Working with Challenging Students
Most all teachers have had the experience of being the one who made a difference in the life of a student–and every student deserves to have such an adult in their lives.
There is no single intervention or trick to magically change a challenging student into a self-regulating and motivated participant. What does work is creating settings in which students are known, explicitly prompted and supported and praised, and given the academic and social tools to thrive. The experience of working with challenging students as they learn to thrive is one of the richest rewards of working in schools. Let’s get that experience more often.
Available Workshops
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Related Articles
An Alternative to Punitive Discipline That Really Holds Students Accountable
Read original Edutopia article here. “Mike” is misbehaving in class. The teacher does not want the flow of the lesson derailed. The teacher calls the main office to remove Mike from the room. Assistant Principal “Lee” arrives, determined that Mike be held accountable for the misbehavior, and assigns Mike to an in-school suspension for the […]
Schools as Communities
Of all the lessons in all the years of schooling, perhaps the most enduring ones come from being a member of a learning community, preparing the next generation to function in families, work places, religious centers, and in the streets of their neighborhoods. In this short video, I discuss making the community, not the individual student, […]
The Having of Wonderful Ideas
In this short video, I talk about an essay that inspired me when I first read it decades ago, and continues to be a compass point in my work with people of all ages–because every one of us has a beautiful brain that generates wonderful ideas. At our best in schools, we honor each student for their […]
How To Scaffold Student Self-Advocacy
When we talk about the need for student cooperation, we usually mean we want them to obey us; i.e. the standard for cooperation is doing what they are told. If we want students to truly cooperate, co-operate, they need to know the operating manual of the class. They need to know what they can do, and […]
Digging into the Treasures Waiting to be Explored
With so much to teach, there is constant pressure to move on to the next thing, the next lesson. Here I discuss the value of pausing to ‘dig in’ with a student, and bring their learning to a new level.
What do you want your students to do?
Here’s something different: a two-minute video on my realization that I need to be passionate about what I am teaching, versus only doing what I am told to do by a textbook in my hands. By the way, the opening music is from one of my bands.
The Prevention Interview
What if we used the time usually spent punishing students to instead talk with them and makes plans in ways that help them succeed?
Schools That Work and Work and Work
Let’s agree that we are not pouring money into public education without wanting a return for our investment. We need our kids to grow up to pay taxes, enough taxes to pay the government back for their schooling, or what’s the point?
From the Introduction to “Hanging In”
There is never one thing that defines a challenging student, never one cause, never one life event, never one disability. If it were one thing, the solutions would be simple. One of my own teachers confronted me with this important and demanding advice: “Keep the complexity as long as you can.”
Be Special, Educator!
I am old enough to have been there at the beginning of special education, and fortunately, I completely missed the euphemism of “special.” I knew schools were filled with students who were disengaged, abused, overwhelmed, scared, with quirky learning difficulties that would not go away simply by avoiding the required reading and writing and math curricula.
Connect with Jeffrey Benson
Want to learn more about how Jeffrey can support your school or organization? Schedule at time to meet with Jeffrey to learn more about customized workshops and other services.