CP 631 Chapter 11

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CP 631 (Chapter 11)
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ENCOURAGEMENT

• The process of encouragement is paramount in
  building the childs learning ability and
  developing his commitment to the learning
  process. All children need approval, regardless
  of their status in the group. Lack of
  appreciation may discourage even a gifted child,
  and cause a withdrawal from participation.

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Encouragement v/s Discouragement

• Every misbehaving or deficient child is
  discouraged.
• Confidence is the key to their finding a
  constructive place in school or home.
• He deviates only if he finds himself blocked in
  his endeavors.

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Discouragement

• Discouragement is at the root of mistaken
  approaches.
• Children want to be good and are bad only when
  they see no chance to succeed.

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The Teacher

• The teacher is in a crucial position in the
  childs life
• Teachers are often the first person besides the
  parents who exert deliberate educational
  influences.
• Teachers are the first to emphasize work, duty,
  and responsibility

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The Teacher (cont)

• If a teachers influence is discouraging, they may
  permanently block a childs function in a social
  relationship or in some field of endeavor.
• A realization of the importance of encouragement,
  and a knowledge of the methods of its
  implementation, are an absolute prerequisite for
  any teacher who wants to exert constructive
  influence on their pupils. Unfortunately,
  teachers have misconceptions about how to
  encourage children (Dreikurs, 1951).
• It is difficult to define the exact method of
  encouragement, as everything depends on the
  childs reaction.

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What Is Encouragement?

• Encouragement is a complex process.
• An action that informs the child that the teacher
  respects, trusts, and believes in them and thinks
  that their present lack of skills in no way
  diminishes their value as a person.
• An effective process of encouragement demands
  continuous alertness for the right moment, tone
  of voice, and choice of words.
• Recognition must be given for real trying, even
  if there has been no visible accomplishment
• Teachers can encourage a child without using any
  words.

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When to Begin Encouraging the Child

• Encouragement is most effective if it starts at
  the beginning of the school year.
• Teachers need to be sensitive to the feelings of
  each class member
• The effect of the teachers encouragement will
  depend on the childs relationship within the
  group.

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The Overambitious Teacher

• Do not become easily discouraged
• A teacher has to develop techniques and abilities
  together with patience and self-confidence in
  order to help the child overcome difficulties.
• The act of hovering is discouraging itself.
• One of the most frequent means of discouraging a
  child is pointing out how much better he could be.

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The Danger of Competitive Encouragement

• The teacher must be very cautious in using the
  term better than others.
• Many children get the impression that they are
  important only if they are better than others.
• Example I like the way you sharpen my pencils
  rather than Youre the best pencil sharpener I
  have ever had.

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Sibling Rivalry as Discouragement

• What a teacher can do if they realize a child is
  discouraged because of a who is better in school.
• Help the child through discussions with the
  entire class about differences among people.
• Stress that all of us have problems and we are
  not alone in our difficulties and feelings of
  inferiority.
• Speak to parents and point out mistake of
  comparing the two children.
• Most important is the teachers constant
  alertness to situations that present chances to
  raise the childs self-esteem.

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Encouragement Versus Praise

• It is crucial that teachers recognize the
  difference between praise and encouragement
• Praise is given to the child when a task or a
  deed is well done, or completed.
• Encouragement is necessary when a child fails.
• Encouraging the child during the task or for
  trying is as important as giving the child
  recognition upon completion of the task.

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Dinkmeyer and Dreikurs (1963)

• What a Teacher Can Do
• Place value on the child as they are
• Show faith in the child and enable him to have
  faith in himself
• Recognize a job well done and give recognition
  for effort
• Use the class group to enhance the development of
  the child
• Integrate the group so the child can be sure of
  their place in it
• Assist in the development of skills
• Recognize and focus on strengths and assets
• Utilize the interest of the child to energize
  constructive activity

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Chapter 12Logical Consequences vs. Arbitrary
Punishment

• A society cannot function without basic rules
  that include respect and consideration for
  others. These rules can be a valuable ally in
  getting a person to see the relationship between
  his own actions and the results of those actions.
  
• The social order consists of a body of rules that
  operates on an impersonal level and must be
  learned and followed in order for the child
  and the adult to function
  adequately.
• Without such social order, we
  have chaos and anarchy.

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NATURAL CONSEQUENCES

• Natural consequences represent the natural flow
  of events in which a person is faced with the
  unexpected effects of his behavior.
• These consequences are not arranged or imposed by
  anyone they just occur.
• It is not advisable for parents and teachers to
  add punishment to a child once he has experienced
  the natural consequences of his behavior.
  Punishment would only add insult to injury.

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APPLIED LOGICAL CONSEQUENCES

• Applied logical consequences are those
  consequences that the teacher applies when a
  child provokes her, another child, or the class.
• The consequence is logical in that it relates to
  the behavior but is decided upon by the adult.
• They are usually a one-time procedure. At a
  later time, the misbehavior is discussed and
  agreement is met concerning the consequences. In
  this way, the same application to such a
  situation that before was an applied consequence
  now becomes a logical consequence.

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LOGICAL CONSEQUENCES

• Logical consequences are guided and arranged.
  They must be discussed with, understood, and
  accepted by the child, otherwise the child may
  consider it punishment. When used, the child is
  motivated toward proper behavior through his own
  experience of the social order in which he lives.
• A good relationship between adult and child must
  exist.
• Consequences will be effective only if they are
  applied consistently.

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LOGICAL CONSEQUENCES APPLIED UNIVERSALLY

• Sometimes the teacher may have to face the
  consequences of her own behavior. If a
  democratic spirit is to prevail in the class, the
  teacher must take such consequences graciously.

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Logical Consequences Involve Choices

• 1. The consequences must be related to the
  misbehavior.
• 2. In using logical consequences, the child must
  be given a choice. You have the choice to walk
  down the stairs without pushing or I have to hold
  your hand until we walk down the stairs and the
  class is dismissed. You choose.
• 3. Do not use logical consequences where you
  cannot, for example, in the the following cases
• A. Where safety (life or death) or danger is
  involved.
• B. When the child uses power, revenge, or
  displays inadequacy.
• 4. Understand the goal of the child.
• A. Logical consequences work best on attention
  getting behavior.
• B. When a child is seeking power or revenge,
  the child is so busy asserting his superiority
  over the adult or in getting even with the adult
  that he often does not care what results his
  actions incur.

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WHAT IS PUNISHMENT ?

• Punishment is imposed by adults with no direct
  relationship to the misbehavior.
• Arbitrary punishment makes no sense to the child
  and the child may begin to fantasize retaliatory
  actions.

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Logical Consequences vs. Traditional Punishment

• Children propose punitive measures.
• The teacher needs to help the children to
  understand the subtle differences between logical
  consequences and traditional forms of punishment.
  
• Children of all ages can learn this within a
  short time.

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REWARD

• Rejected by the Adlerian point of view because of
  its connotation of bribery. Through bribery we
  reinforce the terror tactics of the unmanageable
  child, which clearly puts him in control of the
  situation.
• Rewarding the child for a task that the situation
  requires is an indirect admission that the child
  is being asked to do something that is so
  unpleasant that it merits a reward.
• Children who are constantly rewarded do not
  develop a sense of responsibility they feel
  entitled to receive pay-off for everything they
  do.

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A Correctional Method

• The concept of consequences is only a
  correctional method for dealing with the
  immediate situation it is not an end in itself.
  In every case, the child must be helped to
  understand why he is behaving as he does, how
  this kind of behavior has brought him success
  (from his point of view) until now, how it
  affects other people, and finally, how he can
  obtain status through more acceptable methods of
  behavior.
• Logical consequences must be
  used with no strings attached.