Midweek Moment

Next year in addition to being an aide I am going to teach 2 Math classes! Just a little more work, not a whole teaching load, as my kids are just a little bit bigger and a little more independent. I am so thankful and excited.

So I have been trying to remember how to teach, and I have been reading quite a bit about this in my spare moments. I recently read this gem....

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A good example of the use of this technique was reported by a father who lives in Kansas. He called to tell about his daughter, who was having academic problems at school. He had become frustrated with her apparent lack of motivation. Each time she brought home a poor report card, he had become more enraged. He threatened, scolded, and punished with increased severity, none of which brought improvement in her school performance.

In desperation he tried the consequences/empathy approach. The next time she brought home a report card with two F's, two D's, and a C. This time, he put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Aw, honey. This must feel awful for you, getting grades like that. I can't imagine how much it hurts. It must feel terrible to bring home a report card like that. I can't think of anything I could do to make you feel worse than to have a report card like that. I tell you what. You go back to school tomorrow and tell those teachers I will love you regardless of the number of years it takes you to get through seventh grade. Now, give me a hug."

His daughter looked up at him and screamed, "Years!? I don't have years to get through seventh grade! My friends are going on to eighth grade!"

''I know," Dad said. "But maybe they won't dump you just because you're a year behind them in school Besides, you don't need them. You have me for a friend."

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I dabble some in the Love and Logic approach, but I have a long way to go before I could be that good.