Michael Valentine Online - Outline of Programs

HOW TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULT DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS:
A FAMILY SYSTEMS APPROACH ADAPTED TO THE SCHOOL SETTING

his unique, effective and easily applied approach to classroom management and discipline uses the strengths and influence of teachers and parents in resolving behavioral problems.

The skill training workshops focus on and equip teachers and parents with the knowledge and skills to get their students to do what they want them to do. This is accomplished by analyzing teacher's and parent's beliefs about why children misbehave, analyzing actual adult-student verbal communication and interaction patterns, and developing non-punishing backup techniques designed for student success rather than failure.

Training Programs

A. Teachers, Principals, school staff and aides

This skill training program is designed as an in-service for the total school staff. The workshop is fast moving, energetic, easy to follow, practical and gives lots of actual case examples.

Participants will learn how to:

Analyze teacher and parental belief systems that become excuses for allowing the child to continue to act inappropriately;
Analyze actual communication patterns that are either effective or ineffective in stopping inappropriate behavior;
Use simple but very effective techniques for stopping most inappropriate behavior immediately;
Improve student's academic performance and attendance;
Get children to stop fighting, arguing, stealing and lying;
Stop behavioral problems (i.e., truancy, acting out, temper tantrums, etc.)
Avoid student manipulations;
Develop home, classroom and school wide strategies and techniques to stop inappropriate behavior at school and help insure a safe school environment for every child;
Develop a behavioral lesson plan for the "difficult, at risk or hard to handle student";
Develop various non-punishing back up techniques that focus on solutions for this hard to handle student;
Run a ten to fifteen minute teacher based student/teacher/parent conference designed to get parental help to resolve the school related problems.

This workshop can be tailored to the school's needs, from a half day overview repeat session to a five day intensive training program.

B. Counselors, school psychologists, social workers, mental health professionals, and in-service staff development coordinators or trainers

Participants will:

Learn the basic information as presented in training session A, plus;
Learn how to set up and run in-service programs using this model;
Learn how to use this model to consult with, and back up teacher's and Principal's efforts to resolve difficult discipline problems;
Learn how to run a highly structured seven step family systems counseling session designed to have parents realize that they are capable of getting their children to do what they want them to do;
Develop school, family and community strategies and networks to work with high risk students (suicidal, drug/alcohol/physical or verbal abuse, violent, drop-outs, etc.); and
Receive supervision and suggestions for families they are working with.

In this workshop actual case material and videotapes of family counseling sessions will be presented.

C. Parents

These workshops or presentations are designed to empower parents to solve discipline problems and improve student behavior and academic performance. In our culture parents are often blamed and seen as the problem. From this approach parents are seen as the most powerful influence in the child's life and the school is the second, at least in terms of educational outcomes. Working together these two powerful influences can solve behavioral problems. This approach uses no "logical and natural" consequences, time-out screens, rewards or punishments. It uses straight forward concrete specific non-punishing backup techniques designed to solve the problem. The philosophy is solve the problem and have the child belong in the family and the school, rather than punish the child and/or exclude him from the family or the school. (i.e. tough love, suspensions, expulsions, etc.)

Participants will learn:

How some of our beliefs about why children misbehave become excuses for letting children continue to misbehave;
How we, as a culture do not give clear direct messages to either stop the inappropriate behavior or to start doing what we really want the child to do. (i.e., "If you cut your foot off with that lawn mower, don't come running to me.");
How to use legitimate parental power, within the context of love, care and the child's best interest, to stop most inappropriate behavior, even if the child doesn't want to;
How to develop non-punishing backup techniques and help structure the child's life so they can become successful;
How to develop strategies to avoid most children's manipulations, (i.e. whining, crying, pouting, verbal debates, anger, etc.) and stay focused on solutions to the problem.
How to deal with severe behavior problems (i.e. drugs, threats of suicide, violence, gangs, etc.,) and if necessary how to help coordinate community, school and home resources to help solve these problems.

These workshops can be tailored to the school's or parent group's needs and concerns. The following options are available:

Evening lectures to parents, (i.e. total school or district populations);
One to two day parent workshops.

Follow up sessions with smaller groups of parents with specific problem areas, (i.e. truancy, poor grades, inappropriate language, etc.) are also available.

PROGRAMS FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT, CONFERENCES, AND CONVENTIONS