Introducing Difficult Topics
As an Intervention Specialist, I quickly learned that 90% of my job was to control student behavior. I’m not sure if the chicken or the egg comes first (the behaviors or the learning difficulties), but for the most part, there are behaviors associated with difficulty learning. In discovering very early in my career that I couldn’t get anything done if the kids weren’t listening, I sought to learn everything I could about student behavior. It was FASCINATING and taught me so much about myself and other adults in my life. I went to every professional development I could get my hands on and was quickly called upon in my district and surrounding districts to talk about combining all the knowledge I had acquired into a system that works for a cross-categorical, multi-grade inclusion AND resource room teacher.
The short version that I can give you is this: be as proactive as possible. If you know the difficulties you will have, stop them before they happen. Stop them before they become personal. Stop them before the kids label you as “mean” and themselves as “bad.” The easiest way to do this is to have a system of introducing the topics you know you need with animated characters dealing with relatable problems. This works for several reasons:
Kids relate to animated characters and form connections with them more quickly than they will form a connection with you. The connection to the character will be associated with YOU and your classroom, allowing you to address difficult topics and redirect behavior more effectively.
Your students are looking for rules, and scenarios are easy ways to discuss rules. The animations can give you a head start. They are in school because they are learning. Not all kids are raised in the same way. Set the boundaries before they cross them to give them a chance!
Redirection for negative behaviors isn’t personal. Instead of talking about the “bad” thing your student did, you can begin the conversation by talking about a lovable character who made a mistake or was in a bad situation in the animation. This shows the student that just like they learn math and reading, they are learning behavior. They should not be labeled as “bad!”
Here is Ms. Flowers with a little extra information about using videos to introduce topics.
Janelle Vargo was an elementary intervention specialist for over ten years in Dayton, Ohio. She has been using WonderGrove Social Skills animations and lessons for her students both in the resource room and inclusive classrooms since their creation. She currently works as the Education Director for Wonder Media and as an educational consultant. Janelle has written lessons and articles for private educational companies as well as consulting with companies and school districts looking to make their interventions simple, efficient, and meaningful to children.
She can be contacted at jvargo@wondermediagroup.net.