Identify the three types of temperaments, and describe how long they affect children and how they affect teachers dealing with them effectively.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

There are three general categories: easy, slow to warm up, and difficult. Easy children, from their earliest days, follow a regular cycle in sleeping, eating, and eliminating; are readily adaptable to change and are open to new experiences; have a reasonable attention span; are easily distractible; display a moderate level of activity; are not overly sensitive to stimuli in their environment; and have a generally happy disposition. Difficult children, however, show opposite traits such as regularity, intensity in reactions, an inability to adapt, a high activity level, and they are often out of sorts. Slow-to-warm-up children fall in between these two extremes. It is not easy to deal with difficult children because they often defy all attempts to pacify or engage them. As you pursue your early childhood teaching career, you likely will be entrusted with one or more temperamentally difficult children. Many beginning (as well as veteran) teachers have found this to be a real test of their self-confidence. Keep in mind that consistent, positive guidance skills and ingenuity can help channel the child’s energy, perhaps into a leadership role, rather than into that of an unhappy outcast. Rely on your teaching strengths, examine and acknowledge your own feelings, and then continue to view each child—whether easy or difficult—as an individual worthy of your respect and support.