How can sound principles from another discipline inform our educational work with younger children? It's no secret that outward behaviors in our students rarely tell the whole story. Instead, those verbal and physical actions often serve as clues pointing to deeper needs, emotions, and desires. Once the underlying issues are addressed, the path away from negative words and actions becomes much smoother and clearer. That bedrock truth is one of many that Dan St. Romain explores in this unique resource, “Lessons Learned Through Puppy Training: A Proactive Approach to Strengthening Positive Behaviors in Children”. Drawing inspiration from training experiences with his dog LaRoux, St. Romain winsomely connects the approaches behind smart puppy training to strategies we can apply in our classroom settings, especially when working with younger children. As he addresses fifteen key areas, St. Romain links an educational touch point, such as a student's need for belonging, with a relevant story about LaRoux, and then a take-away strategy (in this case, the importance of building social skills and emphasizing unstructured play in ways that foster belonging). Along its fun and insightful journey, Lessons Learned is filled with timely and applicable topics, including: • The importance of approaching behaviors with understanding, not judgment • How bringing every challenge back to development nurtures healthy learning • The wisdom of assuming positive intent in the children in our care • Why responding instead of reacting empowers students to make wise choices • Keys to becoming a great behavioral detective - with a kind heart •.... and more! Especially in these crucial post-pandemic years, children who are still catching up developmentally need a strong network of support to help them acquire the behavior skills needed for healthy learning and growth, and this resource shows the way.
