Humanistic Approaches

Jillian Schneider- LectureChristine DeSantis- Lecture

Shirah Bergman- Cooperative Learning ActivityMeredith Boyajian- Cooperative Learning Activity

Lecture Outline

• Humanistic approaches– What is a Humanistic Approach?– Glasser’s Approach– Spencer Kagan’s ApproachSucker BaitTemperamentHow to Give Instruction

Foundations of Humanistic Approaches• Teachers needs to understand a

child’s behavior in order to change a child’s behavior– Behavior is caused by external

factors– Behavior is motivated by needs

• To understand behavior you need to know what drives behavior– Goals

• See Dreiker’s 4 mistaken goals of behavior

– Motivation• Keller’s 4 dimensions of Motivation

– Needs• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and

‘Other needs’ (Lecture 16)

The focus or objective:

Is on what “we” can do, to help the child develop and mature.

The Humanistic Approach

1.) The Investigation Stage

• Analyze the problem behavior

• Seek information about the motivation or need behind the behavior

2.) The Action Stage

• Reduce or meet the needs behind the behavior

• Substitute alternative behavior to meet the needs

• Altering the environmental or psychological factors or help the child cope with them

• Promoting the child’s understanding and control of the their behavior

Glasser’s Approach Glasser believes: All children have the tools and the

ability to make mature choices, but they need to be guided and reminded of how to do so. – Children can control their

behavior– Children are rational– Adults must help children make

good choices– Adults should accept no excuses

(Lecture 17)

Focus-helping children develop self control and self maturation (making rational choices)

Foundations of Glasser’s Approach Key concepts of Glasser’s Approach:

– Class rules are essential and must be enforced

– Class meetings– Don’t focus on the child’s

background*– Results of choices– Meet the students needs by

including them (5)• Survival• Belonging • Power• Fun• Freedom

Tenets 1. Quality curriculum

1. Quality Teaching

1. Quality Discipline/Non- coercive Discipline

Quality Curriculum

• Learn useful information• Ask students what they would like to explore

in depth• Explain why the topic is valuable• Students should assess quality of their own

efforts

Quality Teaching

• Warm supportive classroom• Lead teaching• Useful work• Ask students for their best effort• Evaluate work• Recognize quality work

Quality Discipline

• Stress responsibility• Rules that promote success• Establish rules jointly as a class • Accept no excuses• Call for value judgments

• The 3 Questions

• Suggest alternative behaviors• Be persistent• Continually evaluate the system

• class meetings

Spencer Kagan’s Win-Win Discipline Approach:

The goal of Win-Win Discipline is to help students develop lifelong responsible behavior.

1 THREE PILLARS OF WIN-WIN DISCIPLE2 Class Rules 3 Attention to types of misbehavior4 ATTENTION TO STUDENT POSITIONS5 Structures6 ATTENTION TO NEEDS

The Three Pillars of Win-Win Discipline

2. Collaborative SolutionsStudents & teachers cooperate in proposing workable

solutions to discipline problems

3. Learned ResponsibilityStudent acquires the desire to exhibit appropriate behavior through practicing self-management & skills of getting along with others

The Philosophical Structure of Win-Win Discipline

1. Same Side “The WE approach” which is the focus or objective of the Humanistic approach Students, Teachers, Parents work together on the ‘same side’ to

enhance the school experience for everyone

Temperament is a basic dimension of human personality. Understanding temperament is part of the investigation stage of the Humanistic approach. Understanding student temperament allows the teacher to analyze the behavior problem and seek information about the motivation behind the behavior.

1. Activity Level2. Distractibility3. Intensity4. Regularity5. Persistence6. Sensory Threshold7. Approach

Withdrawal8. Adaptability9. Mood

Stanley Turecki’s 9 Dimensions of Temperament (Handout)

Stanley Turecki’s 9 Dimensions of Temperament (Handout)

Attention to NeedsBecause misbehavior is a manifestation of students’ ineffective efforts to meet needs, Kagan urges teachers to help students meet their needs in acceptable ways. This highlights the Action Stage of the Humanistic approach by reducing or meeting the needs behind the behavior.

Provide a learning environment that is rich with interesting activities and engaging instruction

Establish a “WE” approach that gives teachers and students a joint interest in maintaining responsible behavior.

Attention to Student Positions

Do not accept misbehavior, but do accept and validate the student’s position when he or she misbehaves--Kagan

7 Student Positions are involvedin most student misbehavior, according to Kagan:

1.Attention Seeking2.Avoiding Failure3.Anger 4.Control Seeking5.Energetic6.Bored7.Uniformed

•These positions are neither right nor wrong, neither good or bad.

•They indicate the individual students’ emotional or mental state at the time students misbehave.

Sucker Bait(Norma MacRae, Lec 18, iTunes University, Classroom Management & Discipline)

What is Sucker Bait:Provocative statementsPush people’s buttons statementsDeliberate statements

What to do about Sucker BaitMake a connection to student’s

parentsDeal with the issue

If tardy, send student to the office to get a tardy pass

Examples of Sucker Bait:You can’t make me!I hate this class (this school)Why should I?I don’t care!I won’t!

In terms of the Humanistic Approach:Seek information about the motivation or need behind the behavior

How to Give Instruction

1. Visualize and Plan2. Get full attention

• Give a cue

3. Give steps4. Demonstrate or work

• Model

5. Repeat Repeat Repeat• 2-3 times

6. Post Instructions7. Check comprehension8. Build in a hold