4.59

5

Jul 12, 2010

Having (fairly recently) completed my bachelor's degree in education, and remembering how little anyone can tell you about classroom management/behavioural issues, I think this text should be mandatory reading for all who want to teach. (big statement eh?? Let me try to back that up.)

Dr. Greene's main idea is that kids do well if they can. It's hard to believe that so many adults don't agree. When a child is misbehaving (for the 2nd or 22nd time) it can be difficult to remember that he/she is Having (fairly recently) completed my bachelor's degree in education, and remembering how little anyone can tell you about classroom management/behavioural issues, I think this text should be mandatory reading for all who want to teach. (big statement eh?? Let me try to back that up.)

Dr. Greene's main idea is that kids do well if they can. It's hard to believe that so many adults don't agree. When a child is misbehaving (for the 2nd or 22nd time) it can be difficult to remember that he/she is not trying to manipulate you. Most (if not all) children do not want to get in trouble, and if they are seeking attention in negative ways, it's probably because they don't know how to seek attention in positive ways. What does this mean? It means that standard discipline techniques, such as detentions and suspensions don't work because they aren't teaching the student anything other than what they did was wrong (which most kids already know). Discipline should follow the Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) technique - but you'll have to read the book to find out more about that!

I loved this book for many reasons. It is broken up into different formats (part 'how-to', part anecdotal and part 'Q & A's'). Although the anecdotal portion felt a little long, a little cliche, it was still helpful in understanding exactly how CPS is going to sound/feel. Greene's tone is neither patronizing nor condescending, he really tells it like it is, and seems to understand the resistance that a lot of adults might feel towards CPS. In general, I really appreciated the concept that there is no cookie-cutter plan that is going to work for all students. Imagine that...treating each individual child like an individual! That being said, all future (and current) teachers should RUN, DON'T WALK and read this book!

"These kids clearly need something from us...They need adults who can identify those lagging skills and unsolved problems and know how to solve those problems (collaboratively) so that the solutions are durable, the skills are taught, and the likelihood of challenging behavior is significantly reduced." p.35 ...more

5

Jan 23, 2010

I skimmed through parts of this book because it repeated itself, but I have been using Ross Greene's Plan B in my classroom and have seen the changes in my students. I love the empathy step, where you really dive in to see what is troubling the student. I've found that most of the time my thinking was incorrect. You cannot just assume you know what the student's "issue" is. THEN, and only then, can you begin to problem solve together. This gives the child the ultimate buy-in. They are helping to I skimmed through parts of this book because it repeated itself, but I have been using Ross Greene's Plan B in my classroom and have seen the changes in my students. I love the empathy step, where you really dive in to see what is troubling the student. I've found that most of the time my thinking was incorrect. You cannot just assume you know what the student's "issue" is. THEN, and only then, can you begin to problem solve together. This gives the child the ultimate buy-in. They are helping to problem solve their own problem in the classroom.
My school is a pilot school for Ross Greene's Collaborative Problem Solving approach and I couldn't be happier. ...more

5

Nov 08, 2019

Amazing Informative and I really tried the communication with empathy, getting to the concern (Part B not Part A), asking and coming up with solutions with my kids. It helped right away even though we are all still learning! I’m going to keep reading and rereading and hopefully lots of ppl will read this because I think that kids with behavior and other challenges need help Learning new skills!

0

Nov 03, 2009

I liked the author's focus on how acting-out kids are lacking the cognitive skills they need to behave appropriately (there's a useful list of what skills kids may be struggling with). I liked his proposal of using collaborative problem-solving (CPS) to address kids' behaviors. Even though CPS is mostly common sense, I thought he did a nice job of spelling out how to make it work.

I was not convinced that "CPS" is the panacea he implies. Also, he didn't really address how to teach lacking skills I liked the author's focus on how acting-out kids are lacking the cognitive skills they need to behave appropriately (there's a useful list of what skills kids may be struggling with). I liked his proposal of using collaborative problem-solving (CPS) to address kids' behaviors. Even though CPS is mostly common sense, I thought he did a nice job of spelling out how to make it work.

I was not convinced that "CPS" is the panacea he implies. Also, he didn't really address how to teach lacking skills (though I enjoyed his discussion of how some skills might be gained through the CPS process). I was irritated by his dismissal of kids' life circumstances (trauma, neglect/abuse, poverty, etc.) as influences on their behavior. It's not an either/or proposition - kids can be be lacking skills AND be reacting to their life circumstances.

Anyway, the book was worth reading and was very readable, full of illustrative vignettes. (The opening one was what made me think the book might be worthwhile - it was a perfect, life-like example of how many kids explode over what is seemingly "nothing.") ...more

2

Aug 10, 2009

A good strategy to implement but I felt it could have been covered in one chapter or a short article....lots of common sense stuff that many good teachers do.

1

Jun 04, 2013

I was given this book to read as summer homework by our school principal. Obviously, the book resonated with our principal but it does not "speak" to me. Especially, since it resulted in taking yet more time out of my precious time off (1.5 weeks to read the book + 2.5 weeks of other summer training). As a result, I have a very negative attitude about this book.

Before I began reading the book, I read many of the reviews posted by Goodreads' readers. I found it interesting at the time that the I was given this book to read as summer homework by our school principal. Obviously, the book resonated with our principal but it does not "speak" to me. Especially, since it resulted in taking yet more time out of my precious time off (1.5 weeks to read the book + 2.5 weeks of other summer training). As a result, I have a very negative attitude about this book.

Before I began reading the book, I read many of the reviews posted by Goodreads' readers. I found it interesting at the time that the majority of positive reviews came from very new educators or educators still in college. Some positive reviews were also posted by special ed teachers. Gen. ed. teachers appeared to be less positive.

Our district claims to be data-driven and research-based. This book is neither. The author admits that he hopes to gather more data as more schools and districts implement the CPS project. In his works cited, there is only one study on the effectiveness of CPS and that study was written by the author.

Our district is supportive of Ruby Payne's philosophy of teaching. The author disagrees with Ruby Payne.

I feel that the author is dismissive of academics and the educational system. I believe that he feels if emotional issues are dealt with then the academics will fall into line. I agree. After over a dozen years in the classroom, however, I also know that I only have a limited amount of time to deal with academics and much less time to deal with emotional issues. I rely on my school counselors for aid, especially with my larger classes.

I also feel that the author is dismissive of teachers. He state that implementation of Plan B can occur before school, after school, during recess, during lunch, and during PE. My typical school day is 10-14 hours long just dealing with academics. Before and after school is already devoted to tutorials and class prep. I'm not sure that the elementary schools in my area still have recess, much less secondary schools. We don't have homeroom. It's just rude to expect that I can pull students out of anyone else's class even if it "just PE" or "just art." Neither do I have the authority to disrupt the student's class schedule.

The principal in the myth in the book states that he think his role as primary disciplinarian has become obsolete. If so, what does he believe his role to be? I was unaware that we were allowed to declare our roles obsolete.

In chapter 9, the author states the mission he feels he has provided the reader. A mission does not begin with the word if.

In summary, as of the time of publication (2008), this book is theoretical and anecdotal. It does not fit in with my school district's vision. It is dismissive of my time and my feelings regarding my role within the school.

I will be looking for further research on CPS. ...more

3

Jun 12, 2013

Do you believe that kids do as well as they are able or as well as they want to? Dr. Ross Greene believes that kids do as well as they are able and oftentimes, adults treat the problem as if the kids are wanting to misbehave. The truth is that kids who have the most behavioral challenges do so because they lack the skills necessary to behave appropriately and the disciplinary actions most often taken -- suspension or detention for school, or grounding, loss of privileges, etc. for home -- don't Do you believe that kids do as well as they are able or as well as they want to? Dr. Ross Greene believes that kids do as well as they are able and oftentimes, adults treat the problem as if the kids are wanting to misbehave. The truth is that kids who have the most behavioral challenges do so because they lack the skills necessary to behave appropriately and the disciplinary actions most often taken -- suspension or detention for school, or grounding, loss of privileges, etc. for home -- don't make a difference because while they reinforce what kids are doing wrong, they're not showing kids how to change their behavior.

That is where collaborative problem solving, or Plan B comes in. It functions to address the concerns of both adult and child, teaches children problem solving skills, and allows both adult and child to be heard.

I really like what Greene is saying and he explains everything in a way that makes sense -- I think that schools and even parents can really benefit from reading this book and taking its advice to heart. I use the collaborative problem solving strategy with many of the students that I tutor, and I've seen great results from it. If nothing else, giving them a voice in the conversation and letting them tell you why they're acting the way they are is a powerful tool for building a relationship.

Lost at School is easy to follow and pretty much covers everything, from what Plan B is and the theory behind it, to addressing all sorts of common questions that may come up. I did find the "real-life" conversations and story annoying and tedious to get through -- they were too scripted and perfect to allow me to see how the theory actually worked in a real-life situation.

But I do suggest that you take a look at this if you work with kids and have to deal with discipline. I could see it being especially helpful for school personnel and parents.

Also posted on Purple People Readers. ...more

5

Jan 20, 2013

It might not apply to every difficult situation at school, but it still should be required reading for every educator--at the very least, those who are called upon to provide intervention for students with difficult behavior problems. Sometimes, all it takes is to really listen to the student. I had the opportunity to use almost the exact conversation on page 118 with a student who had already exploded and was out of the classroom. I listened to him, reflected, invited to come up with a It might not apply to every difficult situation at school, but it still should be required reading for every educator--at the very least, those who are called upon to provide intervention for students with difficult behavior problems. Sometimes, all it takes is to really listen to the student. I had the opportunity to use almost the exact conversation on page 118 with a student who had already exploded and was out of the classroom. I listened to him, reflected, invited to come up with a solution, and it worked. Of course, kids are deep with many layers, and I haven't solved his behavior problems with this book. But little victories give the strength to keep going some days. The strategies in the book might just be what is needed for some kids, and might get you through a difficult day with the students whose needs run deeper.

As a speech-language pathologist, I have found that some of this works well with students with autism, especially being proactive. The emergency plans can still end up being too much verbal input, but using the strategies later when the situation has diffused are really powerful. One student I work with just wants to be heard. He might be upset about a messed-up paper, or not getting a turn on the computer, or some other little thing. Trying to talk him out of it never works. But empathy and then defining the problem are almost always enough--I don't even have to get to the invitation.

The hardest part of this for me is probably having the time to teach the lacking skills. Even so, I highly recommend that educators give this book a chance. ...more

3

Jan 11, 2012

Although I am only at page 60 presently, I am finding many of the ideas present in this book interesting however at this point in the book I am having trouble trying to formulate HOW I would actually effectively go about implementing some of these ideas in a classroom setting. As well as implementing them in coordination with other colleagues.

I am finding yet again another book written about a topic I am very much passionate about yet mostly written for a non-Secondary audience.

At points I am Although I am only at page 60 presently, I am finding many of the ideas present in this book interesting however at this point in the book I am having trouble trying to formulate HOW I would actually effectively go about implementing some of these ideas in a classroom setting. As well as implementing them in coordination with other colleagues.

I am finding yet again another book written about a topic I am very much passionate about yet mostly written for a non-Secondary audience.

At points I am very interested, at others I am extrememly bored, and at still others feel that it is redundant information that has been beaten to death within the educational community.

After completion of this book I still feel that there are some good ideas within it and many of the ideas proposed are things that I and many teachers that I know do on a daily basis without calling it CPS. Much of the book was very redundant and this philosophy could probably have been summed up in an informative educational article format with examples instead of an entire book.

Some interesting things to think about but very redundant. ...more

2

Jan 09, 2012

I don't disagree with the premise of the book, that traditional punishments aren't working in a lot of cases and I applaud him for putting the idea out there. However, I found the delivery to be condescending and the situations used for examples to be idealistic. What about the child that says "screw you!" when you introduce the idea and doesn't stop, no matter how persistent you are? Because those children most certainly exist. I also don't believe that all children want to succeed but lack the I don't disagree with the premise of the book, that traditional punishments aren't working in a lot of cases and I applaud him for putting the idea out there. However, I found the delivery to be condescending and the situations used for examples to be idealistic. What about the child that says "screw you!" when you introduce the idea and doesn't stop, no matter how persistent you are? Because those children most certainly exist. I also don't believe that all children want to succeed but lack the skills. There are many teenagers who have found ways to make more money than their parents and don't care about school any more. Asking "What's up?" until you're blue in the face is not going to help.

I also did not like how the author did not give an example beyond a traditional classroom. What about self contained classrooms? Or what about classrooms attached to treatment facilities? Overall, not an overly helpful or insightful book. ...more

5

Aug 29, 2009

Dr. Greene’s approach is a humane, respectful and practical alternative to the ineffective discipline strategies we have been using in our schools for decades. Dr. Greene offers a new conceptual framework based on research for understanding the difficulties of kids with behavioral challenges and explains why traditional discipline is not effective in addressing these difficulties. His work is based on the simple and positive notion that kids do well if they can. Many kids just lack the skills to Dr. Greene’s approach is a humane, respectful and practical alternative to the ineffective discipline strategies we have been using in our schools for decades. Dr. Greene offers a new conceptual framework based on research for understanding the difficulties of kids with behavioral challenges and explains why traditional discipline is not effective in addressing these difficulties. His work is based on the simple and positive notion that kids do well if they can. Many kids just lack the skills to behave adaptively. ...more

5

Mar 14, 2010

I think this book is a valuable addition to teachers' knowledge. As a sub, I see that dealing with kids with behavioral challenges is consuming a huge amount of teacher time and resources. Most of the elementary schools I sub in now have not only a counselor, but also a behavior specialist. If this Plan B model can help solve some of these problems, I am all for it. Although, again, as a sub, I don't have much chance to use it, except for the emergency model.

3

May 25, 2010

Like many would be reformers, Greene starts off on the wrong foot by making (some) educators the villains of the parable (a format which is much better used in the Arbinger Institute's Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box and The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict). If I wanted to reform any institution from within, I would NOT start off with a hearty "you guys suck" position--a bit too much the stereotypical male coach. The author should revise this and allow the Like many would be reformers, Greene starts off on the wrong foot by making (some) educators the villains of the parable (a format which is much better used in the Arbinger Institute's Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box and The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict). If I wanted to reform any institution from within, I would NOT start off with a hearty "you guys suck" position--a bit too much the stereotypical male coach. The author should revise this and allow the educators the same opportunity he allows the children--time and patience, patience and time. Adults, even educated ones, need as much training as the students, at the very least. The author does get around to allowing other teachers to become the heroes of the piece when they leave the 99 (or 29) to find the lost 1. His points are good, but by using this style, he's bound to alienate teachers before he convinces them of the merits of his ideas. If you have a student like this (as a parent or teacher) I would recommend this book, but if you are the teacher, you are going to get that "I'm being attacked" feeling at first. As a parent, the author won't make you feel any responsibility for the way your child is, so that's great for you, but if you really want change in your student's life, you need to be doing the lion's share of the work. This is NOT a quick fix (and by the way, quick fixes do not exist--sorry America). ...more

4

Jun 15, 2019

www.livesinthebalance.org

Greene's book is quite readable, and provides a thorough overview of an approach to working with behaviorally challenging kids called Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS). Rather than applying "consequences" as is traditionally the practice in many schools, Greene proposes that adults view challenging behaviors as symptoms (or results) of lagging cognitive (thinking) skills. He provides a framework for identifying and defining problem behaviors and lagging www.livesinthebalance.org

Greene's book is quite readable, and provides a thorough overview of an approach to working with behaviorally challenging kids called Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS). Rather than applying "consequences" as is traditionally the practice in many schools, Greene proposes that adults view challenging behaviors as symptoms (or results) of lagging cognitive (thinking) skills. He provides a framework for identifying and defining problem behaviors and lagging skills (Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems form), from which adults can choose priority problems on which to work collaboratively with the student. His CPS process includes three steps: (1) Empathy - listening and probing to understand the child's concerns; (2) Define Adult Concerns; and (3) Invitation - summarizing both the chid's and the adult's concerns, and inviting the student to suggest possible problem-solving steps that address both sets of concerns. The overall goal is to teach children the skills they need to solve problems rather than simply punishing them for being unable to do so on their own. ...more

3

Jul 09, 2015

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I agree that the current system of punishment does not work for most kids. But there are certain situations when it is necessary (student threatens a teacher, brings weapons to school, etc. All things that have happened with my students in these first couple months of school). As a licensed mental health and behavioral counselor in an alternative school, I like the idea of a collaborative relationship with students. When I meet with each of I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I agree that the current system of punishment does not work for most kids. But there are certain situations when it is necessary (student threatens a teacher, brings weapons to school, etc. All things that have happened with my students in these first couple months of school). As a licensed mental health and behavioral counselor in an alternative school, I like the idea of a collaborative relationship with students. When I meet with each of my students for their weekly sessions, I'm not talking at them. They are in charge, and I am there to help them make the change they want. The vast majority of students in Alt. Ed. are there because of behavior issues. We are the last stop before expulsion.

My principal is really great and takes the time to get to know every student and meet with them at least once a week. They feel they can talk to her and be honest about things like cutting, suicide and drug use. They know she wants to help them and is not going to automatically punish them. Because our program is computer-based and moves at each student's individual pace, we are really set up to implement something like the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions program in this book since we are more flexible with time and being able to meet during the school day. I think this could work for out students, which is amazing as these are the kids the schools have written off. They would rather "get rid" of them by sending them to us instead of trying to work with them.

My biggest concern about this program is the staff buy-in. I have a great principal, so I know she could be part of this. Our teachers? Not so much. The difficulty with Alt. Ed. is the reputation. These are the "difficult" kids. They are viewed as rude, dangerous, and unmotivated. While this can sometimes be true to an extent, these are really kids who have become accustomed to the role assigned to them by teachers and administrators for the majority of their school career. People who don't look at the reasons behind misbehavior. A student leaves class and spends the hour in the bathroom? Must just be lazy and trying to get out of doing work. Or, if you actually get to know her, you find out she is a survivor of rape and feeling unsafe. She needed to get out of the room before having a panic attack. Unfortunately Alt. Ed. does not attract the compassionate and patient people who are willing to go above and beyond for students. We never get teachers of the year applying for jobs with us. We tend to get people who cannot get hired anywhere else and apply with us as a last resort. They hide in their rooms at lunch and run out the door as soon as school ends. They either don't make any effort with the kids or are confrontational and try to get the kids to blow up and get into trouble so they get suspended and the teacher doesn't have to deal with them. We've had a completely different set of teachers for the past three school years. It's disheartening.

My principal assigned this book for all of the staff at our school to read and discuss at our monthly professional development days. She would like for use to implement the CPS program with our students, but I just don't see our teachers being willing to put in the effort to do this. And I just don't know how this could work without the teachers taking the lead. So five stars for the idea, but minus two for how realistic implementing it would be in our particular situation. We'll see how it goes. ...more

4

Jun 02, 2018

A fresh perspective on kids with behavioral challenges. For the first time in a long time, it feels like a humane and doable behavior "program" that actually teaches kids something and builds healthy relationships between students, schools, and families. No ticket system, bribes, or detentions that serve to teach kids obedience but not self-control.

To me, it is obvious that Greene has actually worked in schools, has heard conversations at faculty meetings and between teachers and parents A fresh perspective on kids with behavioral challenges. For the first time in a long time, it feels like a humane and doable behavior "program" that actually teaches kids something and builds healthy relationships between students, schools, and families. No ticket system, bribes, or detentions that serve to teach kids obedience but not self-control.

To me, it is obvious that Greene has actually worked in schools, has heard conversations at faculty meetings and between teachers and parents because the examples feel real to me and my experience. The examples of scenarios with students and teachers in the book as well as the videos online may sound stilted or cheesy, but the heart of it is often accurate. I believe he honors the idea that everyone is doing their best, and that perspective has helped me get through a year of insanely tough behavioral challenges accompanied by an equally tough group of families.

One thing that I really appreciated was the section where he talked about how this approach to challenges works with other common initiatives that are current in education, such as Responsive Classroom, Love and Logic, PBIS, and others. Our school is currently doing lots of training around ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and how that affects children's health, behavior, and learning. I've found myself empathizing with the underlying causes of many students challenges, but I keep finding myself thinking, "So what can we do to help?" I believe this book has some answers for schools.

I've begun using some of the conferences outlined in this book with a few of the challenging students at our school and can attest to some positive changes in both our relationship and behavior and learning in my classroom. The CPS model has given me some tools to use and a mental framework for decision-making in situations when I must address difficult behaviors in my classroom. I do not need to fill out scores of paperwork or keep track of some draconian sticker-chart to do this - it's a framework for conversations that is not permissive and allows adult concerns to really be heard by students after we've shown empathy to them and build skills. ...more

2

Jun 29, 2012

This book was an exceptional foray into the modern approach to students who are falling through the cracks in today's approaches to traditional discipline and rewards in situations (namely public schools). The issue at hand is not readily apparent unless you read a few chapters in, but the bulk of the thesis is that many young people who are constantly dropping out or doing bad in school academically, behaviorally, et al, are suffering from emotional delays. They are basically behind in some This book was an exceptional foray into the modern approach to students who are falling through the cracks in today's approaches to traditional discipline and rewards in situations (namely public schools). The issue at hand is not readily apparent unless you read a few chapters in, but the bulk of the thesis is that many young people who are constantly dropping out or doing bad in school academically, behaviorally, et al, are suffering from emotional delays. They are basically behind in some aspect of their life, and the longer it goes on for the more they are going to act out in many ways in order to deal with it. I am a huge skeptic when it comes to programs like this, and Greene has done an excellent job in turning me away from this topic as well, using acronyms that have just been tossed into the meaningless acronym and obfuscation pit of despair in my head that is reserved for all acronyms I am presented with on a daily basis, and what I hope is a rhetorical fictional narrative at the end of each chapter that is... Fiction.

That said, the underlying issues that he presents are very much important and meaningful, and the solutions he provides are things that are helpful. I do leave the book with concerns, such as the fact that many high school students could easily find ways to manipulate this approach if they knew what was going on. It also may not be helping students that late in the game as much as a greater intervention might because they will be given unexpected real world consequences when they graduate not long after the program is implemented, because they have been trained to expect authority responds in such an empathetic manner.

Regardless, schools should create teams that are responsible for being centers of communication that will ultimately be the backbone of a new era where students are receiving all emotional as well as academic elements in their education at school...

...I am just not sure that it is all supposed to be happening there. ...more

4

Nov 28, 2010

This book got a bit boring in places but it is an excellent resource for those who want to be very efficient in the model of CPS. I spent a week at an advanced CPS training with Dr. Green this summer and found him to be authentically concerned with the welfare of kids in schools who just don't seem to be getting their needs met in order for them to do well. I work at a therapeutic school where we use this model as our primary treatment modality and although it is time consuming, it works when it This book got a bit boring in places but it is an excellent resource for those who want to be very efficient in the model of CPS. I spent a week at an advanced CPS training with Dr. Green this summer and found him to be authentically concerned with the welfare of kids in schools who just don't seem to be getting their needs met in order for them to do well. I work at a therapeutic school where we use this model as our primary treatment modality and although it is time consuming, it works when it is used correctly. I must also point out that using this model is much less time consuming than filling out incident reports, suspension debriefs and collaborating with mental health case managers and parents regarding what we shoud do next. I'm a fan, but the book was a bit clinical and dry in places... ...more

5

Jun 20, 2011

This is a wonderful book! I read it as a parent, not a teacher, but I still learned a great deal from it. It gave me some wonderful new ideas about how to deal with my son's challenging behaviors. Grounding, time outs, and loss of privileges only get you so far when dealing with a kid with severe adhd and ocd. This book opened my eyes to a whole new form of behavior modification where the focus is on teaching the kid the coping skills he needs to avoid the undesirable behavior, rather than just This is a wonderful book! I read it as a parent, not a teacher, but I still learned a great deal from it. It gave me some wonderful new ideas about how to deal with my son's challenging behaviors. Grounding, time outs, and loss of privileges only get you so far when dealing with a kid with severe adhd and ocd. This book opened my eyes to a whole new form of behavior modification where the focus is on teaching the kid the coping skills he needs to avoid the undesirable behavior, rather than just punishing him over and over for the same thing. If you have a challenging child, read this book! ...more

4

Jul 10, 2009

I have some questions about some of Greene's ideas, but his central premise is hard to argue with: Kids don't violate the rules because they are broken. They violate them because they don't really know how to follow them. He advocates a structured from of problem-solving with kids that allows them a role in coming up with a plan to teach them lagging skills. I think most teachers would like this book. He writes in clear language, and uses an ongoing narrative to illustrate his ideas.

4

Jan 02, 2009

One of the best books I've read on teaching kids with behavioral challenges. Shifting our perspective towards the belief that "Kids do well if they can" changes how the adults in their lives prevent and respond to misbehavior. It left me with some unanswered questions on practical applications, but overall is a great resource.

4

Feb 15, 2009

Really interesting book about treating children's challenging behaviors like learning disabilities and dealing with them through collaborative problem solving rather than impositions of adult will. It's geared more toward teachers than parents, but applicable for both (and more) and is probably something I'll come back to when actually parenting.

2

Jul 11, 2018

Quite repetitive and should of taken more into account how trauma affects one’s behavior. I also didn’t like how it minimizes how culture and the environment ( growing up in poverty) plays a role in behavior.

1

May 21, 2012

This book was cheesy like an lifetime movie or an after school special.

5

Mar 15, 2019

I think this is essential reading for all teachers working today's inclusion led education systems. As an SfL/ASN teacher who has worked with ASD (including Asperger's), ADHD, ODD, PDA and PTSD pupils in mainstream schools I wish I had come across this book years ago. Read it and pass it on to your colleagues.

Four quotes from Lost at School:

"The premise of this book is that kids with behavioural challenges lack important thinking skills, an idea supported by research in the neurosciences over I think this is essential reading for all teachers working today's inclusion led education systems. As an SfL/ASN teacher who has worked with ASD (including Asperger's), ADHD, ODD, PDA and PTSD pupils in mainstream schools I wish I had come across this book years ago. Read it and pass it on to your colleagues.

Four quotes from Lost at School:

"The premise of this book is that kids with behavioural challenges lack important thinking skills, an idea supported by research in the neurosciences over the past thirty years on kids who are aggressive and have difficulty getting along with people and those diagnosed with ADHD, mood and anxiety disorders, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and language-processing disorders."

" ...these kids have a developmental delay, a learning disability of sorts. In the same way that kids who are delayed in reading are having difficulty mastering the skills required for becoming proficient in reading, challenging kids are having difficulty mastering the skills required for becoming proficient in handling life’s social, emotional, and behavioural challenges."

"Over time, challenging behaviour can take its toll on peer relations—kids who are aggressive are often avoided, kids who lack social skills are frequently ignored or rejected, kids who get in trouble a lot are teased or ostracized—and challenging kids ultimately find themselves on the outside looking in. These patterns often set the stage for kids with behavioural challenges to become alienated from their peers and teachers and begin gravitating toward other kids who are similarly alienated."

"Plan B is a systematic, thoughtful, (preferably) proactive approach to solving problems, and engages the kid in a process that ensures that his concerns will be identified, clarified, validated, and addressed. When problems are routinely solved using Plan B, kids eventually react less strongly when frustrations arise and respond to those frustrations with far more thought than emotion, and without as much help from adults."
...more