What's This Episode About?

Are you looking for some new perspectives on guiding children's behaviour - especially those more challenging moments? In this episode, I explain how chatting with AI Assistants can support early childhood educators in learning about, understanding and using more connection-based approaches to behaviour guidance.

By the end of this episode, you'll understand how to shift from asking "How do we stop this behaviour?" to "What is this child trying to tell us?", discover practical ways to use AI assistants as your after-hours professional development partners to learn and practice new approaches, and gain specific prompting techniques and relatable examples for implementing connection-based strategies in your daily practice. 

Whether you're an experienced educator ready to try something new or feeling overwhelmed by challenging behaviours in your current setting, I'll show you how AI can support your learning journey whilst helping you maintain your authentic educator voice.

The Quick Takeaway - Essential Learning

Understanding connection-based behaviour guidance fundamentals - learn how this approach differs from traditional behaviour management by focusing on relationships and viewing behaviour as communication rather than something to control

How to set up AI as your professional development partner - discover practical strategies for using AI tools to learn new approaches, practice scenarios, and build confidence outside of work hours

Effective prompting techniques for behaviour scenarios - master the layered prompting method and specific templates for getting helpful, personalised responses from AI assistants about real classroom situations

The TEST method for analysing AI responses - learn how to Try out suggestions mentally, Evaluate what fits your context, Simplify complex ideas, and Tailor approaches to your authentic teaching style

Practical use strategies - understand the three-moment method, common pitfalls to avoid, and step-by-step workflows for gradually incorporating connection-based approaches into your practice

Documentation and communication techniques - explore how to frame observations using connection-based language and communicate these new approaches effectively to families and colleagues

AI Prompts You Can Try from This Episode:

Prompt 1: Basic Behaviour Scenario Template

I'm an early childhood educator working with [age group - e.g., toddlers, 3-4 year olds] in a [setting type - e.g., family daycare, preschool room, kindergarten]. Today I encountered a situation where [describe what happened - e.g., a child hit another child, someone refused to pack away toys]. I'm learning about connection-based behaviour guidance. Can you help me understand how I might handle this situation using a connection-based approach?

Use this when: You want to explore gentle, relationship-focused alternatives to traditional behaviour management for specific situations

Why it works: Provides context about your setting and clearly states your learning goal, helping AI understand you want relationship-focused rather than control-based strategies

Prompt 2: Step-by-Step Support for Challenging Moments

I'm working with [age group] in a [setting type]. Today [describe the specific situation and what the child did]. Traditionally, I might have used [what you usually do - e.g., timeout, consequences, redirection], but I'd like to understand how to handle this using a connection-based approach. Can you help me: 1) understand what this behaviour might be communicating, 2) suggest three connection-based responses I could try, and 3) provide specific phrases I could use in the moment?

Use this when: You need comprehensive support for challenging scenarios with clear, actionable steps

Why it works: Breaks down your needs into specific, manageable components whilst providing meaningful context about your situation and current practices

Prompt 3: Positive Documentation Helper

Help me write an observation about [describe the situation - e.g., how I supported a child who was struggling to share toys] that focuses on the connection-based strategies used and the child's response. Include links to [your relevant framework - e.g., EYLF, Te Whāriki] outcomes and possible future strategies to try.

Use this when: You want to document behaviour guidance using positive, relationship-focused language rather than traditional behaviour management terminology

Why it works: Shifts documentation from problem-focused to relationship-focused language whilst maintaining professional standards and framework connections