The Human Piñata

This week, we continue on the topic of influential authors.  In the entry below, Jeff tells a story about his son's experience last week, and how the experience brought back memories of a book that changed the way he taught and continues to inform his parenting.

Enjoy!

From Jeff: My Son, the Human Piñata

I was reminded this weekend of the power of natural consequences. My son was attending a birthday party where, at one point, there was a piñata involved. Imagine 8 seven-year-olds being blindfolded and being told to use a 3 foot dowel rod (1-inch in diameter) to knock at an object hanging in the air; you probably know where this is going.

It looks so innocent just hanging there, but put the club in
the hand of a 7 year-old....

The piñata was hung in the middle of the garage, and all the kids were told to remain outside of garage until it was their turn or until we allowed them to swarm the candy. At one point, the piñata was knocked from the string and went to the ground, where my son quickly dove in after it.

Needless to say the blindfolded kid, not realizing the piñata was on the ground and my son on top of it, took a swing and knocked him upside the neck. After a few tears, we were able to have a conversation about why it is best to wait until the blindfold was off the person swinging. (He is doing well and enjoyed showing the battle wound off to his peers.)

He used a band-aid in the evening, but wore his
battle scar proudly at school the next day! 

Early on in my college years, Maria Ging (Fall Creek Elementary), gave me a book entitled Teaching with Love and Logic by Jim Fay and David Funk. This was a great book to start me thinking about classroom discipline and management and, in a way, how I deal with my own kids at home.

The book focuses around several key concepts:

• Building relationships with our students
• Teaching students to think about their actions and decisions
• Giving choice, when possible, for consequences
• Consequences do not need to be immediate but have empathy
• Consequences should be a natural fit

Jim Fay and David Funk say this: "Do I want to control kids, or do I want to obtain their cooperation?"

As we enter the last few weeks of the semester, our students may start to push the boundaries just a bit more. Hang in there, and think about using love and logic as part of your classroom management plans.

The break will be here soon!

Have a great (short) week, HSE!

 Your HSE Teaching and Learning Team

Jan Combs, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning

Stephanie Loane, Director of Elementary Education

Tom Bell, Director of Special Education

Jeff Harrison, Director of Educational Technology

Phil Lederach, Director of Secondary Education