Allow kids to experience solving their own problems.

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Polly answers the question: “I often have to work with kids one-on-one at my table. But every time I do that, a line forms and we’re constantly interrupted! How do I stop this behavior?”

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When it comes to a reward system, don’t over-reward and don’t have a kid on one if they’re able to manipulate the system.

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Polly answers the question: “In the middle of class one of my 4th graders will raise his hand and ask a totally unrelated, off topic, distracting, and sometimes alarming question. How should I respond to this?”

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When a kid won’t come in after recess, or they run off the playground, this is a safety issue.

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Polly answers the question: “When a kid gets so upset that they smash a window, are they aware of how out of control they are? And what’s a logical consequence?”

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Teaching a youngster to say “excuse me” isn’t enough. We also need to teach them when to use it, where to use it, and how to use it.

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Polly answers the question: “I have a high school kid who will not turn over her cell phone when I ask for it! It’s my policy and all the kids know it. I know her life is not that positive, and there isn’t a lot of room for learning in her brain right now, but I feel like I need to hold her accountable. It’s always a huge power struggle that results in administrative referral. How can I chip away at her refusal without it costing me our relationship?”

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Every time we see a kid NOT use a social skill that will impact their success, we have to tell them!

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Polly answers the question: “Can you talk about how to move away from diagnoses we’ve been using to explain learning and behavior challenges, like ADHD or Autism, and more towards accepting and working with neurodiversity?”

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