What’s your philosophy on student behavior? Have you ever taken the time to really think about this?
Dr. Ross Greene, a renowned psychologist and author, offers two major philosophies on how we view student behavior:
- “Kids do well if they can.”
- “Kids do well if they wanna.”
Dr. Greene, the author of The Explosive Child, Lost at School, and more, explains these concepts through his Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) approach to working with students with challenging behaviors. I encourage you to watch this video from Dr. Greene, where he breaks down these two ideas.
In his view, if you believe “kids do well if they wanna,” you likely approach behavior management by using incentives and consequences—rewarding positive behavior and addressing poor choices with discipline. This can work to a certain extent for some students, but what happens when that doesn’t work? How do you respond when a child continues to struggle despite these strategies?
That’s where the “kids do well if they can” philosophy comes in. This view encourages us to dig deeper. Instead of asking why a student isn’t behaving, we ask what barriers are preventing them from doing well. Rather than focusing on controlling behavior, we concentrate on supporting them to overcome the obstacles in their way. According to Dr. Greene, this approach is not only more challenging but also much more effective in the long run.
The philosophy “kids do well if they can” doesn’t just apply to students with challenging behaviors; it’s a lens we can use when thinking about everyone—parents, staff, and even ourselves. I believe parents are doing the best they can for their children, just as teachers are doing their best for their students. Sometimes, we all need help removing barriers.
To learn more about Dr. Ross Greene and his work, check out the websites below.
https://www.livesinthebalance.org/
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“Behaviorally challenging kids are challenging because they’re lacking the skills to not be challenging.” ~ Dr. Ross Greene
“An explosive outburst—like other forms of maladaptive behavior—occurs when the cognitive demands being placed upon a person outstrip that person’s capacity to respond adaptively.” ~ Dr. Ross Greene
“Challenging behavior is just a signal, the fever, the means by which the kid is communicating that he or she is having difficulty meeting an expectation.” ~ Dr. Ross Greene
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