The Life Skoolz, Participate Now, blog has been quiet for some time. Too quiet.
What are they working on?
Well, the focus has been on creating a dynamic curriculum set to be used with our illustrated novel, Bully. The curriculum has been created, now we polish it and offer it up for reviews.
When this become available at the end of this month the curriculum will incorporate restorative practices and offer lessons to middle school classrooms. The lessons will teach how to listen, talk and empathize with our classmates. Educators will build community in their classroom with this curriculum and this will increase test scores and lower office referal rates.
We will certainly have data available very soon to show the curriculum’s effectiveness. If you are a pioneer, please contact me and I will send it along for you to assist in testing.
Over the holiday weekend we will celebrate America’s Independence. Not too unlike this celebration, Life Skoolz wants to celebrate a student’s independence of choice. For it is each individuals choice to be a part of our community–whether on a national level, classroom level or world level.
Independence is a beautiful thing and we all have the choice. What do you choose to celebrate about your independence?
Participate Now-
Matt K.
Last week’s post talked about feedback.
I want to focus on positive feedback and clarify a few comments and thoughts I received since my initial post.
Positive Feedback is not always positive. However, it amplifies the positive behavior we, as parents, want to see in our kids.
What?
Yes, positive feedback certainly can be positive and should be when appropriate. Bragging does work for many kids and direct, specific observations of their “good” behavior works as well.
However, when a kid does make a mistake (for example, stays out past curfew), as parents we must give appropriate feedback. This is important and our kids want to hear it from us.
When we confront our kid at 2:00am (or whatever a late time is appropriate for your situation) we must be direct, specific and brief. Yes, fill it with emotion as necessary and please make sure your kid knows that it is the behavior making this emotion for you–not them as people.
This is giving positive feedback–though it may feel “negative” and have this connotation because of an error in the terms use.
We have to give our kids the kind of feedback that will increasingly support the learning of positive behaviors. Therefore, make everything you offer be positive feedback.
I talk about this type of feedback in my parent seminars everywhere. Some parents choose not to give feedback, others give negative feedback (meaning it promotes poor behavior, such as pushing boundaries, etc) and positive feedback–well, its an art. Many parents “got it” and many are learning how to motivate better choices in behaviors from their kids.
What are your thoughts on Positive Feedback? I would like to hear them.
Participate Now,
Matt K.
