OCR Text |
Show SchooLcrv and Home s J Dr. Daryl J. McCarty Executive Secretary Utah Education Association . 'LEAST' technique A technique that some experienced teachers use to keep order in their classrooms can work well in the home, too. A team of educators describe this procedure with an acronym, "LEAST." The letters in that catch-word describe the discipline process. "L" Leave it alone. Your first option when a problem arises is to do just that to avoid magnifying the problem or calling attention to a matter that doesn't deserve it. In effect, you may be "rewarding" disruptive behavior by taking notice of it. "E" End the action. If the child's act demands attention, it is important not to over-react, but to stop the misbehavior. Often a look of the eye can be more effective than a harsh word. "A" Attend to it more fully. If the earlier approaches don't work, you may have to attack the problem at the root. Before you do, .make sure you have the necessary information to change the child's behavior. What happened? Why did it happen? How the child feels about it is important, too. "S". Spell out directions. The next step after you have done your research is to decide whether (1) your directions are clearly understood and possible to accomplish and (2) your child realizes the consequences of following, or failing to follow, your directions. Positively reward good behavior when it occurs and make clear the punishment punish-ment for any future disruptive behavior. "T"Track your child's progress. Have a way to monitor the progress of your child's behavior. When you have enough information, sit down and discuss that progress or lack of it. Mutually agree on what should happen if the misbehavior improves or if it continues. These are generalizations, which means that you will use your own judgement in supplying the details. But that's the way it should be, since no two children are alike. You, the parent, know best how to apply those generalities. May your relations with your children improve 1,000 percent at LEAST. |