-
Be pleasant; try smiling. Smiling
show acceptance, not weakness. To the girl who needs
acceptance, you may provide the motivation she needs to meet
approval.
-
Be warm and consistent, firm and
clear about what you consider to be unacceptable behavior. Let
the girl know that you disapprove of what she does, without
making her feel that you disapprove of what she is.
-
Try to understand the “whys” behind
the girl’s behavior.
-
Sift out your feelings; is the
behavior really a “problem” or does it just not meet your own
personal standard?
-
Use a positive approach, rewarding
the desired, appropriate behavior or a close approximation.
“Catch her being good.”
-
Use praise such as: “You are
working (doing, etc.) nicely” – NOT “I knew you could do it,” or
“It pleases me to see you working so well.” She’s not there to
please the adult. It is quite possible that pleasing adults is
a part of her problem. Appropriate behavior should please the
girl, so pay off – reward her with praise coupled with a touch.
-
Ignore inappropriate behavior.
Remember that some girls will annoy you because they want your
attention and they want you to like them.
-
Talk things over in a one-to-one
situation and suggest better alternatives for behavior in
preference to punishment.
-
Use proximity; moving close to a
disruptive girl will often stop disturbing behavior.
-
Use signals; often a word or facial
expression from the leader modifies the behavior.
-
Help girls see that no one is
perfect, and that everybody makes mistakes.
-
Set them up for success – people are
usually unhappy and resist or act-out, etc., when they are
confronted or feel pressure to perform that which they do not do
well.
