Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/weve-tried-everything/5014754/
There is an almost desperate look on the face of the woman posing the question at the end of the workshop. My stomach lurches because I sense what's coming, and that I won't be able to help much. "We've tried everything," she says, and then describes a child with difficult behavior problems. Predictably, anything I suggest they have already tried. Just about anyone who has presented workshops or training sessions about working with toddlers and two year olds has experienced that scenario. In a workshop setting and in the space of a few minutes, it is difficult to satisfy the need expressed. My heart goes out to this woman, whether she is a director or classroom teacher, because we have all been there and know how she feels.While we can guess at what might be motivating the behaviors and make suggestions, we are not there. We can't see the environment, hear the tone of the teachers, or know the size of the group, the play equipment, the schedule of daily activities and routines, and numerous other variables that might influence the child's behavior, let alone what the family life is like. So what I usually do is focus on process.
Any ...