The first cohort of Durham Public Schools Pre-K teachers to be trained in the Incredible Years: Teacher Classroom Management (IY-TCM) Training celebrated their graduation from the program on Tuesday, March 11th. There were a total of 9 graduates, representing 5 DPS Elementary Schools, primarily from Title I, NC Pre-K classrooms.
The IY-TCM Training is provided by Communities in Schools (CIS) of Durham as a group-based program to enhance teacher classroom management skills. The training increases teachers’ skills in a variety of areas, including proactive discipline, positive teacher-student relationships, teacher-parent partnerships and the use of effective behavior plans and teaching regarding social and emotional regulation skills. The teachers complete 36 hours of training, ranging from classroom assignments and individualized behavior planning, to video modeling, to peer coaching to help implement new skills.
The graduation began with one of the training facilitators reading appreciations that the teachers had anonymously written for one another. Kendra Rosa, Family Support Specialist at CIS Durham, described it as “very sweet, with a few tears and lots of laughs!” She emphasized the importance of the group support system, noting how much this team has bonded and learned from each other. The teachers then received their certificates and graduation gifts, including IY-TCM materials to use in their classrooms.
The IY-TCM Training is funded by the Partnership through Smart Start. The program helps teachers work more effectively with children with challenging behaviors, improving their classroom environments and ultimately improving the academic achievement of their students.
As one of the new graduates explained:
“This program teaches us as teachers to step back and analyze our classroom management techniques and offers a ton of helpful advice about simple changes of thinking and everyday practice that can make all the difference in the world. A lot of the children we serve need lots of love, encouragement and “coaching” on how to handle their emotions. We have a very emotionally-diverse population and need to equip teachers to be able to nurture children at this young age and teach them strategies that will be not only beneficial to them as individuals, but will add to the positive environment of the classroom.”
The Incredible Years® is a series of interlocking, evidence-based programs for parents, children and teachers, supported by over 30 years of research. The goal is to prevent and treat young children’s behavior problems and promote their social, emotional and academic competence. The programs are used worldwide in schools and mental health centers, and have been shown to work across cultures and socioeconomic groups.
In addition to IY:TCM training, the Partnership also supports Incredible Years programs for parents of young children at Welcome Baby Family Resource Center.
