Maintaining Today's Troubled Youth With Yesterday's Advice

Maintaining Today’s Troubled Youth With Yesterday’s Advice

In 1972, Dr. Ralph F. Blanco, from the Department of School Psychology in the Division of Educational Psychology at Temple University, published the source of all information regarding children with learning and behavior issues entitled, Prescriptions for Children With Learning and Adjustment Problems. Dr. Blanco’s work has endured almost 35 years trapped in a dark corner of my elementary school library. His book has survived attacks of dust mites and deluges of hot pink anti-freeze spewing forth from the ceiling of the vault.

Blanco states in his preface that his volume “…is a reference for professional persons well versed in childhood exceptionality and psychopathology and also familiar with common diagnostic terms and etiological patterns.”

Dr. Blanco continues with this important statement to end his preface:

It is quite impossible to state categorically which professions

should or should not have access to the material in this volume. It is

generally an anathema in science and the professions to withhold

knowledge from colleagues practices. Perhaps particular occupational

titles or even the amount of training are not the correct criteria for

using such a reference, but rather the degree of competency and

maturity of the professional person who prescribes for and aids

troubled children.”

Considering my maturity level and my vast experience in working with troubled children, I plan to give illustrations and modern tips to some of Dr. Blanco’s most reasoned recommendations.

Regarding Aggressive Behavior:

Blanco: Anticipate and prevent situations which are likely to produce aggressive behavior. The teacher must be aware of which children are likely to respond aggressively and in what situations. From her recollection, the experienced teacher can catalog those situations which have produced aggressive behavior in the past. She must deliberately maneuver to avoid these circumstances.

Response: If you push and prod enough, every child is prone to have aggressive reactions. Experienced teachers are adept at avoiding aggressive children by sending them away or out into the hall where they can get aggressive with others, thus leaving the classroom free from violence. Asking teachers to catalog anything in this day and age of hyper accountability will only result in aggressive outbursts from teachers.

Blanco: The teacher may try a time-out procedure so that an aggressive child will have fewer opportunities to direct aggression toward peers. He may be placed in a time-out room after an episode. Be certain not to reward him with a pleasurable time-out experience if he has been aggressive. If anything, it must be isolating, nonrewarding experience so that his aggression is not positively reinforced. The time-out room may be a simple cubicle in a classroom or an isolated room elsewhere. Sending the child out in the hall may be convenient, but it has too many reinforcing qualities from passers-by.

Response: I’m beginning to suspect that Blanco will always refer to do-goody teachers as females and troubled, obnoxious students as males. This is not politically correct in my opinion.

William Glasser would disagree with Blanco here. Glasser would advocate sending a kid to time-out with a bag of peanuts. Glasser was smart back in the 60’s because he understood way before his time that the best way to rid the world of aggressive kids is to feed them bags of peanuts. Now we know that about 1 in every 3 kids has a severe peanut allergy that causes the constriction of the bronchial airways and death by asphyxiation if not treated. Since Glasser always isolated his kids in a quiet, comfortable time-out space, treatment might sometimes be a bit delayed. Glasser was confident that his approach would rid the school world of aggressive kid behaviors. He was a man ahead of his time.

Back to Blanco. He’s right about the hallway kids. Too frequently, people who pass by make small talk with kids sequestered to the hall. What each school needs is a pact to grill kids who are sitting in the hall. This is the approach that my old elementary school used. The one time I was sitting in the hall for whispering during quiet time, my principal happened to walk by…before he even said one word I was already crying. Then he unleashed the harsh, “Why are you sitting out here in the hall???” Whimpering between uncontrollable sobs, I stammered, “I-I-I-I Wa-wa-was whispering during quiet time.” After a few more growls, he moved on. I made it a point to never be sent to the hall again. I became perfect.

Blanco: A teacher is obligated to separate children who are seen or known to be fighting since her neutrality might be interpreted by parents as irresponsibility or approval of the aggression. If one or both children are hurt, the school personnel might be held responsible.

Response: Dr. B. doesn’t quite understand the true nature of the teacher. She lives for student to student aggressive outbursts. In fact wagering by teachers on aggressive student outbursts is wildly popular among teachers. Much in the same manner that roosters are pitted against each other in cockfights, so to do teachers pit aggressive students against aggressive students. To separate combatants would only serve to squelch the fun and gaming. As for neutrality, a classroom ain’t Switzerland.