Dr. Ross Greene Educators' Podcast

Latest Episodes:

the Empathy Step: Why Didn't The Student Talk? Feb 22, 2010

Show notes

Dr. Greene thought he was going to focus on the seldom-talked-about Invitation step of Plan B in this program. But -- and this is always a welcome development -- a caller shifted the agenda. So instead Dr. Greene helped a teacher who is very devoted to using Plan B -- but is just beginning to learn how -- sort through the possibilities for why a student didn't provide much information in the Empathy step of Plan B. So maybe we'll focus on the Invitation step in the next program. In the meantime, this one is definitely worth a listen!

Working Collaboratively with Parents Feb 15, 2010

Show notes

Educators often blame parents for students' behavior problems at school, and often feel that a student's difficulties at school can't be resolved without parental involvement. While working collaboratively with parents is certainly a goal, some unsolved problems don't require parental involvement...and some parents aren't available to help anyway. Listen to the archive of this program and lots of others at your convenience!

Getting Specific on Unsolved Problems/Using Plan B in Groups Feb 08, 2010

Show notes

In this program, Dr. Greene initially spent some time reviewing several ALSUPs that were completed by teachers of actual students so as to examine whether the items listed in the Unsolved Problem section were too vague (and to provide suggestions for information that would be more specific). Then he spent some time with a classroom teacher who called in to inquire about doing full-class Plan B with her group of students. A very informative program! Listen to the archive (or archives of other past programs) at your convenience.

Alfie Kohn Interview Feb 01, 2010

Show notes

In this program, Dr. Greene had the pleasure of talking with Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards, Beyond Discipline, and many other critical books. This was a fun and enlightening discussion about a variety of school-related topics, including school discipline, socially healthy classrooms, high-stakes testing...the whole gamut. Listen to the archive!

Troubleshooting Plan B Jan 25, 2010

Show notes

In this program, Dr. Greene helps a group of educators -- who are trying to re-engage a student academically so he doesn't drop out of school -- figure out why they've been "going around in circles" in their efforts to resolve the student's concerns using Plan B. A few of the common ways in which Plan B can go awry -- difficulty "drilling" for information in the Empathy step, and proposing solutions before the concerns and solutions of both parties are well-understood -- were the focal point of this discussion. A great, real-life example of how Plan B can veer off...and how to get it back on track.

The Who, When, and What of Plan B Jan 11, 2010

Show notes

Who's supposed to do Plan B with a behaviorally challenging student? Should it be a person -- like the assistant principal -- who is totally removed from the unsolved problem that set a student's challenging behavior in motion? Or should it be someone with whom the student has a good relationship and/or the adult who's part of the unsolved problem? Should Plan B take place in the heat of the moment or should it be proactive? What do we need to do in our schools to ensure that Plan B takes place at the right time and with the right people? These questions...and more...are answered during this program.

Getting Buy-In Jan 04, 2010

Show notes

In this program, Dr. Greene discusses how to help school staff who are having trouble "buying into" Collaborative Problem Solving. He describes some of the misconceptions and concerns people may have about both the conceptualization of challenging behavior as a developmental delay and the idea of solving problems collaboratively with students. Dr. Greene notes that concerns about CPS are actually a good thing: they show that people are thinking about and digesting the different facets of CPS and imagining what it would look like to implement the model.

The Empathy Step Dec 07, 2009

Show notes

This program focused extensively -- and almost exclusively -- on the Empathy step of Plan B, and on "drilling" in particular. For the unfamiliar, drilling involves probing for additional information about a particular unsolved problem so that the concern or perspective of the student is well-understood. Drilling can be quite challenging, and especially so if the adult is more focused on potential solutions than on what to ask to clarify the student's concern or perspective. Dr. Greene described what drilling looked like with one of the students with whom he did Plan B in the past week. Thanks to a caller, an example of "tough drilling" was also discussed. Don't forget: you have a better chance of getting the Empathy step rolling if you're as specific as possible about the unsolved problem you're trying to discuss.

CPS Goes to School: The Real Deal Nov 30, 2009

Show notes

In this program, Dr. Greene interviews Dr. Craig Murphy, school psychologist in the Newton, Massachusetts Public School system. As part of a 3-year, federally-funded project overseen by Dr. Murphy, many of the elementary schools in Newton have been implementing the Collaborative Problem Solving approach. Dr. Murphy describes the challenges and successes in helping classroom teachers understand challenging behavior as a form of developmental delay and embrace Plan B as a viable option for helping students with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges.

A Vision for School Discipline Nov 23, 2009

Show notes

In this program, Dr. Greene talks about the importance of having a "vision" for what discipline should look like in a school building. Having a vision starts with understanding that challenging behavior is a form of developmental delay...continues with using the Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems (ALSUP) in a school's assessment procedures...and continues with creating mechanisms for school staff to become skilled at using Plan B. Along the way, it's also necessary to create mechanisms for school staff to communicate well about at-risk students.