I have worked with children on a day to day basis for 10 years. I am a 24 year old Pre-School/Pre-K teacher. I recently changed daycare centers I was working at. The children I worked with at my old center were extremely well-behaved (3-5 year olds). However, my new center has been having a lot of trouble with their 3-5 year olds (and even some of the older ones!). There is virtually no discipline, so the kids act out, pitch violent temper tantrums over being told to do something they do not want to do (i.e. clean up toys, go potty, wash hands), talk back to their teachers and hit other children. Last week I saw a 5 year old roll around on the floor and scream like a toddler. The other teachers do not give any more discipline other than a "Joe so-and-so, that was not very nice". I asked one of my 3 year olds to go wash her hands for lunch. She refused. I asked her twice, and told her that she needed to listen to her teachers when they gave her instructions. She back-talked and still refused. So I I formed her that she still had to wash he hands whether she wanted to or not, and took her (gently) into the bathroom and held her hands (gently) under the cool water and gave her soap to wash her hands. Naturally, she screamed and pitched a fit. When she was done she ran to one of the other teachers, crying, and that teacher picked her up and comforted her. Maybe I did the wrong thing, but I could not believe what I had just witnessed.
They need discipline and structure in their day, but I don't know where to start. I have never seen behavioral problems this severe before in the 10 years I have worked with children. Just today as soon as I got in the door, I got attitude served to me by two separate 3 year olds. I have been at this center for not even a week, and already O miss my old center...but I dont want to give up on these kids. Please, please help. Never in my life I have ever seen this before. Is it me? Am I doing something wrong? How can I fix this? Even my co-workers agree that the kids' behavior is out of control and they admitted to letting it get that way (they hired me to help fix it, basically...)