in the child. We rely on clean, concise input for the receptive functions of the brain to receive, process, store and retrieve information.

Neurochemical patterns are established in the core of the brain

The purpose of education is to provide organized input to the brain to produce organized output. If the brain is disorganized it is impossible to put organized material into the brain and then retrieve organized output!

Allergies and medical challenges

Allergies cause anywhere from hyperactivity to depression. Allergies also cause inflammation in the brain that translates into behavior problems. Medical challenges can affect the brain chemistry, emotions and outlook on life. Medications for allergies, asthma and other health and medical conditions alter the brain function and cause dysfunction and misbehavior. These factors have to be considered when assessing the positive environment.

Read more on child emotions here: Fixing the Brain by Craig Stellpflug

Authored by Neurodevelopment Consultant Craig Stellpflug NDC, CNC, Healing Pathways Medical Clinic Scottsdale, AZ
Copyright 2010 Craig Stellpflug© Permission is hereby granted to copy and distribute this article but only in its entirety

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