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Showing posts from June, 2012

Using Assertive Language and 'I' Messages When Reprimanding a Student

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On this blog post, we discuss a basic child guidance intervention: telling a child that his or her behavior is troublesome. The key for any teacher here is to approach the topic in such a sensitive and empathic way so that we get the positive outcome that we are hoping for without intensifying the problem behavior, or even worse, triggering a teacher-student power struggle. Approaching and talking with a habitually disruptive student so that the child does not push us away and becomes receptive to what we have to say is a high-level child guidance skill that requires much more than one blog post. However, there are initial changes in the way teachers interact and talk to children that can influence positively the way students respond to us, and those little changes that make a big difference are our focus next. How Not To Talk to the Child These are probably the two most important things that teachers need to keep in balance when managing a habitually disruptive child: be