About Marilyn Robb Expertise I am an educational psychologist and counsellor, with more ten years of experience in teaching, parenting, running support groups and workshops, teacher training and counselling. I would like to share my knowledge and expertise in issues particularly related to helping children cope with learning and the school experience.
Teaching Advice - working with young children with challenging behaviors
Expert: Marilyn Robb - 7/7/2009
Question Is it more important to keep consistency with rules than to positively reinforce
positive traits with student behavior...students in line "no cuts" is the rule -
allowing students to move ahead in line - student developing friendships
asks a student to stand in line with them - is it more important to enforce the
rule or allow it to encourage the developing friendship? Student asked to
clean-up game - is taking their time putting items away one by one - adult
gives the choice of the student putting things away more quickly by using
handfuls of items when hurrying to clean up is not necessary - student would
like to clean up by themselves but when doesn't do it the way the adult has
directed the adult steps in to help the student pick up the items the way they
have directed and the student becomes upset - they didn't ask for help and
would rather do it their way even if it slower - which is more important -
speed or allowing the student to have some control even if it is slower?
Answer This is not a question with a straight forward answer. I would first have to know the context of the questions.
Making a decision about what is more important must take into consideration some factors- what has already been taught, the age of the children, the ultimate objectives of the actions involved, etc.
All these factors must be taken into consideration in order to make a decision about whether to enforce a particular rule in a given circumstance or whether there are extenuating circumstances that will permit side-stepping the rule.
It is also important how the situation is handled by the adult in charge.
Dr.Marilyn Robb
