Ask Polly: Aggressive Horseplay?

Date: January 29th, 2023

Polly answers the question: “Our middle school boys are very aggressive and ‘hands on’ with each other. I know horseplay is to be expected, but often things get out of hand at lunchtime or in the hallways. What can we do?”

Click here for more

Ask Polly: “Mean Girls” In Elementary School

Date: January 21st, 2023

Polly answers the question: “I have a situation of “mean girls.” These girls are ruthless! They find joy in making someone cry. Some days, I want to cry. I know I can’t make them be nice, but what can I do for the other kids who take the brunt of their meanness?”

Click here for more

Ask Polly: Cussing In Elementary School

Date: December 31st, 2022

Polly answers the question: “I have a student who cusses like you wouldn’t believe! I spend all day kicking him out and sending him down to the office only so he can return and say, “Well that was fun, the office sucks, too!” How should I respond and what’s the best consequence to stop this?”

Click here for more

Ask Polly: Kids Wandering the Halls All Day

Date: November 27th, 2022

Polly answers the question: “We have high schoolers who wander the halls all day. When someone tells them to go to class they make explosive comments. How can we address this problem?”

Click here for more

Help Kids Focus!

Date: November 9th, 2022

We want kids to focus and pay attention in class. But often when we say those terms to them, it causes them to do just the opposite.

Click here for more

Kids Not Doing Well on Tests?

Date: November 2nd, 2022

When kids struggle with tests, it’s not always an issue with understanding the curriculum. It could be a memory issue.

Click here for more

What’s Behind a Kid’s ANGER?

Date: September 28th, 2022

We have a lot of angry kids. When we are able to figure out what is causing their anger, we’re better able to help them deal with it.

Click here for more

Teach Anxiety Management for the Real World

Date: July 24th, 2022

Anxiety is part of life. If we don’t teach kids how to manage anxiety, then they won’t know how to manage it as an adult.

Click here for more

How I Change Behavior

Date: March 20th, 2022

Intervention is the purposeful teaching of skills, and it is a powerful way to change a student’s behaviors.

Click here for more

Any Behavior is a Skill Deficit

Date: March 6th, 2022

When we see or hear a behavior, we really need to stop and think about what skill is lacking. If we don’t do this, how can we teach that missing skill?

Click here for more