COUNSELING TECHNIQUES

A. Counseling Procedures to enhance Positive Behavior

1.Praise and Approval

2.Modeling- showing to the child to do something and then ask him to repeat what you did.

3.Token Reinforcement Program

Three Factors:

A set of instruction to the class about the behaviors that will be reinforced

A means of making a potentially reinforcing stimulus usually a token-contingent upon behavior.

A set of rules governing the exchange of tokens for back-up reinforces such as prizes or opportunities to engage in special activities.

4.Establishing Clear Rules and Directions

- Review and serve to prompt children to rehearse the rules themselves and an observed in many classroom, the children may remind others of the rules.

5. Shaping

- Reinforcing successive approximations to some desired terminal behavior. Ex. If a child answer but only at a whisper, a teacher can praise the child when he answers with just a little more volume than usual.

A. Counseling Procedures to Modify Negative Behavior

1. Extinction- when teachers ignores the tantrum of the pupil or stops making approval or some other form of attention contingent upon behavior.

2. Reinforcing Behavior Incompatible With Understanding Behavior

- When one extinguishes a behavior by not attending to the behavior, one should also reinforce or attend in a positive manner to the desired

behavior. It is helpful if one reinforce a behavior which, if increased in frequency would make the undesirable behavior less probable.

3. Soft Reprimands

- Reprimand which is audible only to the child that may prove effective in reducing the behavior of especially disruptive behavior.

4. Self-Evaluation

- A child should learn to evaluate his behavior correctly, he must be taught to use some sort of standard by which he can be assure of his own behavior.

5. Relaxation

- Teach the child how to inhale and exhale or relax when he becomes

frustrated, agitated or angried.

6. Response Cost: Point system when he gets correct answer, loss points

for disruptive behavior.

PROBLEM BEHAVIORS

No one is completely free from frustrations, tensions, and anxieties brought about by problems and unresolved conflicts. One time or the other one finds oneself unable to cope with the situations fully well and become maladjusted.

In school, the teacher might find students having difficulty in adjusting personally and socially to their environments. These are the emotionally handicapped children who are so-called poorly adjusted or maladjusted personalities or students with problem behaviors who may not be considered individuals with mental disorders. Many of them may not even need to be in special classes or may not need clinical treatment but they surely need enough interest, support and guidance from their teachers in order to improve. When, however, more serious personality maladjustments and in referring these disturbed students to counselors, school psychologists, or psychiatrists.

Usually, maladjusted or emotionally disturbed children have one or more of the following characteristics exhibited to a marked extent or over a long period of time.

a. Is enable to get along with others.

b. Cannot learn for no apparent reason at all. c. Has no self-confidence. d. Cannot overcome feelings of sadness. e. Does not behave according to what is expected of his stage of

development. f. Cannot cope with personal or school problems without developing fear of

pains such as headaches or stomachaches.

These children with problem behaviors normally experienced such feelings as anxiety, insecurity, inferiority, hostility, guilt, and alienation. Among the more common causes of problem behaviors and sources of these feelings are:

1. Conflict of moral standards or values and attitudes in the home and the community.

2. Overprotection from failure or frustration. 3. Unstable home conditions or broken homes. 4. Rejection by parents. 5. Unfair treatment and excessive punishment. 6. Autocratic controls and inconsistent discipline. 7. Very high and unrealistic expectations. 8. Unfavorable comparisons with others. 9. Lack of sympathy and understanding in times of trial, stress, or crisis. 10. Ridicule mockery, belittling or humiliating remarks by others. 11. Excessive and inappropriate demands to achieve in school work and

other activities. 12. Racial prejudice, discrimination and condemnation. 13. Threats of unexpected examinations or failure in the course. 14. Poverty, unemployment of parents, and low socio–economic status. 15. Physical and mental inadequacies such as being a cripple or being dull.

Some problem behaviors in the classroom. In the study of what may be considered as the ten most serious problems, teachers and mental hygienists rank them as follows:

A.

1. Stealing2. Cruelty, bullying3. Heterosexual activity4. Truancy5. Unhappy, depressed feelings6. Impertinence, defiance7. Destroying school material8. Unreliableness9. Untruthfulness10. Disobedience

B.

1. Unsocial, withdrawing behavior2. Unhappy, depressed feelings3. Fearfulness4. Suspiciousness5. Cruelty, bullying6. Shyness7. Enuresis8. resentfulness9. Stealing10. Sensitiveness

Teachers tended to rank as most serious behavior those which they considered as immoral acts or transgressions of their authority or violations of classroom order; whereas, mental hygienist tended to rank as most serious withdrawal and recessive behavior as oppose to more aggressive behavior. These findings could be very significant to classroom teachers in their observation of students behavior so that the needed care and attention could be provided.

Some typical behavior problems that a teacher should be able to recognize and deal with are:

The unsocial, withdrawal child. The child tends to be shy, secretive, fearful, unhappy, and suffering from feelings o insecurity and inadequacy. He may daydream excessi8vely and refuse to mix with other children. Although he may cause no trouble or inconvenience, he may need as much assistance as the aggressive, anti-social student. The mental hygienist believe that this type of a child is in the most danger of becoming schizophrenic if nothing is done to check his behavior, although not all shy children of course become psychotic. But, they are usually develop into socially ineffective and unhappy adults.

The kind and sympathetic teacher must encourage a withdrawn child into more school and social activities. He must observe some special competence or ability of the child that can be used in a group activity and induce the child to use such in certain group activities or situations. In this way, the child may develop more self-confidence and becomes more sociable with others.

The aggressive child. The child who is aggressive is generally hostile, disobedient, volatile, and destructive. Because of his violent temper, he may threaten to attack or attack others including his teachers, verbally or physically. He may engaged or participate in anti-social and criminal behaviors like stealing, fighting, using deadly weapons, sometimes vandalism, and arson. Such behavior may occur in the context of group activity especially among adolescents.

Punishment such as detention, public criticism, and humiliation and corporal punishment may increase the aggressive student’s anti-social

conduct. The low expectations of parents of their children may develop also a low self-esteem among children.

The lazy child. The child tends to be lazy if he has no interest in the school activities which are directed towards the achievement of certain goals the child considers unimportant. School work should be made more meaningful to such children.

The truant child. The child who does not go to school and does something else like watch a movie,, join others in a game, etc., is a truant. Such a child does not attend classes because he may find school activities not interesting or challenging enough.

The hyperactive child. The child is generally overactive, restless, excitable, and impulsive. He is constantly moving around, talking or clowning, frequently careless in his work and does not finish his work, although he may not have an inferior mental ability. He also displays anti-social conduct like fighting, lying, stealing, vandalism, cruelty to animals.

A study shows that hyperactive children tend to have many health problems in their first year, may have poor coordination and delayed speech development. Drugs like amphetamines and methylphenidate which act as stimulants for most people help to tranquilize the hyperactive child so that he is able to concentrate better, get along with peers and perform school tasks. These drugs, however, have only a temporary effect and many parents, teachers and psychologists are afraid of the danger that the children may become addicted to these drugs. Another treatment involves training active children for improve self-control through breathing techniques and other body controls which develop better self-discipline, concentration and control of their actions.

The child who steals. The child may steal because he needs money to buy food, clothes or gifts to impress his friends; to get even with another child, or vent hostile feelings towards his parents or teachers. Accusing the child publicly or forcing him to admit the offense may only harm the reputation of the child or encourage him to tell lies. Positive measures in terms of helping the child meet his needs in providing wholesome activities in school such as music, art, athletics, and dramatizations which can serve as outlet for hostile feelings and means by which they can gain social recognition would help improve the behavior of the child.

The child who cheats. The child usually cheats if the tasks are too difficult and emphasis is made on memorization of subject matter, if he fears to fail in his studies, or is under a strong pressure to make good and get high grades.

The child with severe anxiety. A low level of anxiety is not bad; it often helps a child to study better for an examination. However, a child with a level of anxiety is considered to be problem behavior.

A young child with severe anxiety often feels rejected by his parents or develops many fears about the school. He may be afraid of the teacher or a classmates or other details or situations of the school environment. Physical symptoms such as stomach aches, headaches or other pains often accompany anxiety and may be used by the child as his reason for not going to school.

The depressed child. Reactions of mental retardation, sadness or prolonged grief, despair and suicidal ideas or threats are symptoms of depression. Break-up of the parents may one of the causes of depression.

Problem behavior of some adolescents: alcoholism and drug abuse, run away phenomenon and sexuality. When adolescents have conflicts with their parents or school authority, they often turn to the per group for acceptance and support. Alcohol and drug abuse are serious problems among adolescents although of course they do not know and learn to drink, smoke and learn drugs only from their peer groups. Health information about these should be provided to the adolescents instead of just using scare tactics.

Another problem behavior of the adolescent is repeatedly running away from home. This is a problem of alienation in one of its most extreme forms. This often indicates serious personal and family disintegration. These adolescents are in desperate need of professional help.

Today’s adolescents have to face problem of sexual freedom brought about by changes in traditional norms of sexuality and relationships between men and women. Careful re-evaluation of values is therefore very much needed.

These problem behaviors of adolescents—sexuality, running away from home, alcoholism, and drug abuse, could lead to more serious problems of violence and criminal behavior or delinquency or more dropouts from school.

Child and Youth Welfare Code. To understand and help children better, it is important for every Filipino teacher to be cognizant of such rights. The provisions of the Code regarding such rights are as follows:

Al children shall be entitled to the rights here in set forth without distinction as to legitimacy or illegitimacy, sex, social status religion, political antecedents, and other factors.

1. Every child is endowed with dignity and worth of a human being from the moment of his conception, as generally accepted in medical parlance, and has, therefore, the right to be born well.

2. Every child has the right to a wholesome family life that will provide him with love, care and understanding, guidance and counseling, and moral and material security.

The dependent or abandoned child shall be provided wit the nearest substitute for a home.

3. Every child has the right to a well-rounded development of his personality to the end that he may become a happy, useful and active member of society.

The gifted child shall be given opportunity and encouragement to develop his special talents.

The emotionally disturbed or socially maladjusted child shall be treated with sympathy and understanding, and shall be entitled to treatment and competent care.

The physically or mentally handicapped child shall be given the treatment, education and care required by his particular condition.

4. Every child has the right to a balanced diet, adequate clothing, sufficient shelter, proper medication attention, and all the basic physical requirements of a healthy and vigorous life.

5. Every child has the child to be brought up in an atmosphere of morality and rectitude for the enrichment and the strengthening of his character.

6. Every child has the right to an education commensurate with his abilities and to the development of his skills for the improvement of his capacity for service to himself and to his fellowmen.

7. Every child has the right to full opportunities to safe and wholesome recreation and activities, individual as well as social,. For the wholesome use of his leisure hours.

8. Every child has the right to protection against exploitation, improper influences, hazards and other conditions or circumstances prejudicial to his physical, mental, emotional, social and moral development.

9. Every child has the right to live in a community and a society that can offer him an environment free from pernicious influences and conducive to the promotion of his health and the cultivation of his desirable traits and attributes.

10.Every child has the right to the care, assistance, and protection of the State, particularly when his parents or guardians fail or are unable to provide him with his fundamental needs for growth, development and improvement.

11.Every child has the right to an efficient and honest government that will deepen his faith in democracy and inspire him with the morality of the constituted authorities both in their public and private lives.

12.Every child has the right to grow up as a free individual, in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, tolerance, and universal brotherhood, and with the determination to contribute his share in the building of a better world.

Evidently, impover5ish children and especially children with problem behaviors need to be guided and helped more. Some practices that may be used to helped children with problem behaviors are:

1. maintaining better discipline2. improving the school curriculum3. play therapy and psychodrama4. remedial classes

5. mainstreaming6. using behavior modification7. referring a child’s problem to a specialist

Maintaining a better discipline. When applied in the classroom, discipline refers to the effective management or control of class procedures in order to maintain proper conduct and behavior of pupils and enhance the attainment of educational objectives. Based on this concept, the maintenance of discipline is expected to achieve orderly procedures in the classroom as well as prevent or correct and remove misbehaviors of children in class.

The word discipline has often been equated with punishment, most often with corporal punishment and other harsh and oppressive practices such as additional homework assignments, detention, isolation, suspension, expulsion, ridicule, and humiliation.

The current concept of promoting discipline in schools, however, has moved from the use of force to the use of persuasion an the development of self-discipline. In the Philippines, teachers are prohibited, from using any form of corporal punishment.

A positive approach that would prevent misbehavior among the students is often recommended in maintaining classroom control and discipline. Some of the measures that may be adapted are: establishing reasonable conduct rules that are more likely to be remembered and followed and reviewing such rules periodically to see if they are still applicable; being friendly but firm with the students; improving communication with the students; calling attention to desirable behavior and giving rewards for their good performance; treating students fairly and respecting their rights; giving constructive criticism and encouragement to a particular students in private; eliciting active participation of students and developing interest on their work; assigning work within the capabilities of the students; developing self-control, self-direction, and self-discipline.

Self-discipline can be achieve through the development of a sense of responsibility to self, to classmates, to the school, to the government and to the other people in the society.

It will help Filipino teachers to stress to children their responsibilities. The Child and Youth Welfare Code contains the following:

Every child, regardless of the circumstances of his birth, sex, religion, social status, political antecedents and other factors shall:

1. Strive to lead an upright and virtuous life in accordance with the tenets of his religion, the teaching of his elders and mentors, and the bidding of a clean conscience.

2. Love, respect and obey his parents, and cooperate with them in the strengthening of the family;

3. Extend to his brothers and sisters his love, thoughtfulness and helpfulness, and endeavor with them to keep the family harmonious and united;

4. Exert his utmost to develop his potentialities for service, particularly by undergoing a formal education suited to his abilities, in order that he may become an asset to himself and to society.

5. Respect not only his elders but also the customs and traditions of our people, the memory of our heroes, the duly constituted authorities, the laws of our country, and the principles and institutions of democracy;

6. Participate actively in civic affairs and in the promotion of the general welfare, always bearing in mind that it is the youth who will eventually be called upon to discharge the responsibility of leadership in shaping the natures future; and

7. Help in the observance in individual human rights, the strengthening of freedom everywhere, the fostering of cooperation among nations in the pursuit of their common aspirations for programs and prosperity, and the furtherance of world peace.

Other techniques of correcting misbehavior to maintain classroom discipline are: withholding certain privileges; adjusting lessons if boredom and fatigue develop; giving children special responsibilities; avoiding showdown in front of the class; holding informal conferences with misbehaving students and increasing mutual understanding; avoiding appeal to an outside authority like the principal or assistant principal unless all other measures have failed that the teacher cannot handle the problem alone by himself.

The teacher’s personality is a very important factor in maintaining discipline. The warmth and kindness, patience and sympathy, cheerfulness and sense of humor, fairness and integrity of the teacher could do much to prevent disciplinary problems among children. The teacher’s proper behavior serves as a model for children to follow.

Some reminders for teachers regarding their behavior towards their students are:

Don’t punish the entire class for the misbehavior of one or a few.

Don’t nag, embarrass or ridicule your students.

Don’t practice favoritism and discrimination.

Don’t neglect the physical comfort of the students in the classroom.

Don’t make threats.

Don’t be too strict and unreasonable.

Don’t be inconsistent.

Don’t be aloof and unapproachable.

Don’t be unfair.

Don’t act nervously.

Don’t have annoying habits and distracting mannerisms.

Don’t be boring and bookish.

Good discipline is a very good function of good teaching. Effective teaching methods and techniques and well-ordered classroom with an atmosphere conductive to better learning are always essential to the development of good discipline.

Improving the school curriculum. Teachers should provide curriculum and design teaching strategies that would meet the needs of troubled children. Children with problem behaviors need not only academic training but also learning new concepts of self and satisfying ways of interacting with others.

Classes in human relations help students to develop better understanding of their emotional problems and how these problems can be met. Books and films of getting along with others, improving personality, developing character, friendships, understanding oneself, boy and girl relationships, etc., may help improve student’s adjustment.

Play therapy and psychodrama. Play activities may be used to help disturbed children release their tensions. Through psychodrama (role playing), the pupil acts out a situation is able to release his tensions and develop better understanding of his problem.

Remedial classes. The very slow-learning child who is frequently humiliated to such an extent that he develops aggressive, withdrawn, or other anti-social behaviors become better adjusted when made to attend remedial classes in tool subjects like reading, arithmetic, and English usage.

Mainstreaming. This means bringing children with special needs of all kinds into the mainstream of education. Children with problem behaviors learn from “healthy” or “average” children by interacting with them, instead of being separated form them.

Using behavior modification. This is a technique for changing simple, undesirable problem behaviors. In a well-planned behavior modification

program, the teacher first studies carefully the student’s current behavior and determines the desirable behavior the student should develop to acquire an education. In observing the student’s behavior, the teacher must note down more precisely the behavior of the child so that she would know what stimuli motivate the child to work and remove those that distract him. He would, therefore, make use of stimulus that will reinforce the child. While praise, attention and encouragement may be effective reinforcers for some children, they may not be effective to others. The teacher must select the reinforcers that would suit the problems. For example, the child that first finishes his work might be rewarded with few minutes of extra recess time or with a token which can be cashed in for a variety of privileges the child wants most.

Referring to a child’s problem to a specialist. When a problem behavior is serious, the teacher must not hesitate to seek professional help. School psychologists and counselors may handle voluntary or involuntary referrals involving classroom difficulties between student and teacher; the social workers may handle referrals involving family interactions or school-family problems. In other cases, all the pupil’s teachers, together with other interested individuals, such as the principal, counselor, school nurse, school social worker, and sometimes even the pupil’s parents, gather together to study the pupil’s problem and make the necessary recommendation to help solve the problem.

Individual counseling (directive or non-directive); individual behavior therapy; group centered approaches (including sensitivity training, encounter group techniques, and family therapy) are some methods used by specialists working with problem behaviors.

In referring children with problem behaviors to a specialist, care, however, should be taken to distinguish the creative child form a child with problem behavior.

In some instances, teachers may commit the mistake of considering a creative child to be a problem behavior because the creative child tends to question or to reject the classroom norms and procedures. Teachers should be careful not to stifle creativity of children.

Promoting Mental Health of Students

The teacher has that important responsibility of promoting the mental health of the students not only by recognizing the signs of maladjustments and helping the maladjusted (which becomes remedial and corrective), but in the first place, by positive measures of promoting mental health by preventing maladjustments and mental disorders.

The following are some ways a teacher may promote the mental health of students:

1. Try to understand and accept the individual child and make him realize that he is understood and accepted.

The teacher must know as much as possible about each child’s background – his family life; his potentials and limitations; his interests, abilities and goals; his social relations; his previous experiences; in order to understand the child and guide him accordingly.

2. Establish a wholesome emotional climate in the classroom.A wholesome classroom environment is one in which children feel

secure and happy because the teacher treats the children affectionately and kindly. The following lines may help picture out that kind of atmosphere:

If a child lives with criticism,

he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility,

he learns to fight.

If a child lives with fear,

he learns to apprehensive.

If a child lives with jealousy,

he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance,

he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement,

he learns to be confident.

I. Definition of Terms

A. Underachiever- are persons, who though some comparison to a measured criterion, does not live up to his expected potentials. He may be bright, yet not earn the predicted grade point average; Measure high on ability tests, but nor produce on achievement tests; In other words simply not perform at an expected level.

B. Underachievement- a discrepancy between the childs ability and actual achievement.

II. Causes of Underachievement

A. Poor self-conceptB. Cultural deprivationC. Lack of family involvement and encouragementD. Peer pressuresE. Learning or emotional problemsF. Physical illnessG. Lack interest in school subjects and content

III. How to Solve Underachievement

A. Try to determine the causes of underachievement. Be observant and sensible to the needs of a child.

B. Assess the academic level at which the child is performing and assist the teacher to build learning and class assignments from this base.

C. Deal with the child to complete at least a small amount of work each day. Build in rewards for progress.

D. Try peer teaching or peer tutoring.

E. Capitalize on an area of interest or ability by relating the assignment to that interest or ability.

F. Team teaching may be helpful.

G. Avoid lecturing, nagging, scolding and threatening the child.

H. Vary school activities from physical to quiet in order to present fatigue and boredom.

I. Teachers can consult with underachieving children or alternative ideas for completing learning objectives.

J. Special arrangements can be made for testing or for completing other class assignments.

K. Help the child find an admired friend and model. Ask the child to talk with the model. Ask the child to talk with model about study habits and to observe the model methods for studying.

L. Check on study skills, test-taking procedures, place and time for studying.

M. If the underachievement is related to parental pressures, counsel with parents about how to decrease this pressure.

N. When the assignment was not completed at home, the logical consequence for the child is to do it in his/her free time at school.

O. Focus on and reinforce improvements in work. Emphasize the positive.

P. It is better for the parent/child relationship, if parents do not teach or tutor their own children. If the child ask for help, the parent may provide assistance but it would be an effective tutor if it is someone outside the family.

Q. For the children with special learning problems, plan a consultation session with all resource persons and teachers involved.

R. Underachievers usually respond to a structures environment for learning. Check/reward system may be used for complete work.

1.1 UNDERACHIEVERS

A. Definition

Recognizing that practically all gifted children are underachievers to some extent we define “underachievement” in general as performance, which places the individual 30 percentiles or more below his ability standing in the same group.

B. Causes of Underachievers

1. Disagreement between the parents, and of the parents with their parents, over methods of rearing the child.2. Transference of problems of parents to a child.3. Over anxiety or over protectiveness on the part of parent.4. Fears of parents regarding child’s health.5. Divorces or separation of parents.6. Parents’ failure to prepare child for the birth of a new baby.

C. Characteristics of Underachievers

When we counsel an underachiever, we should look for various other maladaptive personality characteristics and behaviors besides the plain and oversimplified factor of “falling because of poor study habits.” Some of these are:

1. Anxiety, general depression, sense of worthlessness, guilt, “withdraw from the course rather than risk failure.”2. A very confused set of values.3. Conflict with parental goals or his place in society.4. Feelings of inferiority needing intensive.5. Maladaptive, especially immature, interpersonal relations with significant others.6. Sometimes a child discovers that academic failure behavior brings more loving parental concern than excellence does.7. Rejection.

D. Techniques

1. Desensitization to fear of examination.2. Behavior contract for new study habits.3. Rational- Emotive therapy approach to suggest the irritationality of his self-disparagement for non-achievement.4. Logo therapy to motivate a long-range view of life goals.5. Learning a new behavior through reinforcement and extinguishing the college playboy syndromes.6. Relationship Therapy with emphasis on peer modeling.7. Role-shift for teachers and parents of underachievers.8. Short course in improving reading speed and comprehension.9. Short course in use of library reference works.10. Training in the decision-making process for recognition of possible alternatives in vocational choices.

1.4 Overachievers

-One who performs especially, above the potential indicated by tests of one’s mental ability or aptitude.

-One who performs better or achieves more than expected, especially by others.

-One who achieves above and beyond the levels expected from his chronological age and mental activities.

When a child deviates from the norm, either being above or below it, there is a reason to believe that there may be behavioral correlates, that is his discrepant achievement may result, either directly or indirectly, in behaviors that are different from those he would exhibit if his achievement were normal.

*Causes of super achievement or overachievement of the children

1. the need to be extraordinarily intelligent or perfect.

2. the wish to be creative and unusual, which they may translate as nonconforming;3. the concern with being admired by peers for appearance and popularity.

B. High-risk School Environments

1. An intellectual school atmosphere that sets high priorities for athletics or social status, but not for intellectual attainment of preparation for higher level education.2. An antigifted atmosphere that considers gifted programming to be and emphasizes the importance of all students being will adjusted and “fitting into a world.”3. A rigid classroom environment that encourages all children to study identical material at similar speeds or in similar styles.4. Teachers who rigidly do not see the quality of children’s work either because of children different values personal power struggles or cultural or racial prejudice.

1.5 ANGER AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR

Resentment, anger, jealousy or any other form of anti-social or aggressive reaction is commonly experienced, either mildly or more intensely by most children as well as adults. The emotion may be justified or it may arise out of personal feelings of insecurity. Whatever the cause may be the relation behavior can become socially undesirable, unless it is controlled.

A. Causes and Modes of Expression

1. Anger arises in situation in which the child’s activities or plans are thwarted (preventing from happening).2. Age and sex play an important role in determining the particular reaction of the child.

B. CHARACTERISTICSIf the child’s bodily activities are restrained, if his movements are

interfered with, if his wishes are thwarted, or if insufficient attention is given to him, his result behavior is likely to reflect a state of anger. When a child is thwarted:

1. He may scream2. He pinch3. He bite4. He grab stamp5. He sulk or throw things

C. Value of Anger

Anger sometimes has positive values. It can be used to overcome fear, as has been demonstrated in the behavior of men on the battlefield.

D. Causes of Aggression and Hostility

1. Parental rejection2. Broken home3. Poor discipline4. Lack of spiritual conversion and growth

2.4 BULLY TEASERS

2.4.A. NATURE OF BULLIES-the sort of feelings that identify their motives as power and revenge.-they suffer from emotional problems and desire to assert themselves in some way over their peers.

2.4.B. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE-aggression can be verbal or physical

2.4.C. TREATMENT

C.1 Confront him/her in an unceremonious manner with evidence of misdeeds.C.2 Let him/her see that the victim has not told tales but that the behavior had been independently observed.C.3 If bullying is of more persistent or serious nature the head teacher and parents should be consulted for the following----

-case conference-seek specialist advice-temporary exclusion-formal referral and “statementing” for special educational needs.

Reference: MONTGOMERY, DIANE. MANAGING BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS, 1990: London Sydney Auckland Toronto, Hodder and Stoughton.

2.5 TRUANCY

2.5.A. Definition:Truancy- considered a deliberate absence from school without a

valid reason. Truants are generally telling the school that they prefer to be elsewhere.

2.5.B. Characteristics of truant students:

1. those who do not achieve well in school.2. those who have other learning problems.3. those who find school an unpleasant place.4. those who find it easier to avoid the situation than to face failure, rejection or embarrassment.

2.5.C. Important Factors/Questions to consider during the Treatment Process:

1. Is the child experience learning problems, failure or rejection?2. Does the child receive encouragement to attend school and find learning relevant?3. Determine the time sequence when truancy seem to occur most often.4. Is the truancy related to family problems or needs?

2.5.D. Treatment

1. Active listening to the child for clues about what is happening in the child’s life.2. Request from his peers to participate in the activities.3. Look over the truant’s class/schedule and academic progress.

3.a. too difficult classes.3.b. assignment beyond the child’s capabilities.3.c. other ways of learning in which the child might feel more

success and relevance.4. Check into the home situation-

4.a. lack proper clothing or lunch money.4.b. baby-sitting responsibilities or other job requirements.

5. Enlist the cooperation of the parents and devise systems for keeping in touch with concerning days present and absent.6. Hold a group or family discussion about truancy and work with them to make a plan to avoid truancy in the future.7. Rewards and/or penalties for attendance and non-attendance may be worked out cooperatively with the child.8. Older students serving as peer counselors, devising ways to keep truant children in school.9. Involve the child in school activities that require his/her presence, example room responsibilities, project of interest.10. Refrain from using critical and sarcastic comments such as “Glad to see you made it”.11. Whenever possible, allow the children choices in arranging their daily school activities and learning.12. For children who see little relevance in school life, hold a discussion of “What does it make it through life?”. Discuss what abilities and skills they will need in order to make it in their imagined adult world.

13. Out-of-school suspension for truancy is seldom effective. The child who is consistently truant does not want to be in school, and suspension is no punishment. Seek ways to make school a pleasant and rewarding place.

Reference: Thompson, Charles L. and Rudolph, Linda B. COUNSELING,CHILDREN, 1983: Wadsworth, Inc., Belmont California.

I. UNDERSTANDING PRE-SCHOOL, GRADE SCHOOLERS, SECONDARYSCHOOLERS AND SPECIAL CHILDREN

UNDERSTANDING PRE-SCHOOLERS

A. Definition:Pre-schoolers- are those children past infancy usually between the ages

of two to five.B. Types of Pre-schoolers

1. Nursery2. Kindergarten

C. Characteristics of Pre-schoolers1. Self-Centered2. Dependent3. Attention seekers4. Aggressive

**Causes of Aggressive Behavior- Frustration which predispose the child to attract a person or object that stands in his way.- Displaced anger when the child cannot express anger directly toward the offending person or object.- Parental rejection.- The desire to win attention.- The child’s desire to show his superiority.- Need for self-protection when the child feels insecure or is on the defensive.- Jealousy.- Identification with an aggressive adult or older child.- Identification with an aggressive characters in the mass media.- Physical punishment for misbehavior, arousing the desire to strike back.- Permissive attitudes of parents or other adults toward aggression.- Emotional tensions resulting from family stress not involving the child.

D. Others

D.1. Social Development in Early Childhood

a. Relations with Adults

The Young child spends less time with adults and derives less enjoyment from being with them. At the same time, his interest in playmates of his own age mounts and his enjoyment from being with them increases. With his growing desire to be independent of adults, he becomes resistant to adult authority.

In spite of their desire for independence, young children still try to gain attention and approval from adults.

Relations with other Children

Before the age of 2 years, young children engage in solitary or parallel play. Even though two or three children play in the same room and with similar toys, little interaction takes place. Their contacts consists primarily of imitating or watching one another or of attempting to take one another’s toys.

D.2. Foundation of Social Behavior Laid in Babyhood

Imitation – The baby becomes a part of the social group by imitating.Shyness – The baby can distinguish between familiar people and strangers.Dependency – The more the baby is cared for by one person the more dependent he becomes on that person.Acceptance of Authority – Permissive attitudes encourage the baby to reject authority.Rivalry – It is shown by attempts to snatch toys or other objects from others not because they want them because it gives him pleasure to assert his superiority.Social Cooperation – The baby’s cooperation play with adults is usually successful because they are willing to do most of the sharing.

D.3. Importance of Early Social BehaviorIf young Children are to develop into social people, they must be encourage to do so, rewarded for their efforts even when their behavior falls short of adult standard, and guided into methods of coping with social situations that will win the approval they crave. To achieve this goal, parents, teachers and other adults responsible for training of young children must keep four points in mind. These four points are:

a. Give overt recognition to social behavior.b. Show the right kind of tolerance and understanding of unsocial behavior.c. Provide guidance to help children learn how to act in a socially approved manner and to understand why social behavior is more satisfying than unsocial behavior.d. Provide motivation so that children will want to behave in a socially approved manner.

Reference: Elizabeth B. Nurlock, Child Development, McGraw Hill Book Co. 1974.

II. UNDERSTANDING THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEARNERSA. Definitions

Most children in the Elementary School of the Grade schoolers fall in the period characterized as “childhood”, which includes the ages from six or seven to twelve or thirteen. In eight-grade elementary schools or schools with high rates of retardation, early adolescents may form a considerable portion of the environment of upper grades.B. Characteristics1. The child to six to eight

a. Physicala.1. Increased muscular development and able to use his small muscles

with increasing precision.a.2. He seems to be never quiet but seek to create noise and excitement. a.3. He always ready for rough-and-tumble play.a.4. He falls to recognize his need for rest and expands his energy with

reckless abandon.b. Social

b.1. A vacillation between dependence on the protection of the home and independent, aggressive social behavior when among his peers.

b.2. A fading of largely individualistic play which gradually yells to more competitive and form.

b.3. A tendency to interpret what others say and do in the light of his own preconceived notions.

b.4. An assumption of greater responsibilities for the disposition pf his time and the selection of his friends.

c. Intellectualc.1. Insatiable curiosity.c.2. Confusions and inaccuracies are prevalent.c.3. Exhibit a high degree of egocentrism.c.4. Readiness develops for beginning reading and for number works.

d. OthersTo understand children and use this understand as a basis for

developing an educational program, there are several general considerations which the elementary school workers should hold in mind.1. The whole child2. The child as a person3. The significance of growth4. Basic needs of children5. Individual differences6. Significance growth characteristics of children1. The Whole Children

This phase has two important connotations. In the first place the school is concerned with the development of entire person, not certain selected segments. At present, it is generally accepted that the school has the responsibility of cultivating well-rounded persons, with optimum development of all desirable potentialities.

In the second place, it has become evident that it is impossible to provide experience which affects only a part of an individual. Every activity, which affects only an engages, every experience he has involves him as a total organism. Changes which occur as a result of experience are equally pervasive, representing in a very real sense a complete remarking of organism. When one is thinking, his whole being, physiological and emotional aspects as well as intellectual, is involved and will be changed.

2. The Child as a Person

In Guilding the child, is not enough for parents and teachers to simply to take into accounts all aspects of the child’s development. If guidance to be effective, it must exhibit from the beginning that essential democratic value of respect for personality.

One of the most common forms of disrespect of the child personality is a patronizing attitude. They expect him to be young adult which bring resentment on the part of the person. To avoid jeopardizing his future, the introvert or any other personality type should accepted and respected. Teachers, administrators and supervisors should carry into all aspects of the program of the school a through sensitiveness to children as persons and deep seated respect for them as unique personalities. It means that the wholesome personality may be achieved in a variety of ways and that there is no simple or single type to be sought. 3. The Significance of Growth

There is a great deal in this process which is not of major concern to everyone who undertakes to guide children. Since children do grow-up, what is appropriate at one time in activities and guidance maybe inappropriate at one time in activities and guidance maybe inappropriate at another time; what is reasonable expectation at another time; what represent an acceptable at one time is unacceptable behavior at another time. Activities, materials, guidance, expectations, all must take into account the growth status of children taught. Law of readiness must taken into account.

2. The Child of Nine to Elevena. Physical

Marked by no physical changes or development except in the case of girls of 10 to 11 who experience the onset of puberty. The Outstanding physical developments are:

a.1. Increased manual dexteritya.2. highly sensitive to the approval and standards of his peers and has

less regard to those of his parents and teachersa.3. considerable antagonism develops between boys and girls

b. IntellectualThe period is characterized by:b.1. a specialization and differentiation of interests

b.2. a differentiation between work and playb.3. uninhibited creative work andb.4. distinctively more mature intellectual ability

c. Moral c.1. Conscience and self criticism very strongc.2. There is strong respect for own group’s rules and codes

3. The Early Adolescencea. Physical

Girls mature more rapidly than boysb. Social

b.1. tendency to become concerned with adult standards and judgments.b.2. increasingly conscious of person-to-person relationships and b.3. sensitive to evaluations of him as an individual.

C. BASIC NEEDS OF CHILDREN There are three categories of needs1. Physiological, when describing needs spring primarily out of structure

and dynamic biochemical equilibria.2. Social or status needs.3. Ego or integrative needs-describing needs for experience through

which individual will discover his role in life and learn to play it in such an effective manner as to develop a sense of worthy selfhood.

They maybe:1. Proper balance of activity and rest.2. Adequate food3. Sense of belonging to group4. Feeling of security and affection

D. SOCIAL CHANGES DURING ADOLESCENCEOne of the most difficult developmental tasks of adolescence relates to

social adjustment must be made to members of the opposite sex in a relationship that never existed before and to adults outside the family and school environment.

1. Increased Peer-Group Influence2. Changes in Social Behavior3. New Social Groupings

a. Close Friendsb. Cliquesc. Crowdsd. Organized Groupse. Gangs

4. Conditions Contributing to Acceptance and Rejection in Adolescence

a. Acceptance Syndromea.1. A favorable first impression as a result of an attractive

appearance, poise and cheerfulness.a.2. A reputation as a good sport and who is fun to be with a.3. Appearance that conforms to that of peera.4. Social behavior characterized by cooperativeness,

responsibility, resourcefulness, interest in others, tact, and good manners.

a.5 Maturity, especially in terms of emotional control and willingness to conform to rules and regulations.

a.6. Personality traits that contribute to good social adjustments such as truthfulness, sincerity, unselfishness and extroversions.

a.7. A socioeconomic status that is equal to, or slightly above, that of the other group members and a good relationship with family members.

a.8. Geographic proximity to the group which parents frequent contacts and participation in group activities.

b. Alienation Syndrome

b.1. An unfavorable first impression as a result of an unattractive appearance or an aloof, self-centered attitude.

b.2. A reputation as a poor sport.b.3. Appearance that does not conform to group standards of

physical attractiveness or grooming.b.4. Social behavior characterized by showing off, teasing and

bullying others, bossiness, uncooperativeness, and lack of tact.

b.5. Lack of Maturity, especially in the areas of emotional control, poise, self-confidence and tact.

b.6. Personality traits that irritate others, such as selfishness, stubbornness, resentfulness, nervousness and irritability.

b.7. A socioeconomic status below that of the group and poor relationships with family members.

b.8. Geographic isolation from the peer group or inability to participate in group activities due to family responsibilities or part time job.

E. 1. RECREATIONAL INTEREST OF ADOLESCENCE

1. Games and Sport 6. Reading2. Relaxing 7. Movies3. Traveling 8. Radio and Records4. Hobbies 9. Televisions5. Dancing 10. Daydreaming

2. COMMON SOCIAL INTEREST OF ADOLESCENCE

1. Parties 5. Helping others

2. Drinking 6. World Affairs3. Drugs 7. Criticisms and Reform4. Conversations

3. PERSONAL INTEREST OF ADOLESCENCE1. Interest in appearance2. Interest in clothes3. Interest in independence4. Interest in achievement 5. Interest in money

4. COMMON CAUSE OF FAMILY FRICTION1. Standards of behavior2. Methods of discipline3. Relationships with siblings4. Feeling victimized5. Hypercritical attitude6. Family size7. Immature behavior8. Rebellion against relatives9. “Latchkey Problems”

III. Understanding the Secondary Students

The term Adolescence comes form the latin word “Adolescence”, meaning “to grow’ or “to grow to maturity.” Psychologically, adolescence is the age when individual becomes integrated into the society of adults, the age when the child no longer feels that he is below the level of his elders but equal, at least in rights.

a. Characteristics of Adolescence1. Adolescence is an important period.2. Adolescence is a transitional period.3. Adolescence is a period of change.4. Adolescence is a problem age.5. Adolescence is a time of search for identity.6. Adolescence is a dreaded age.7. Adolescence is a time of unrealism.8. Adolescence is a threshold of adulthood.

b. Body Changes During Adolescence1. External Changes

a. Heightb. Weightc. Body Proportionsd. Sex Organse. Secondary Sex Characteristics

2. Internal Changesa. Digestive System

b. Circulatory Systemc. Respiratory Systemd. Endocrine Systeme. Body Tissues

c. Emotionally During Adolescence Traditionally, Adolescence has been thought of as a period “storm and

stress”. A time of heightened emotional tension resulting from the physical and glandular changes that taking place.

1. Emotional Pattern in Adolescence

The Emotional Patterns of Adolescence, while similar to those of childhood, differ in the stimuli that give rise to the emotions and, even more important in the degree of control the individuals exercise over the expressions of their emotions.

Adolescence express their anger by sulking, refusing to speak, or loudly criticizing those who angered them.

2. Emotional Maturity

Boys and girls are said to have achieved Emotional Maturity if, by the end of adolescence, they do not “blow-up” emotional when others are present but wait for a convenient time and place to let of emotional steam in a socially acceptable manner.

UTELIZING GUIDANCE & CONSELING APPROCHERS/ STRATEGIESTO CLASSROOM GUIDANCE NEEDS & PROBLEMS

1Different types of learners & there characteristics

A.UNDERSTANDING THE GIFTED CHILDREN

Attention to gifted children was first stimulated among educator around the turn of the century, when it become clear that the average school curiculum did not meet the special needs of children with superior intelligence.

1. Definition

a) James J. Gallagher - the term gifted encompasses those children who possess a superior intellectual potential and functional ability to achieve academically in the top 15 to 20% of the school population

and/or talent of a high order in such areas as a mathematics, mechanics, science, expressive arts, creative writing, music and social leadership, and a unique creative ability to deal with their environment.

b) Gowan & Demos- defined gifted child as a child whose rate of development on any significant intelletual variable is significantly greater than that of the generally.

c) Paul Eggen- are those at the upper level end of the ability continuum who need supplement help to realize their full potential.

2. Traits Commonly Attributed to Gifted Children

a) curiosity f) good elaboration b) initiative g) rapid learning c) originality h) superior vocabulary d) expression I) inquisitiveness e) perceptually open imagination j) wide knowledge and information

3. Characteristics of Gifted Children

a) Physical a.1. slightly larger average weight a.2. learning to walk about a month earlier than the average a.3. learning to talk about three months earlier a.4. an earlier onset of puberty a.5. good general health

b) Intellectual

b.1. an unusual & precocious ability to use words and sentences b.2. superior learning ability which allows them to memorize very rapidly b.3. capacity for abstract thinking b.4. a keen sensitivity and responsiveness to others & environment b.5. high level of idea productivity in a given length of time b.6. imaginative enjoys pretending

c)Personal- social

c.1. superiority in desirable personality traits such us courtesy, cooperativeness, obedience, willingness to take suggestions, a good sense of humor.

c.2. a superior power of self –criticism c.3. trustworthiness c.4. less inclination to boast or overestimate personal knowledge

c.5. play activities that are 2or 3 years beyond age norm c.6. a greater preference for complicated games involving thinking c.7. more imaginary playmates c.8. playing with children of his own metal age who are often chronologically order c.9. likes to work alone most of the time c.10. is often bored with routine tasks

A. Guidance Responsibilities to the Gifted Witty 1954 feels that the counselor’s responsibility to the gifted can be accomplished in the following ways:

a) assisting in the early identification of those pupils showing distinctive ability in the elementary, secondary or college:

b) working with teachers and administrators in planning and stimulating curricula for some pupils.

c) seeking appropriate scholarship & financial assistance for them.

d) directing students to appropriate reading materials to help them plan careers that will call for the use of their abilities.

e) working with parents & teachers in an effort to understand and meet the special problems of the gifted.

f) directing the student to community resource that will enrich inter interests.

5. Special Guidance Needs of the Gifted

Counseling with the gifted does not differ markedly from the so called normal child, but the gifted have been observed to often profit from special assistance in such areas as:

A) Helping them to work up to capacity assisting the gifted to see and reduce the discrepancy between their ability and their achievement.

b) Recognizing that needs other plan intellectual once are important to a child, adolescent or young adult.

c) Social adjustment- need of relating the gifted to the non-gifted

d) openness in vocational choice.

e) Parent dictation- assisting the parent and child to see that each person must make his own career choice.

f) Intensive Psychotherapy- a few gifted need prolonged assistance in severe emotional & social problems and the counselor should refer these to competent resources.

6. Programs for the Gifted

a) Acceleration- provides the same academic menu but allows students to move through the curriculum at a faster rate.

b) Enrichment- Provides richer and more varied content through strategies that supplement normal grade level work.

ENRICHMENT OPTION ACCELERATION OPTION

1.Independent study & projects 1. Early admission to kindergarten & 1st grade

2. Learning center 2.Grade skipping

3. field trips 3. Subject skipping

4. Saturday programs 4.Credit by exams

5. Summer programs 5.College courses in H.S.

6. Mentors & mentorships 6.Correspondence courses

7. Small-group investigations 7. Early admission to college

8. Simulation and games

9. Academic competitions 7. Reference Chess, Stella and Mahin Massiba.Principles & practice of Child Psychiatry. New york: Plenum Press 1978.

Eggen. John C. and E.Paul Torrence. Educating the ablest. New Jersey: F.E. Peacock Publisher. Inc. 1971.

How can the school be involved in creating a positive environment for gifted children?

In a school, the administrator and the teachers should be the mostinvolved in creating a positive environment for gifted

children. They have the vantage point both from professional qualifications and the resources they can command.

DO’s for the Administrator

1. Choose qualified teachers for the gifted. Gifted children need to be taught

by specialists to do justice to their full potential.

2. Have a well-stacked and comfortable library with a good number of reference materials, magazines and newspapers including dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, maps and almanacs.

3. Encourage your teachers to expose the gifted children to many experiences through exhibits, fairs and festivals and visit to museum and theaters. Don’t overlook the wealth of information from their intermediate environment through field trips.

4. Recognize outstanding performance of both gifted children and their teachers; that is, give credit to whom it is due among your staff and your students.

5. Support research studies on giftedness.

6. Involve parents. When parents participate in school activities, they are more ready to support request for funding.

7. Become acquainted with the many sources of grants and special funding.

ON’T’s for Teachers

1. Give them longer assignments for the same topics. (They can learn with

fewer examples.)

2. Assign unreasonable homework. (Their purposes are to extend knowledge, to provide additional practice and reinforce ideas.)

3. Require unreasonable project time. (Assign projects early enough.)

4. Crush their enthusiasm by never calling on them. (Stretch their minds by asking additional ideas.)

5. Make them monopolize the recitation. (Give others a chance.)

6. Ask them to do repetitious, rote tasks. (Thinking tasks are more their forte.)

7. Repress their creativity by rejecting unusual ideas whose applicability may not be immediately apparent. (Let them explain.)

8. Waste their time by letting them be school monitors, doing menial tasks. (Assign them leadership roles.)

9. Ask them to tutor others for excessive lengths of time. (Their school time is for learning.)

10. Treat negative behaviors per se. (They may be clues to unrecognized giftedness.)

Regarding the choice of teachers for the gifted, they are lists about special qualities needed by them. However, there is no one set of traits that will identify the superior teacher. What best can be done is a matching of teachers and students on characteristics, which in themselves are related to giftedness and are displayed, by gifted students. Some of these traits are:

1. Talent or Intellectual Superiority. Education by a specialist cannot begin too soon. Subject matter should be studied to greater depth and to a greater degree of complexity.

2. Empathy/Sympathy. A genuine liking for and understanding of the child is a must.

3. Acceptance. The child’s superiority or excellence should be accepted without rancor or jealousy.

4. Versatility. The teacher should have a variety of special skills to enrich and broaden the scope of the curriculum beyond the routine or prescribed topics of school syllabi.

5. Receptivity. The teacher must be open to new and strange ideas and to the child’s individual point of view, while maintaining an evaluative, critical, yet supportive approach.

6. Self-insight. The teacher must be ready to acknowledge the limitations of his own knowledge and abilities and be willing to use all resources in people, materials and training to overcome them.

7. Receptiveness. The teacher must recognize the needs of gifted children as individuals, independent of preconceived notions which the objective evaluation of their needs and behavior.

8. Flexibility. The teacher must be able to modify the day’s plan, to make easy changes from one activity to another, to convert or to extend a planned lesson to one more relevant or more appropriate to special circumstances that have arisen.

9. Creativity. The teacher must have the ability to be creative to cope with the creativity of the gifted child. Creative individuals recognize the divergences in other people’s thinking and the validity of novel approaches to solving problems.

10. Patience. All teachers need patience especially so with the teacher for the gifted. Gifted children are thinkers, not risk takers and should be allowed to mull things over. For the overly enthusiastic child who knows all the answers and wants so much to give them, a sign of recognition with a statement of the need to hear other children makes the gifted child secure and wanted in the classroom.

11. Sense of Humor. Gifted children have a delightful sense of humor in an intellectual and social environment and look for teachers who can share this fun with them.

12. Efficiency. The teacher must be extremely well-organized and must be able to make efficient use of his time and resources. A great deal of advanced planning is necessary.

13. Intellectual Integrity. The teacher expects the gifted to perform at the peak of their capacity with sensible allowance being made for the variance

inherent in all human beings. He should exercise intellectual integrity and not compromise standards of achievement or performance.

REFERENCE:

The Philippine Association for the Gifted; Volume II, No 4