LIFELINE TO SANITY

Before computers, before the Internet, before cyberspace, we teachers had to rely on books and each other to find ideas for lesson plans, arts and crafts, large motor exercises, dramatic play experiences, play dough recipes and............. BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT! I was always scanning mailings and flyers for anything new to help me get through another day. Then... I found it! A manual called THE PARENT'S HANDBOOK / STEP ( SYSTEMATIC TRAINING FOR EFFECTIVE PARENTING) by Don Dinkmeyer & Gary D. McKay.

The copyright was 1982. I had just accepted a job in a day care working with a class of ten two-year-olds, and I thought I could use all the help I could get. Little did I know that this book would be my lifeline to sanity for the rest of my teaching career. It was obviously written for parents, but I thought I could put some of the techniques to use in my classroom as well.

So... I started reading. WOW! There was SO much information in just the first chapter that I knew this was going to be an overwhelming project for me to grasp all that these two gentlemen were sharing. I wanted so badly to be able to understand ALL of it at first read. It's NOT that kind of manual. It is best used as a reference book to be used as the occasions arise. And, believe me, occasions arose!

I knew that a group of two's would present me with enough challenges to keep me busy every moment of my day. I was going to need some guidelines for myself to be able to keep up with these "energizer bunnies". The STEP PROGRAM became the source of those guidelines. Chapter after chapter was a goldmine of information that could easily be applied to my classroom...and I did just that! I began to see happier, more cooperative children. Going to work was no longer a chore, but something I actually looked forward to. My days were easier and I felt more in control every day. The anxiety about HOW to handle these toddlers slowly disappeared. Have you ever heard anyone describe a toddler room as CALM? You should have seen it! I remember sitting on the floor in the center of the room one day during the "cold" season, with a box of tissues, a waste basket and antiseptic wash for 45 MINUTES STRAIGHT! Five two-year-olds playing around me while I just wiped noses and watched them play. Not one squabble! It was a day I will never forget!

Anyway, back to the manual....

My favorite chapter is about Natural and Logical Consequences: A Method of Discipline That Develops Responsibility.What I learned from that chapter alone has served me well for 27 years! I have incorporated those techniques into every classroom I've worked in since then, and found a great comfort level with my own personal style, as well as the positive results I have enjoyed from using them with the children. Many times, I use a very simplified version of the techniques described in this chapter, but the desired results are clearly evident. The child CHOOSES to do the right thing.