Ask Polly Bath: Are Gadgets Distracting?

Date: March 31st, 2024

Polly answers the question: “I know kids need help paying attention in class but I’m struggling with all of these fidget toys and gadgets. Are they really helping my students pay attention because I worry that they are distracting?”

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Can’t You Read the Room?

Date: March 27th, 2024

Kids are struggling with the skill of ‘reading the room.’ What can we do? Use unstructured social time to coach them!

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Ask Polly Bath: Kids Want Choices for Everything

Date: March 23rd, 2024

Polly answers the question: “Right now my students seem to think they should have a choice about everything. At what point should they realize that some things are not up to them?”

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Inviting Environment?

Date: March 20th, 2024

Does the environment in our schools invite kids in and make them excited to be there? It should!

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Ask Polly Bath: Is Setting Goals Helpful or Hurtful?

Date: March 16th, 2024

Polly answers the question: “I like to set goals for myself and the kids. But when we don’t reach them, it feels like we both failed. Is there a better strategy?”

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Are You Angry?

Date: March 13th, 2024

I’ve talked a lot about how to deal with kids’ anger, but adults get angry too!

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Ask Polly Bath: Go to the Principal’s Office?

Date: March 10th, 2024

Polly answers the question: “I am supposed to refer kids to the principal’s office for their behavior but nothing seems to come of it! So I just don’t do it anymore. What’s the point?”

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Angry Outbursts!

Date: March 6th, 2024

Remembering that there are feelings behind a kid’s angry outburst will help you to respond instead of react.

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Ask Polly Bath: Prompts to Get Kids to Listen?

Date: March 3rd, 2024

Polly answers the question: “In my classroom I use prompts to get everyone’s attention, like, ‘Put your hand on your head if you are using whole body listening.’ This worked for a long time. But now they put their hands on their heads and keep right on talking! What am I doing wrong here?”

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Behaviors & Blaming Others?

Date: February 28th, 2024

How do you handle it when kids blame others for their behavior?

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