Preschool principal here: some kids are a little scared, most are comforted. It usually happens when teacher is out of strategies for the moment and needs a little support. We have to be careful because it can turn into a reward pretty easily to child.

Maybe the teachers are inexperienced?

I would want to know this philosophy for early childhood classes at open houses - guess it is a good question to ask.
Just seems like a philosophy either you agree with or not.
There are two teachers in preschool classes and supposedly schooled in dealing with normal 3-4 year old behavior which at times can be challenging.
But sending 3 year olds out of the classroom to the principals seems a bit extreme for me - I would not send my child to a school that used this as common practice. There must be better ways to deal with this age group or I would think all schools would be doing this and the school my daughter goes to does not use this practice. I have never heard of this before. I volunteer at my child's school.

Yes, at the dcps school where I work, the main office is a cool down place. The principal will have a quiet discussion/check in with the kid(s) about what's going on.
Kids of all ages get sent when a situation between kids has escalated or if a kid is being particularly disruptive. We have a handful of kids with difficult home situations or diagnosed behavior issues, so getting sent to the principal is not scary for kids, just a way to get centered and talk about what's going on while understanding that some behaviors just won't be tolerated in the classroom.

Of course, there is the occasional kid "being sent to the principal's office", but they are usually older.

Teacher here - yes it's normal, not that they should be traumatized. Just for 'the talk'. Principal.should also make a point of visiting the class regularly and getting to know the kids and vice versa so this is not foreign and terrifying.

I had not thought of it that way - so you all think principals offices are comforting for a preschooler?

Anonymous wrote:It's not like kids go to the principal's office to stand in the chokey. If a child is having an absolute meltdown about something happening in the classroom, it might just be a good place to calm down and be comforted.

+1. All depends on what happens there and how it is framed.

It's not like kids go to the principal's office to stand in the chokey. If a child is having an absolute meltdown about something happening in the classroom, it might just be a good place to calm down and be comforted.

I would say yes because why should a teacher have to stop want she's doing to pay attention to a disruptive kid.

For those who say yes - can you say when appropriate?

3 year olds?

Yes

Why would this be inappropriate?

What is wrong with it?

Found out childs school has done it at least twice for non-violent reasons.