Teacher’s Corner

Unacceptable behavior from students can mean they are working toward something good. They can get there with your guidance.

Here are three examples.

• No-saying and resistance is the start of their becoming determined and thinking for themselves.
• Trying things that are not always safe, touching everything, and starting lots of things but not necessarily finishing anything are the start of their being interested in lots of things and wanting to learn about those things.
• Being sneaky, tricky, wimpy, or acting like bullies in order to test how people react to them are the start of their figuring out how to get along with people and still get their own needs met.

You can guide your students through the bad times and help them reach the good times by:

• Expecting that they can learn from their bad behavior;
• Correcting them without telling them with words or actions that they are a failure;
• Enforcing consequences that make sense in connection with the bad behavior and doing so in a matter-of-fact way;
• Teaching them what good behavior looks like; and
• Looking forward to the people your students are becoming.

Writing Prompts and Discussion Topics on the Subject of Meeting Students Where They Are.

1. Students who say no and resist authority are trying to show their determination and that they can think for themselves. Do you agree or disagree? What would help them understand that they can be determined and think for themselves without being anti-authority?

2. Sometimes students try things that are unsafe because they are curious. How could friends and adults help them understand that they can explore things safely and choose to commit to things that are good for them now and in the future?

3. Students who are sneaky, tricky, wimpy, or act like bullies don’t know how to get along with people and are testing out how people will react to them? Do you agree or disagree? How could friends and adults help them learn acceptable ways to live and work with people?

Read more about children’s development at  Meet Kids Where They Are. 

Teachers, you can use this blog in classrooms. Here are two ideas about how.

1. For middle or high school parenting or child development courses:

• Use the blog for discussion topics
• Require students to research the topics and agree or disagree with what the blog is suggesting.

2.  For all courses, especially English Language Arts:

• Use the blog for writing prompts for paragraphs, theme papers, journal entries, class starters, etc. Have students read the blog and respond to:
  • Do you agree with what is being said about kids? Do kids really act, think or feel that way?
  • Do you agree with what is being said about parents, grandparents, teachers and child caregivers? Do or should they act, think or feel that way?
  • What would be your advice on this topic?
  • What was left out of this article?
  • If you were a parent, would you use any of this information? How?

Why can this blog be a useful teaching tool?

• Students that see connections between their coursework and their lives do better in school.
• Most students will either be parents one day or have children in their lives that they care about, so the topical information can help them build their knowledge about children and parenting and develop a positive image of the type of parenting they want to do.
• The new core literacy standards adopted by most states call for frequent writing in all courses.
• Newly developed end-of-course assessments to be used by many states will require that students demonstrate that they can think critically. These prompts help students practice critical thinking.
• Newly developed end-of-course assessments to be used by many states will require that students demonstrate that they can analyze what they read. These prompts help students practice analysis.