L&l

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Home : 2007 : September : 30

L&l
By Teach'n'Learn

Teaching with Love and Logic is a great book. There's also a forum for people using the principles. loveandlogicforum.com

It's big on using the right language with children to offer choices, stay out of power struggles,
and let children experience natural consequences (and learn from their mistakes.)

This is what I love about it. Choices are so wonderful. We still have to use "pull a card" as a schoolwide discipline system, but I just incorporate it into the choices "You may sit quietly in your seat during SSR time, or you may lie on the floor quietly, or you may pull a card and read

in the office."

I also love "Feel free to . . ." My favorite this year is "Feel free to be as chatty as you want until we cross the yellow line." The kids get as close to the yellow line as they can and then veer off a bit, looking at me to see if I really mean it. But as soon as they cross that line (there's a point in our walk to the room that it becomes necessary and not simply an option), they're silent, even if the students behind them who haven't yet crossed the line are still talking. They will even become silent mid-sentence if necessary. :D It works much better than "You have to stop talking when we get to the line."

It is hard work I have to admit and the kids dont really get it at first especially if they live in a reactionary household. I have a really challening class this year and for a week or so I lost my cool and completely lost the love and logic way of things and i was teary after school from being emotionally and physically drained

That sounds like me last year. :p It is much easier to practice L&L if you have a class that accepts it easily when you first try it out. It's also hard if they are used to being in reactionary classrooms where everything is on a punishment system (detention for everyone and everything!).