Comments on: alfie kohn http://malvasiabianca.org/archives/2005/04/alfie-kohn/ Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:10:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: cheleste thorpe http://malvasiabianca.org/archives/2005/04/alfie-kohn/#comment-3459 cheleste thorpe Tue, 12 Jul 2005 20:12:26 +0000 /?p=81#comment-3459 Well, you may feel like an intruder when you read a blog, but sometimes something surprising happens! I have no comment on the blog (except that reading about all this makes me nervous, as we welcomed Bryan George Wolf about a year and a half ago), but I wonder if you are you the Felicia I used to know? Shelly Well, you may feel like an intruder when you read a blog, but sometimes something surprising happens! I have no comment on the blog (except that reading about all this makes me nervous, as we welcomed Bryan George Wolf about a year and a half ago), but I wonder if you are you the Felicia I used to know? Shelly

]]> By: David Carlton http://malvasiabianca.org/archives/2005/04/alfie-kohn/#comment-1795 David Carlton Sun, 08 May 2005 05:00:54 +0000 /?p=81#comment-1795 I assure you, there are very few rewards in Miranda's classroom, <em>much</em> less than in traditional classrooms. The one I was thinking of was that, if kids read their kid writing to five people, they can get a sticker, but that's about it. Her teacher is Sue Lampkin; I really think Sue is fantastic. The most striking thing to me is the kids in the classroom; I really enjoy interacting with every single child in the classroom, and while I'm sure the kids and their parents have a lot to do with that, I think a lot of credit must be due to the way Sue runs the classroom and the atmosphere that she encourages there. Another thing that I was very impressed by was her comment that one of her saddest moments as a parent was watching her kids' voices be squelched by their teachers, and her vow that that would never happen in her classroom. That's extremely important to me as well: Miranda most definitely has a voice of her own, and I would far rather yank her from school than let that be squelched, but much better if the choice doesn't arise in the first place. (Reading all the different kids' kid-writing pieces is a hoot.) I have no reason to believe that the other PACT teachers aren't equally excellent, but I assure you that Miranda's teacher is wonderful. I assure you, there are very few rewards in Miranda’s classroom, much less than in traditional classrooms. The one I was thinking of was that, if kids read their kid writing to five people, they can get a sticker, but that’s about it.

Her teacher is Sue Lampkin; I really think Sue is fantastic. The most striking thing to me is the kids in the classroom; I really enjoy interacting with every single child in the classroom, and while I’m sure the kids and their parents have a lot to do with that, I think a lot of credit must be due to the way Sue runs the classroom and the atmosphere that she encourages there. Another thing that I was very impressed by was her comment that one of her saddest moments as a parent was watching her kids’ voices be squelched by their teachers, and her vow that that would never happen in her classroom. That’s extremely important to me as well: Miranda most definitely has a voice of her own, and I would far rather yank her from school than let that be squelched, but much better if the choice doesn’t arise in the first place. (Reading all the different kids’ kid-writing pieces is a hoot.)

I have no reason to believe that the other PACT teachers aren’t equally excellent, but I assure you that Miranda’s teacher is wonderful.

]]> By: Felicia Gershberg http://malvasiabianca.org/archives/2005/04/alfie-kohn/#comment-1794 Felicia Gershberg Sun, 08 May 2005 03:43:31 +0000 /?p=81#comment-1794 Hi-me again-I wrote you before when we were deciding about choosing PACT for our kids. Having decided to move to PACT, I was a little concerned when I saw that you thought that Miranda's teacher needed to see Punished by Rewards--this is just the sort of thing we are trying to get away from by leaving our mainstream school (i.e., points/stickers/prizes for good behavior). Which teacher does she have? Has this been addressed by you or the other parent you mentioned? Also, re. post-5th grade--we would be interested in PACT extending into middle school, and when I mentioned this to another PACT parent, she said that there had been some talk about this. Christa McAuliffe School in Cupertino is K-8. Finally, don't know Alfie Kohn's new parenting book, but I highly recommend the Faber/Mazlisch books, particularly How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk (for practical how-to--getting kids to cooperate without punishment and bribery, problem-solving with kids) and Liberated Parents, Liberated Children: Your Guide to A Happier Family (somewhat more motivational/big picture). Having been to MANY parenting talks through the years of Las Madres and co-op preschool, these authors are the ones that EVERY speaker recommends. -Felicia p.s. I guess the point of a blog is that strangers will read it, but I kind of feel like I am spying/intruding on personal space. And then I feel old for feeling that way! Hi-me again-I wrote you before when we were deciding about choosing PACT for our kids. Having decided to move to PACT, I was a little concerned when I saw that you thought that Miranda’s teacher needed to see Punished by Rewards–this is just the sort of thing we are trying to get away from by leaving our mainstream school (i.e., points/stickers/prizes for good behavior). Which teacher does she have? Has this been addressed by you or the other parent you mentioned?

Also, re. post-5th grade–we would be interested in PACT extending into middle school, and when I mentioned this to another PACT parent, she said that there had been some talk about this. Christa McAuliffe School in Cupertino is K-8.

Finally, don’t know Alfie Kohn’s new parenting book, but I highly recommend the Faber/Mazlisch books, particularly How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk (for practical how-to–getting kids to cooperate without punishment and bribery, problem-solving with kids) and Liberated Parents, Liberated Children: Your Guide to A Happier Family (somewhat more motivational/big picture). Having been to MANY parenting talks through the years of Las Madres and co-op preschool, these authors are the ones that EVERY speaker recommends.
-Felicia
p.s. I guess the point of a blog is that strangers will read it, but I kind of feel like I am spying/intruding on personal space. And then I feel old for feeling that way!

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