At this session of our SpiritMindBody Group we had a Bake Off. One member brought this week's Phillip Chard column, entitled Advice Best Received If It Pushes the Thought Processes. Here is the link to that column.
http://www.jsonline.com/features/health/124984799.html
This column actually kept the group discussing for the whole hour meeting. The group agreed that most people just want to vent, or need just a little help to work through a problem themselves. Therefore most are not looking for any complex list of advice.
Several in the group felt that some people are more secure and self-assured and accept the advice well.
Todd recalls taking a Course in Miracles years ago. The chapter was called "Returning to Love". Todd wanted to speak with the instructor about this chapter. He called a friend who had access to the instructor and asked if the instructor could get him in contact with the teacher. The friend asked, "What is your goal?"
He didn't ask details; he didn't ask what Todd wanted to talk about, just got straight to the point. Perhaps such a very direct question or brief statement might help where there is a need for advice.
The need for guidance or need to work it out themselves are also age dependent.
Lives in the Balance is the non-profit organization founded by child psychologist Dr. Ross Greene, author of The Explosive Child and Lost at School, to advocate on behalf of behaviorally challenging kids and their parents, teachers, and other caregivers and to provide free, web-based resources to help people understand these kids in ways that are more compassionate and accurate and help them in ways that are more effective. Lives in the Balance is organized as a non-profit organization, and has applied for tax-exempt status.
http://www.livesinthebalance.org/about-lives-in-the-balance-and-collaborative-problem-solving
Challenging behavior occurs when the demands of the environment exceed a kid’s capacity to respond adaptively. There are three ways of guiding kids. Plan A is "Kid, you do it this way." Plan C is "Let the kid do his own thing even if it is destructive behavior. The one you want is Plan B which is collaborative. You work individually with the child to determine what a few of the unsolved problems are that are causing the poor behavior. Then you help the kid figure out ways that might solve a couple of those problems.
I brought up that I thought the ability of taking advice and the overwhelming need to give lots of advice also could be gender specific. The group thought that was not necessarily true; that so-called Mars and Venus differences were not always present only in one gender.
One member mentioned a program called Parenting with Love and Logic. This program is encompasses a philosophy founded by Jim Fay and Foster W. Cline, M.D., and based on the experience of a combined total of over 75 years working with and raising kids. There is also a program for teachers with this system. Among many other characteristics, it allows children choices which get more complex as they get older. It allows children to suffer the consequences of their actions within limits, and deals with all such conflicts with expressions of love. Of course it is much more complex than this, but this website is a good source for books about the program. http://www.loveandlogic.com/what-is-for-parents.html
Judy presented two very practical methods to control behavior. After recess the kids (60 of them in her class) came in with all sorts of complaints about each other.She would sit down upon the desk in front of all the kids and ask "Who did what out there?" She would let the kids vent for a while. Then she would ask the question: "What did you do back?" After a lot of answers there, she would then ask: "What would have been better?" It worked to settle them down. They were assured that they were heard and they had learned a possible way to behave that would have been less disruptive. Judy also did a sociogram, asking each kid in private who their two best friends were. She mapped all the answers and then could determine who the kids were that were the best liked and the leaders. She could then reinforce behavior through them.
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
.February 10, 2011: Rob Schleck, Principal of Burdick School
We were very grateful to have Dr. Rob Schleck Principal of Burdick School in Milwaukee as a guest this morning. First off, Mr. Schleck told us his background and how he came to be Principal of Burdick School.
He worked at Logan Center for the Mentally Disabled, and then later at Northern Mental Disability Center. He reports that these jobs were very difficult, but he also says that he learned everyone has something to contribute. Then he worked in construction during the day and took UWM grad school at night. After he was done with school, he got a job teaching emotionally disturbed kids at MPS. Then he moved to autistic children which prepared him for handling staff at Madison HS where he did a month stint as the principal. Then he was asked to be the assistant principal for the rest of the year. After that year, he was asked to start a school for the mentally disturbed for 90 kids. There was a teacher and a para in each room and a probation officer on site. They handled physical confrontations between students every day for 4 years. After this job he moved to Burdick school in 1989. There were all sorts of problems at the school at that time. The student body was 89% African American and students were not there to learn. There was a lot of tension. Mr Schleck said "We have to take back this school." Over the next summer the teachers he had hired during the previous year met once a week with assignments to get ready for August and the new school year. The saying was "Either jump on the steamroller or become part of the road." Basicly their program gave power back to the teachers. They could use suspension of a child if necessary.
Mr.Schleck learned how to look at staff and determine their positives. Everyone has positives. He needed to earn their trust and back up his staff. He says he began practicing creative insubordination where the district administration was concerned. He was able to turn the school around so that parents began moving to the area so their children could go to Burdick School.
Each day starts at the school with a complete general assembly of all the kids and teachers. This gets the day off to a good start and emphasizes the community of the school.
Mr. Schleck and his staff developed a behavioral system which consisted of 6 groups of 3 steps each. These are called demerits and detensions. The kids serve them at the noon hour and couseling is involved with the kids at this time. If a student gets three of these, then the student goes to the bar (the behavior adjustment room). All staff in manning the bar. Another 3 demerits and the student appears before staff, another 3 and there is a suspension, etc, each group of 3 results in more severe activities. But fewer and fewer students have moved beyond the first set of 3 remedies. Teachers have become in charge of their classroom. They have the power to suspend students. It is extremely important not to embarass the students. Discipline must be done outside the classroom so student is removed from the room and then a discussion about the behavior is undertaken. This saves face for the student.
We were very happy to hear how Robert Schleck has turned around Burdick School and about his methods which seem to have worked dramtically.
He worked at Logan Center for the Mentally Disabled, and then later at Northern Mental Disability Center. He reports that these jobs were very difficult, but he also says that he learned everyone has something to contribute. Then he worked in construction during the day and took UWM grad school at night. After he was done with school, he got a job teaching emotionally disturbed kids at MPS. Then he moved to autistic children which prepared him for handling staff at Madison HS where he did a month stint as the principal. Then he was asked to be the assistant principal for the rest of the year. After that year, he was asked to start a school for the mentally disturbed for 90 kids. There was a teacher and a para in each room and a probation officer on site. They handled physical confrontations between students every day for 4 years. After this job he moved to Burdick school in 1989. There were all sorts of problems at the school at that time. The student body was 89% African American and students were not there to learn. There was a lot of tension. Mr Schleck said "We have to take back this school." Over the next summer the teachers he had hired during the previous year met once a week with assignments to get ready for August and the new school year. The saying was "Either jump on the steamroller or become part of the road." Basicly their program gave power back to the teachers. They could use suspension of a child if necessary.
Mr.Schleck learned how to look at staff and determine their positives. Everyone has positives. He needed to earn their trust and back up his staff. He says he began practicing creative insubordination where the district administration was concerned. He was able to turn the school around so that parents began moving to the area so their children could go to Burdick School.
Each day starts at the school with a complete general assembly of all the kids and teachers. This gets the day off to a good start and emphasizes the community of the school.
Mr. Schleck and his staff developed a behavioral system which consisted of 6 groups of 3 steps each. These are called demerits and detensions. The kids serve them at the noon hour and couseling is involved with the kids at this time. If a student gets three of these, then the student goes to the bar (the behavior adjustment room). All staff in manning the bar. Another 3 demerits and the student appears before staff, another 3 and there is a suspension, etc, each group of 3 results in more severe activities. But fewer and fewer students have moved beyond the first set of 3 remedies. Teachers have become in charge of their classroom. They have the power to suspend students. It is extremely important not to embarass the students. Discipline must be done outside the classroom so student is removed from the room and then a discussion about the behavior is undertaken. This saves face for the student.
We were very happy to hear how Robert Schleck has turned around Burdick School and about his methods which seem to have worked dramtically.
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