Are You Making Behaviors Worse?
Date: December 13th, 2023
I’m often asked if there are responses to a behavior that can make the situation worse? Yes, absolutely!
Ask Polly Bath: Anticipating Escalation
Date: December 9th, 2023
Polly answers the question: “I have a kid who sometimes escalates during activities, or refuses to go to classes, or shuts down when presented with tasks. Why is this? Is it the teacher, the content, the environment, the kid’s life experiences? Logical consequences work sometimes. But is it possible to do something proactively that would actually decrease these behaviors?”
Kids Texting? Talking?
Date: December 6th, 2023
Remember when kids would pass notes? Now they text or just talk to each other. Here are some tips on how to handle these behaviors.
Ask Polly Bath: Turning Kids Against Me
Date: December 3rd, 2023
Polly answers the question: “I have done a fabulous job lately of not taking the bait and avoiding power struggles! I have one kid in my class who I used to go to battles with constantly. However, now that I’m managing him better, he is trying to get other kids to turn against me! Any thoughts about what may be the next steps with him?”
Co-Regulate with ‘Littles’
Date: November 29th, 2023
Ask Polly Bath: I’ve Got a Runner!
Date: November 26th, 2023
Polly answers the question: “I work in a self-contained, more restrictive program. We have one kid who has a history of being a ‘runner.’ I want to prevent this but I realize that I can’t possibly block doors or be at two doors at once. How can we prepare for this in advance? And how can we respond so the running stops eventually?”
How Do You Define Lying?
Date: November 21st, 2023
We often define lying as disrespect. But doing this gets our emotions involved and we take the behavior personally.
Ask Polly Bath: Running In School Suspension
Date: November 19th, 2023
Polly answers the question: “I have been assigned to run an In School Suspension room. I’m having so many problems with this! The kids dismiss me, the staff walk in whenever they want to reprimand kids in my care, and the kids think the whole thing is a joke. Any advice?”
Tell Kids to Take Back Control
Date: November 15th, 2023
Kids want control. What they don’t realize is that when they don’t follow instructions, they are actually giving up their control.
Ask Polly Bath: You’re a Teacher Not a Buddy
Date: November 11th, 2023
Polly answers the question: “I have a kid in my class who is a ‘buddy’ to their single parent. And they want to treat me the same! I don’t listen to, ‘Hey, dude,’ or ‘Hey girl hey!’ Is there a way to teach, in the moment, that they can’t do this and still have a good relationship with them?”
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