"Teaching Children to Care" Ruth Sidney Charney

2002, 447 pgs, published by NEFC USA.

This is an holistic teaching method that encourages empathy and understanding going both ways between teacher and student. It adopts the Responsive Classroom approach. Using vignettes to illustrate her points, Charney teaches the teacher to listen carefully to the students and enable them to be involved in their own classroom and henceforth, lives. It is only when you begin to know and understand the person that you can begin to teach them with empathy.

Charney makes great use of the old favourite, 'time out'. But, this is time out with a difference. It is no longer used as a punishment, or to distance the child from what is 'normal'. It is used instead as a supportive tool, with the child, to assist their regaining of self-control. They communicate to the child transgressing that they have gone over the limit (p167). A simple "time out" or even a simple hand movement lets the child know that they need to have a break for a short period, until the teacher agrees that it is right for them to rejoin. 

Time out is instituted early, before any large problems erupt - before the child is fully out of control. All time outs are accompanied by a discussion at the end, a debriefing, if you will. 

Of course, time out may not work for all children. For these children, Charney suggests a different plan, which can involve certain strategies such as bargaining.

The second half of the book is devoted to problem solving in more depth. There are methods to assist students and whole classes to problem solve, with a view to them taking this on independently. Charney points out the importance of 'noticing': stating what you see rather than cajoling and nagging. It is even useful when questioning a child about their actions. They cannot deny the bare facts.

"Teaching Children to Care" goes through the very methodology of doing so, it helps you to create an environment with which children can learn the skills of caring for others. It provides a platform with which children can become more independent, and take responsibility for themselves.