But They Spit, Scratch and Swear: A School-Age Care Survival
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Whelan, Mary Steiner, PUBLISHER: Redleaf Press, They spit. They scratch. They swear. They talk back. They kick. They roll their eyes. They challenge. They throw things. Discipline, or behavior guidance, is often the most difficult part of what teachers do, especially for school-age programs, where there is often no curriculum and kids aren't getting graded. But discipline is also the most important part of a program, writes author, trainer, and former educator Mary Steiner Whelan. It can open the world of possibilities that live inside children -- the possibility of self-control, competency, self-respect, creativity, integrity, resiliency, and self-worth. Or, it can shut down a child's hope, her empathy for others, and her positive sense of self. A survival guide to school-age care, But They Spit Scratch and Swear lists the "do's and don'ts of discipline". The book will help teachers with little experience in the field establish behavior guidance techniques and philosophies in their programs, where there is less structure than school time and often more challenges with behavior. Beginning with a brief examination of the history of school-age care and the developmental issues facing the field, the book also includes an array of exercises designed to foster a teacher's self-knowledge as an integral part of learning how to discipline children. Covering a variety of disciplinary issues, from setting limits to giving children "cools" (the author's replacement for the punitive use of "time-outs"), But They Spit Scratch and Swear is written to inspire teachers to face the struggles of discipline and the challenges of each and every child again and again. The book urges that teachers do more than just memorize the rules fordiscipline, and instead look inside to ask how each do or don't works in a particular situation.