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09 February 2005: You Can Handle Them All (4 of 4)
Overall, the advice that I read seemed very reasonable and much of it I know to be effective. All strategies are based on identifying the underlying student need, then offering positive behavior supports to encourage students to change their behavior. While I am completely into this philosophy, there are is one thing about the way it is presented that I would change.
The tagline: You Can Handle Them All. While it is encouraging and attention grabbing, I'm not sure it's the best philosophy. What about You Can Help Them All? Seems to me that "handling" is what people in dog shows do, not teachers.
Just like the commonly used "management," I don't like language that places all control and responsibility on the teachers. Teachers don't change student behavior, students do. Ironically, good classroom management requires student responsibility. Always, always, I value language that acknowledges student choice and action instead of teachers' control.
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