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Rating: 
Summary: Ever Hear The Phrase "All Talk, No Action" ?
Review: With four pages and a back cover filled with praises for this book, it HAD to be THE one that was going to help solve all those classroom battles - Right? Wrong. It's more likely that, between them, the four authors have conjured enough contacts in their careers to fill those pages of testimony even if they had written a Spam cookbook. What all of the glowing reports prefacing the title page don't tell you is that this book concerns itself not with positive ACTION but with positive THINKING. And, on that level, it does a good job. For that reason, I rated it a "3" rather than a "1." The authors are tremendous at looking beyond the behavior to the feelings of the child. Each entry (alphabetized by behavior type) includes a description of the behavior, suggestions for dealing with it, ideas to plan ahead, and an "inspirational story." I don't know who field-tested the "suggestions", but I found myself wondering what color the sky is in their world. For example, the suggestions for dealing with "Note Writing" include advice to a) write a note yourself and whisper for a student to pass it to the offending pupil so that everyone gets a big object lesson in how disruptive note writing can be, OR b) refuse to teach until the note writing stops. The "inspirational story" in this case depicts a woman who sat down to read a novel when her students began passing notes in class. The little darlings naturally noticed the disadvantage of having the class to themselves and immediately put away the notes and sat, eyes front, awaiting more instruction. RIGHT! And if a teacher uses the first suggestion, the students catch her good humored lesson and stop because OBVIOUSLY note writing is disruptive, right? SURE. The kids in MY world would more than likely assume that the teacher is not serious about her rule and thinks the issue is funny or unimportant. The suggestions in this book depend on what these authors are calling "respect" for students' feelings. But respect on its own does not make a discipline plan. It is only a start. And so, that is where this book will leave you...at the beginning - the theoretical basis of your discipline plan - rather than with any concrete ideas. Read this one for its lessons on understanding and empathy. If you want real suggestions for improving discipline in your classroom, read Dr. Robert MacKenzie's "Setting Limits In the Classroom." Amazon's got it.
Rating: 
Summary: a win-win discipline book
Review: This is a win-win book on discipline. It's applicable to all grades. It asks us to look beyond the superficial quick-fix that's so pervasive with control techniques and reward systems. It gets us to start asking the deeper question: what is behind the behavior being displayed. It does not suggest we throw away setting limits, the authors instead point to a more healthy and compassionate way of dealing with discipline.
Rating:
Summary: a win-win discipline book
Review: This is a win-win book on discipline. It's applicable to all grades. It asks us to look beyond the superficial quick-fix that's so pervasive with control techniques and reward systems. It gets us to start asking the deeper question: what is behind the behavior being displayed. It does not suggest we throw away setting limits, the authors instead point to a more healthy and compassionate way of dealing with discipline.
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