School has only been in session a short time, and the Live Expert Help area at our web site (http://www.youthchg.com) is being inundated with requests for aid for just a single problem area. Frankly, we are very concerned to be getting so many requests for help with students who are verbally abusing, defying or hitting their teacher. Yes, that sentence included the phrase "hitting their teacher." In the time that it has taken me to type that last sentence, we received another plea for help from yet another teacher, this request coming from a 28 year veteran. These reports are coming from mainstream settings, not from specialized settings for the most extreme children and youth.

Yes, it has obviously gotten harder to manage students in the last few years. Regardless, our view has stayed the same: Students should never be allowed to get anywhere near an aggressive level of behavior with anyone at school, certainly not the teacher. By the time the situation has reached the point where students are kicking the teacher-- as we have heard from several of you-- it will be very challenging to turn the situation around. But, you may wonder, how can a teacher be expected to stay in charge of increasingly out-of-control students? Well, for those of us who have worked in both mainstream and specialized settings, we know that the level of behavior at the typical day treatment center, residential treatment center or juvenile hall, is usually far superior to that in the mainstream even though the child served in the specialized setting, is usually much more troubled, out-of-control and uncooperative than their mainstream counterpart. That observation may indicate that at least some of your success managing a group depends not on the difficulty of the youth, but the skill and will of the adult.

If you feel afraid or concerned about managing your class or group, that fear or concern, however small, can be like a flashing neon light to some of your students. That tiny telltale bit of fear or uncertainty can signal "party time" to your most misbehaved youth and children, who will mine and exploit any shred of doubt or anxiety that you harbor.

We can't teach you how to not be scared of your students, but it will be critical that you somehow accomplish that, because all the anger control and violence prevention strategies in the world won't compensate for your lack of certainty that you can properly control and manage your young people. However, it can certainly help to educate yourself to understand the different types of children who can be violent or have anger control problems. If you also learn how to use different types of techniques with different types of youth, you can increase your confidence, in part, because you are now using more effective tools tailored to fit the different types of students you serve.

Hopefully, if you didn't already have the basics on how you must use a special set of tools with extremely misbehaved youth, you have learned some of that key information from this magazine when you became a subscriber. Your first issues of this magazine covered those students, and emphasized how critical it was to use different strategies with these acting-out youth and children. Those issues warned that without specialized approaches, you will continue to find that conventional methods regularly fail. If you don't recognize the term "conduct disorder," you may wish to visit our site (http://www.youthchg.com/hottopic.html) right now and get at least a portion of those basics.

It shouldn't have to be said, but here we go: Maintaining control over your group is just about the most important thing you need to do each day. You don't have to be at all dictatorial but your group needs to know and feel that you are going to keep things "safe and okay," to quote one student. If your class members have been physically or verbally aggressive to you, or defied you on key matters, then stop all else that you do until you re-gain control. Re-gaining control is always much harder than starting off strong from the start, so it will not be easy. Expect to be tested even worse than you have been already until your acting-out students determine that you will not relinquish control. But the message I hope comes through is that you will not be able to teach, counsel, foster parent, supervise, coach or do whatever your job is, until you establish control-- so you might as well do what it takes starting right now.

Here are some unusual techniques that can help with the anger problems that you are seeing. Note that you must also have and use violence prevention/management techniques too, but we will focus on just anger interventions in this issue. Methods for violence-- including teaching respect, peer interaction, compliance, attitude, and motivation-- will be equally important to have and use. We have hundreds of those methods in our workshops and books, and there's a small sampling also on our web site.

Anger control problems are not chance occurrences. Students don't "get angry" like they "get a virus." Too often, it takes a frightening event to trigger action, but the time to address anger problems is long before they happen at a frightening level. Combatting anger problems in your setting requires an on-going, systematic effort that teaches skills, and also powerfully shapes and maintains the motivations and attitudes that a student needs to be in control. Here's some anger control methods to try:

I Could Control Myself-- If I Wanted
When a student says that she or he does not need to improve their temper control now, that they will just do it later in their "real job," or when they're grown, ask the student how they will get the skills. When the student says they will just be able to do it, ask the student to show that ability now. Most students perform poorly. Next, ask the student: What will be any different in their "real job" or when they are grown?

Bonus Anger Control Intervention
Ask the student who will be left to assist him or her to gain anger control skills if they don't learn it from your site soon. Answer: The police, court and corrections systems.

I'll Just Deal Drugs
When a student says that he or she will just be able to deal drugs and avoid needing anger control, ask the student how effectively they can deal drugs once they have harassed, assaulted or abused their supplier and clients.

In the Work World
Relate the anger control problems to students' goals. Use some of our popular multiple choice quizzes, with questions like this one from our Temper and Tantrum Tamer book: Kwan Lee tantrums when mad. She wants to be a hair dresser. She'll discover that when she screams and turns red with rage, a) Customers don't even notice b) Customers walk out really fast c) Customers will come from all over the region to have their hair cut and styled by the tantrumming hair dresser.

Stop and Think
Construct a red stop sign and mount it on a ruler, but instead of just having the word "Stop" on the sign, put "Stop and Think." Drill students on managing their reactions to anger-provoking situations by role- playing the situations. Use the "Stop and Think" sign to freeze the action so you can cue the student on behaviors to use or avoid.

Find Work with a Temper Like That Ask your students to name all the jobs and businesses they can do and blow up whenever they want. (There are none.)

Bonus Anger Control Intervention
Ask the students to play "Jocks in Jail," and consider what has happened to athletes like Mike Tyson and others who thought they could act however they wanted when angry. Review the fate of coaches like Bobby Knight to determine if regular outbursts lead to sustained employment.

Want more ways to convince your students that they need to control their anger? Here's one source for more!

Consider our Temper and Tantrum Tamers book, just $15, and packed with surprising lesson plans and handouts to show your students that they can't even make it through the morning with a temper like that. Visit our site to read more about it, or to order: http://www.youthchg.com/lessons.html#temper

DO YOU HAVE AGGRESSIVE, ANGRY, VIOLENT, DEFIANT or DISRESPECTFUL STUDENTS?

WE CAN HELP!

SCHEDULE AN ON-SITE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING WORKSHOP!

We wrote the book on troubled students.
We also teach the class.

Make the 1 or 2 day professional development investment that delivers year-long results. Bring the popular Breakthrough Strategies to Teach and Counsel Troubled Youth Inservice Workshop to your entire staff, team, association, or conference. Your staff name the exact problem areas; we deliver hundreds of ready-to-use, problem-stopping interventions. For more details: Visit http://www.youthchg.com/onsite.html, or call 1-800-545-5736.

Popular on-site professional development inservice days don't last long. Call 1-800-545-5736 to get a professional development information packet sent to you on hosting our powerful workshop. At your request, we can include information on arranging college credit, clock hours, and using the workshop as a fund raiser. Our on-site professional development trainings are very affordable!

ON-SITE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES ARE EASY FUND RAISERS!

RECENT ON-SITE INSERVICE TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Alhambra School District, Phoenix, AZ; Donna, TX Schools; Parent University in Sierra Vista, AZ; Res Care in Oklahoma City; and Hope Schools, in Hope, AR.

We've been to every corner of North America, and want to bring our solutions to your school, agency or conference. Book the best presentation, keynote, speaker, or breakout seminar. Call now to solve your worst kid problems: 800-545-5736.

Nearly one year ago, the events of September 11, 2001 amazed us all. Few counselors, teachers, social workers, foster parents, court workers or psychologists had learned in college how to aid children and teens through extreme, nearby terrorism. Although few of us may have extensive training or experience aiding children in the midst of local terror, there are some key things to do or not do, and those items are recapped here.

On a personal note, our company, Youth Change, is based in Oregon, minutes from Oregon City, Oregon. If you recognize the name of that little city, it is because two young girls from the same apartment building died there recently at the hands of a neighbor. Beyond Oregon though, a frightening number of other girls have been abducted, killed or otherwise gravely harmed. While the media insists that the number of such events has actually not increased, clearly the media's coverage of such events has. For those of us near the scary events, for those of us who simply watch the events in the media from afar, it can be a very frightening time. If adults can be deeply affected by nearby violence, or by simply watching the coverage, then certainly many young people-- near and far from the violence and terror-- will be greatly affected too.

Combine this year of abductions and violence towards girls with the return of September 11, and next Wednesday may be a difficult day for many youngsters. The thoughts below are intended to aid you to make September 11, 2002 more tolerable for any of your children who would otherwise certainly struggle. You are welcome to reproduce this magazine for colleagues, co-workers, clients, students or parents. Here are the answers to the questions we have been hearing about how to proceed next Wednesday.

Should children or teens visit Ground Zero or engage in other potentially upsetting 9-11 activities?
I have just returned from the New York City region. Did I visit Ground Zero? No. And, I know of many other adults who have elected to forgo that pilgrimage while in proximity to it. Each of us, young or not so young, may feel that we know what is best for us. It was not best for me to have that image seared into my brain anymore than it already was from TV and news magazines. The same is true for many children and teens: Listen to what the child wants, and why. Age can make a huge difference, but it isn't just about age. Equally relevant: The child's emotional functioning, coping skill level, past personal history.

Should children and teens watch the TV coverage of 9-11 or reports on child abduction and murder incidents?
The same suggestions for visiting Ground Zero, apply here. But, the younger the child, the more likely your answer should be "no". Young children are just too ill-equipped to process the sights and sounds that TV coverage offers. As a teacher, counselor, foster parent or dorm worker, there are so many ways to address 9-11 or the rash of child murders without having children view TV coverage.

Should children or teens visit shrines for missing or murdered girls?
Here in Oregon, we have seen young children, ages 6 or 7, for example, visiting shrines. If a parent were to ask me what I think about that, I would have to say that I would not take young children. Young children can comprehend frightening events, like abductions or murders to a surprising degree, but normally lack the coping skills to manage and process what they did comprehend. Because of that, I recommend special caution with children through age 11, or any child with limited ability to do complex, abstract reasoning. We need to preserve or build a sense of safety as much as possible for young children by keeping them out of proximity to frightening events, not bringing them closer.

Can you provide guidelines for what to do when the adult is unsure how to proceed on behalf of a child?
First, ask the child what they want and listen to what they say, but also notice what they don't say, plus their demeanor, mannerisms, the meta-communication. Second, evaluate what can be gained or lost by the activity. For example, visiting Ground Zero or a shrine could bring some benefits but perhaps even greater harm if the child becomes deeply frightened and their sleep becomes seriously troubled. Third: Activity is a wonderful distraction. Children and teens can do all manner of tasks, such as gathering donations or blankets for the Red Cross or other crisis charity, or making cards or posters that celebrate the resiliency of the U.S. people. In that way, you acknowledge and focus on the event, which is important, but you do it in a way that generates little risk of harm. Fourth: Limit exposure to the media. Remember even a two year-old can comprehend a building falling and find it terribly scary-- again. The child may not understand that it didn't just happen again. Remember, just overhearing news coverage that others are watching can cause harm.

So, how do you suggest teachers and counselors mark Wednesday with children?
You must acknowledge September 11, or else any fear is stuffed down, and that's not the message you want to sent. I love to see youngsters make a contribution in some way, so while an age-appropriate, time-limited discussion of the facts of 9/11/01 is fine, perhaps it can be combined with doing something. Doing can give a sense of mastery, control and power when both older and younger humans can feel pretty small and impotent. Specific suggestions: Visit a home for the elderly and learn from World War II vets; visit a mosque and build some cultural bonds; make lists of coping methods for teens and share them with everyone else at your school or agency-- even simply taking cookies to your local police or fire department can occupy your young minds while building a sense of control, and teaching community service.

Why are some kids oblivious to 9/11 and the recent violence to girls, while others are devastated by it?
There are many reasons, but here are some of the top ones. First, children who are in proximity to the frightening events will be more frightened, and stay frightened longer. That is normal. Second, often children who have already experienced severe or recent crisis or loss will experience new, bad events as a re-capitulation of what they have already lived through. That's normal too. Third, some kids are more resilient than others, or have a greater capacity for denial, which may not be a bad thing in some cases. Fourth, children with emotional problems will often feed on the fear, and not let go. Fifth, the age of the child can leave one child terrified to sleep alone, while another child is terrified of not getting to tickets to see Britney Spears.

Any other suggestions for next Wednesday?
Yes, if your job permits this focus, be sure your young people have good coping skills (talking it out instead of acting it out, for example). Also, if this is a possible part of your job, be sure your students have learned about staying safe from predators. That needs to start at an early age. If you can also help your students accomplish a sense of peace, understanding or acceptance about the state of our world right now, then you will have done an impossible job exceptionally well.

What if I run into something I do not feel prepared to manage?
Long before September 11, 2001, Youth Change has been the place to turn for youth professionals. If you need practical, sound, real-world assistance, our Live Expert Help is available at our site <http://www.youthchg.com> many Pacific Time Zone business hours, or you can reply to this email with your question. The return of September 11, combined with the violence towards so many young girls, may make your job harder than ever. Our job is to help you help your children, especially in these uniquely difficult times for children.

Want more information on working with students during times of grief, crisis or trauma? Here are two suggestions for follow-up:

Our original guide to working with children after September 11, 2001, posted one year ago is a very thorough resource. Find it at <http://www.youthchg.com/tuesday.html>.

Long before September 11, 2001, our "Breakthrough Strategies to Teach and Counsel Troubled Youth Workshop" provided comprehensive coverage on how to work with children and youth who are coping with trauma, grief and pain. Financial aid work study is available to help you to attend. Call 1-800-545-5736 to get the details and to sign up for our next class. You can also get this continuing ed class on DVD, or bring the class to your entire team. Details on Youth Change's resources are here.

IF YOUR TRAINING DIDN'T PREPARE YOU TO WORK WITH CONTEMPORARY KIDS

WE CAN HELP!

SCHEDULE AN ON-SITE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP!

We wrote the book on troubled students.
We also teach the class.

Make the 1 or 2 day professional development investment that delivers year-long results. Bring the popular Breakthrough Strategies to Teach and Counsel Troubled Youth Inservice Workshop to your entire staff, team, association, or conference. Your staff name the exact problem areas; we deliver hundreds of ready-to-use, problem-stopping interventions. For more details: Visit http://www.youthchg.com/onsite.html, or call 1-800-545-5736. Working with difficult kids, doesn't have to be so difficult.

Popular on-site professional development inservice days don't last long. Call 1-800-545-5736 to get a professional development information packet sent to you on hosting our powerful workshop. At your request, we can include information on arranging college credit, clock hours, and using the workshop as a fund raiser. Our on-site professional development trainings are very affordable!

ON-SITE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES ARE EASY FUND RAISERS!

RECENT ON-SITE INSERVICE TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Alhambra School District, Phoenix, AZ; Donna, TX Schools; Parent University in Sierra Vista, AZ; Res Care in Oklahoma City; and Hope Schools, in Hope, AR.

We've been to every corner of North America, and want to bring our solutions to your school, agency or conference. Book the best presentation, keynote, speaker, or breakout seminar. Call now to solve your worst kid problems: 800-545-5736.

It's that time of year again. All over the U.S., children are returning to school. And, all over the U.S., there are many children who believe that the new school year will be just a waste of their time. Here are some compelling interventions that dramatically show your students that the U.S. is becoming increasingly inhospitable to people who lack a high school diploma.

NO DIPLOMA? Can You Count on Welfare?
Welfare still exists, but can you count on it to help if you drop out of school and can't find work? The number of jobs open to drop-outs is shrinking, and the pay is shrinking too. Illustrate this to students by having them job hunt using current employment classified ads. The current weak economy has been especially unkind for those with little education who seek employment. Have students complete employment applications to see how they will need reading and writing skills. (USA Today, 8-22-01)

NO DIPLOMA? Will Welfare Money Add Up?
The number of people receiving welfare has been slashed by a staggering 52%. The time you can be on welfare is shrinking fast. The amount of money you can receive is getting smaller. Some states have cut welfare by an amazing 90%. Illustrate these facts to students using play money. (USA Today, 8-22-01)

NO DIPLOMA? Can Your Multiply and Still Do the Math?
If you don't finish your education, and you are female, you have a special risk factor to notice. A staggering 85% of all unwed mothers are illiterate. The math gets worse: No one earns less than a female drop-out. No one in the U.S. endures greater poverty than female drop-outs and their offspring. Shouldn't girls know that before engaging in behaviors that could result in parenthood during childhood? (USA Today, 11-29-00)

NO DIPLOMA? Can You Have Kids and Still Make the Grade?
Offspring cost about $160,000 to raise. After inflation, that number can rise to $237,000 for just basic needs, if you believe the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Can your students figure just how long it takes a drop-out to earn that amount of money in the minimum wage jobs that are statistically all that the drop-out will be able to get? (USA Today, 4-27-00)

NO DIPLOMA? Will Your Income Go to the Head of the Class?
"The more you learn, the more your earn" could be the slogan for your school year, or stamped on your diplomas or on a poster on every wall. Studying pays. To see how much it pays right now, scroll down to reach the link to the Subscriber-Only section of our web site, and see the very latest numbers, and get a handout to use with your students. REMEMBER! Access to this area is limited to subscribers who forward this magazine or our web site to a colleague. That's the price of admission, and we trust youth professionals to honor that condition prior to entering.

NO DIPLOMA? Will Your Finances Still Add Up?
The slogan for dropping out could be "No diploma. No dollars." It's a harsh thing to say-- but true. Drop-outs earn the least, and it's actually getting worse. Income for wealthy people grew 15% in the late '80s through the '90s. Sadly, if you were poor in the '80s, you stayed poor in the '90s. You earn about the same now that you earned back then. Most depressing: though your income didn't go up, the cost of living clearly did. The rich got richer, and the poor got poorer. Illustrate these concepts to students by dividing them into grads and drop-outs, and using play money, send them shopping using newspaper ads or the internet, or by visiting a mall or car dealership.

NO DIPLOMA? Can You Spell "Jail"?
Not educated? You may have to think about jail time. 70% of those who are arrested are illiterate. (USA Today, 11-29-00)

Want more ways to absolutely convince students that they can't live without that diploma? Here's two sources for more!

Our Maximum-Strength Motivation-Makers book, ebook, and audio book (click) are packed with the best motivation-makers that exist. Our Education: Don't Start the Millennium Without It lesson book or ebook (click) delivers dozens of surprising, unorthodox interventions to light a fire under your students, especially your most disinterested ones. Just $15 per book, it may be the best $15 you ever spent.

STOP WISHING FOR BETTER METHODS TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS

WE CAN HELP!

SCHEDULE AN ON-SITE CONTINUING ED TRAINING WORKSHOP!

We wrote the book on troubled students.
We also teach the class.

Make the 1 or 2 day professional development investment that delivers year-long results. Bring the popular Breakthrough Strategies to Teach and Counsel Troubled Youth Inservice Workshop to your entire staff, team, association, or conference. Your staff name the exact problem areas; we deliver hundreds of ready-to-use, problem-stopping interventions. For more details: Visit http://www.youthchg.com/onsite.html, or call 1-800-545-5736.

Popular on-site professional development inservice days don't last long. Call 1-800-545-5736 to get a professional development information packet sent to you on hosting our powerful workshop. At your request, we can include information on arranging college credit, clock hours, and using the workshop as a fund raiser. Our on-site professional development trainings are very affordable!

ON-SITE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS ARE AWESOME FUND RAISERS!

RECENT ON-SITE INSERVICE TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Alhambra School District, Phoenix, AZ; Donna, TX Schools; Parent University in Sierra Vista, AZ; Res Care in Oklahoma City; and Hope Schools, in Hope, AR.

We've been to every corner of North America, and want to bring our solutions to your school, agency or conference. Book the best presentation, keynote, speaker, or breakout seminar. Call now to solve your worst kid problems: 800-545-5736.

You may have many students who have chronic problems with their behavior and attitude at school. Fortunately, we have many awesome interventions to turnaround bad behavior and even worse attitudes.

Some of our favorite interventions for sour attitudes and problem behavior, are shown below:

Me? Flunk English? That's Unpossible!
Just write this sentence on the board, then let the students discuss it: "WiLl YOu RealY NevER ned a diPlOmA?" You may also repeat this exercise with this sentence: "Me? Flunk English? That's unpossible!" The second sentence is stolen from the cartoon show, "The Simpsons"; ask your students to create other sentences like the two shown above. Also, you can ask your students to imagine how signs might be read by someone who hasn't learned to read very well. For example, ask them to imagine signs at the airport you better be able to read. They will devise many funny but provocative scenarios.

Who is the Problem Here?
Make a list of problems that adults can have at work and in the community, such as "Mr. Frank is frequently late to work. Mr. Frank is angry at the boss for docking him pay for the time he's late, saying it is the boss's fault he loses money." Ask your students to determine who is accountable for the problem. Students will indicate that Mr. Frank is accountable. After the students determine adults are accountable in each scenario, present them with a second list of scenarios. This list should be exactly the same as the first list, but substitute youngsters for adults in each situation. Next, ask your group members to determine accountability. It may make for an interesting discussion, and provoke some new thinking.

Figure This
Students who finish school earn about $329,000 more than dropouts. Have your students calculate how much they are earning of that $329,000 per year they have left in school --and per month, per week, per hour, per minute. Have students run their fingers through $329,000 in play money. All those dollars may help to sweeten all those bad attitudes just a little bit.

10,000 Ways School Builds You Up
Have students list all the things they wish to do in their lives, then have them consider how many of these activities require school. Students may be amazed that activities from driving to a concert, to building a house, to climbing a mountain, will be harder or even impossible without education.

10,000 More Ways School Can Build You Up: Follow-up Intervention For this intervention, use the list of activities that students say that they want to do (from the strategy shown above). Write those activities on the board then ask the group: "Does Finishing School Help You Get It" or "Does Quitting School Help You Get It?" You won't need to say much. The group will have already figured out that quitting school isn't very useful to reach the goals they say they want.

Ready or Not, Here Life Comes
Some students are very negative about school because they consider it to be a waste. Here is a fun intervention to show students that education may be essential. Have students write down the types of problems that an adult might have to deal with during one really bad day, then have them determine how many of these activities use skills learned in school. Your group will notice that all/most of the problems in a really bad adult day may require education. Include problems like the refrigerator is a bit warm, the car seems to slide for some reason on the wet road, and the bank says that your checking account is overdrawn.

Dropouts Needed
Reserve this intervention for older, very sour teens who are at risk of dropping out soon. Use the intervention with care and kindness; do not use with fragile kids. If you are not sure that you can safely and properly use this device, then don't use it. Ask the student to find all the Help Wanted ads that specify "Dropout Needed." This tough intervention can be an eye- opener that shows that maybe school isn't just a waste, as the student may believe.

We have books, ebooks, posters, and professional development courses (click) packed full of dynamic interventions for kids with bad behavior, and every "kid problem" imaginable. Both our live and distance learning Breakthrough Strategies Workshop (http://www.youthchg.com/live.html) provide comprehensive coverage plus $43 college credit and free clock hours. Half-Price Work Study slots are still open for all live classes. Call us at 1-800-545-5736 to grab one. Our $15 Breakthrough Strategies books and ebooks (http://www.youthchg.com/lessons.html) deliver powerful interventions for nearly every problem that exists. Order today and get all the tools you need to solve your worst "kid problems" right away. Call 1-800-545-5736 now to order.

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ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BETTER WAYS TO WORK WITH DIFFICULT KIDS?

DO YOU WISH YOUR COLLEGE EDUCATION
HAD PREPARED YOU BETTER FOR TODAY'S STUDENTS?

WE CAN HELP!

SCHEDULE AN ON-SITE CONTINUING ED TRAINING WORKSHOP!

We wrote the book on troubled students.
We also teach the class.

Make the 1 or 2 day professional development investment that delivers year-long results. Bring the popular Breakthrough Strategies to Teach and Counsel Troubled Youth Inservice Workshop to your entire staff, team, association, or conference. Your staff name the exact problem areas; we deliver hundreds of ready-to-use, problem-stopping interventions. For more details: Visit http://www.youthchg.com/onsite.html, or call 1-800-545-5736.

Popular on-site professional development days are starting to disappear! Call 1-800-545-5736 or reply to this email to get a professional development information packet sent to you on hosting our powerful workshop. At your request, we can include information on arranging college credit, clock hours and CEUs, and using the inservice as a fund raiser. Our on-site professional development classes are extremely affordable!

ON-SITE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES ARE EASY FUND RAISERS!

RECENT ON-SITE INSERVICE TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Alhambra School District, Phoenix, AZ; Donna, TX Schools; Parent University in Sierra Vista, AZ; Res Care in Oklahoma City; and Hope Schools, in Hope, AR.

We've been to every corner of North America, and want to bring our solutions to your school, agency or conference. Book the best presentation, keynote, speaker, or breakout seminar. Call now to solve your worst kid problems: 800-545-5736.

Let's begin by telling you where to find the answers to this quiz. However, we are not just giving you the answer key. You have to actually read and understand complex information to discern these vital answers yourself. Since the topic is school safety, we're sure that you don't want to cut corners, and can appreciate the importance of getting more from us than quick sound bites that may not give you all you need when safety concerns arise.

So, about those answers...
Answer Source #1: The two introductory articles on hard-to-manage students that are referred in this article can be read here. Those introductory articles are entitled What Every Youth Professional Needs to Know About Violent Kids, Part 1 of 2, and What Every Youth Professional Needs to Know About Violent Kids, Part 2 of 2. Reading those two articles prior to reading this article is strongly recommended. The article on this page was originally created for subscribers to our internet magazine, The Problem-Kid Problem-Solver. Click to sign up for this free publication.
Answer Source #2: This quiz was designed to test subscribers' comprehension and memory of the two introductory articles they read on impossible-to-manage students, and to give them a sense if they have absorbed enough details to apply what they learned in their actual setting under real-world conditions. Additional information needed to answer the questions on this quiz about unmanageable students is in a third article posted here, along with many terrific strategies. That article is called Pop Quiz Frenzy: Who is Your Most Out-of-Control Student?
Answer Source #3: If you still want more of the quiz answers, this page, Must Know Violence Prevention Interventions has them, click here.
Answer Source #4: Want to be confident that you know all that you can about successfully managing unmanageable students? Consider buying our All the Best Answers: Conduct Disorders and Anti-Social youth book, ebook, or audio book.

As we mentioned in the last issue of this magazine, the top question we get at our busy Live Expert Help area of our web site (http://www.youthchg.com) where we answer youth professionals' queries on almost any topic, is "How do I get kids-- especially hard-to-manage ones-- to behave?" Teachers and other educators are especially troubled that their training has not even begun to prepare them to manage the severe misbehavior that they see more and more every year. But, we hear from youth professionals and para-professionals from all disciplines, that their training has not "kept up" with the changes in the kids. Those of you in the trenches consistently tell us your training prepared you to work with Beaver Cleaver, but Beavis and Butthead continue to show up.

Here at Youth Change, we have spent the last 13 years attempting to prepare youth professionals for Beavis and Butthead-- or whoever is assigned to your classroom or case load. Through our general session, on-site and video classes, we attempt to update youth professionals' skills to fit contemporary youth. This internet magazine is part of that effort, and we want to see how we-- and you-- are doing. So, get ready, here is a pop quiz to see if you have been paying attention to this ezine the past couple years. Let's find out if you have the updated skills youth professionals need to best work with contemporary youth.

This is not an open book quiz so you're not supposed to go back and consult our past Problem-Kid Problem-Solver issues, or find the information somewhere. When that fist is heading towards your face, you will need these answers ready-to-go, so let's simulate some of the surprise and pressure you face every day, and have you take this quiz right now. To maximize the pressure, allow yourself just 3 minutes. To make this quiz work best, we want you to feel some of the stress and pressure you face each day, and see if the information you need, will be there when you need it.

1. Counselors have a special mental health term to describe your most severely misbehaved kid. You must work with this child differently than all others. Name the term and one way you must work differently. Hint: This was in the second and third magazine issues you received, and if you don't know the answers, that is dangerous.

2. Really unmanageable students care about only one thing. Name it. If you don't know it, you have no chance at controlling them. Conversely, if you do know it, you maximize your chances at successfully managing them.

3. School shootings are among the scariest possibilities that school staff face. Three types of kids may be at highest risk of such serious behavior and must be offered the highest degree of supervision. Remembering this information is critical. Name the 3 types of kids.

4. Name the youngster that you must never give second chances to, and describe why it could be dangerous. Hint: See Question #2.

5. Nothing seems to work to rein in and discipline the most hard-to-manage students. Why is that, and what do you do instead?

6. Why does it matter if all your staff know what to do-- and what not to do-- with the hardest-to-manage students, i.e, why does it matter that not all team members know the answers to these questions?

7. What is the operating system of the most difficult-to-manage students, and why must you know that to successfully manage them?

8. What is the only kind of relationship to have with uncontrollable students-- if you want to be able to successfully manage them?

9. Why do character education methods always fail with the most out-of-control students?

10. When attempting to control uncontrollable students, you have to control costs and benefits. Explain that-- as it relates to determining discipline, establishing rules, and giving consequences.

The sources for the quiz answers were listed in the first paragraph of this article. Click here to return to that part of the page.

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We have so many more unusual, dynamic interventions for every "kid problem" imaginable. Plus, our Live Expert Help is available during business hours, Pacific Time. Or, you can email Live Help anytime and get your response by email. This community service is completely free for youth professionals. Just visit our web site (http://www.youthchg.com) and click on Live Help. Solve it now with Live Help.

Both our live and videotaped Breakthrough Strategies Workshop (http://www.youthchg.com/live.html) provide comprehensive coverage plus $43 college credit and free clock hours. Visit http://www.youthchg.com/answers.html to see a few more of our newest interventions. Half-Price Work Study slots are still open for all live classes. Call us at 1-800-545-5736 to grab one.

Our $15 Breakthrough Strategies books (http://www.youthchg.com/lessons.html) deliver powerful interventions for out-of-control students, and nearly every other problem that exists. Order today and get all the tools you need to solve your worst "kid problems" Call 1-800-545-5736. We can help!

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Popular on-site professional development days are starting to disappear! Call 1-800-545-5736 or reply to this email to get a professional development information packet sent to you on hosting our powerful workshop. At your request, we can include information on arranging college credit, clock hours and CEUs, and using the inservice as a fund raiser. Our on-site professional development classes are extremely affordable!

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Here are some of our favorite, most compelling new strategies for the new year.

1. For youngsters who say that they will quit school and go on welfare, ask them to name the states where welfare is still readily available on an on-going basis, as was common years ago. Answer: There are no states that fit that description, however they could consider moving to Guam, the only state/territory in the U.S. that did not dramatically slice aid in recent years. The average state cut welfare by a staggering 53%!

2. This intervention is very odd, but people just adore it. It is perfect to give to parents of normally courteous teens who are in the "mean and surly" phase that so many adolescents go through. This intervention was actually a staple at my house for several years. This intervention only works if you have a pet; we had a beloved dog. When my teen-age son would interact with a parent in a surly or condescending manner, that parent would ask him to treat us as good he treats the dog. It became a family joke, that if you wouldn't talk "that way" to Max (the dog), then you couldn't talk that way to Mom or Dad either. Simply saying: "Please treat me at least as good as the dog" was a reliable way to get a smile (and more courtesy) even in the midst of the most difficult or tense interaction.

3. Here is an intervention from a participant in our workshop. It is unusual, but effective. It is for use with students who think that school is a waste, or that it's "not cool" to do well in school. As if telling a joke, say to the youngster: "What do you call an 'A' student?" Answer: "Boss."

4. Show youngsters how impossible life in the 2000's may be without education. To capture the frustration and inconvenience that can occur on a minute-to-minute basis if you lack a complete education, ask your students to just order lunch. Have them choose from "gegrilde lamskoteletten" or "hartige maaltijdseop". When students complain, that they have no idea what any of those words mean, let them know that this will be a common complaint for people who forgo education in our high tech times. (The menu choices are written in Dutch and mean grilled lamb chops and soup.) Discuss how people who lack education may feel like foreigners in their own land.

5. For students who say that their parents have gotten by without a diploma, it is key to capture how inhospitable the world is becoming to people who lack that degree. Teach your students that their degree is their "Ticket to the New Millennium." Here are "4 Frightening Facts for Dropouts": (1) The income of dropouts has plunged 70% in the last 20 years. (2) Dropouts are more likely to land in prison. (3) Dropouts are more likely to rely on public assistance (4) Dropouts tend to earn about $15,000 per year vs. $29,000 per year for those who get that high school degree. You may choose to change the phrasing on these four points to become "4 Fantastic Facts for Graduates." (Data source: USA Today.)

6. This is one of my personal favorite interventions. It is perfect for this time of year. It is for use with students who may not have many goals, or may fail to work very hard towards goals. Say to your students: Martin Luther King Jr. died for his dreams. What are you willing to do to live your dreams? January 21, 2002 is MLK Day in the U.S. If necessary, preface this intervention by exposing your students to Dr. King's accomplishments, and include at least a portion of his powerful "I Have a Dream" speech.

7. When students complain that their counselor or teacher treats them unfairly. Have them write that counselor or teacher a letter detailing their complaints. Some students may be able to vent their anger just by putting their complaints on paper. Others may actually decide to send the letter if that might be helpful to remedy the problems. Teachers and counselors often relay concerns to students; students are not always given the chance to communicate their concerns to adults. Students can be given fill-in-the-blank forms to use instead of writing letters. For example, "The one thing I like about your class is..." and "The one thing I wish you would do differently is..." Students tend to really admire the courage and dedication of adults who care so much about doing a good job, that they are willing to be open to evaluation from young people.

8. A workshop participant offers this answer when students say "that's not part of your job!" or hassle him about his role with them. He responds like this: "My job is to get you do what you don't want to do so you can become what you do want to become."

9. Here's a popular intervention for students who repeatedly nag, beg or ask again for what they want after hearing "no." You can say to the youngster: "Ask once, you're assertive. Ask more than twice, you're aggressive." A light, humorous variation on this answer is: "What part of 'no' didn't you understand?"

10. This list of strategies is just a list. To effectively teach or counsel children, you can't just rely on catchy strategies. You have to have the full picture of the child. So, no annual Top 10 List of Interventions should go out without a reminder that children and youth almost never step up and nice and neatly announce their distress.

Children seldom politely request an extension on their homework because "science seems terribly irrelevant because I was raped last night." Your job must include spotting and responding to troubles and trauma that aren't necessarily clear or apparent. No list of strategies can help you do that, but please add one item to your own personal list: to update or expand your skills to ensure that you are highly prepared to identify and aid the damaged children you will serve in 2002.

Because of 9-11, 2001 was a year of special pain for many, including many children. 2001 was a year when the world became a more dangerous place for many, including many children. As you begin 2002, and renew your commitment to your children and your work, please consider these words spotted on a banner: "The world is dangerous not because of those who do harm, but because of those who look at it without doing anything." Please do something in 2002 to make the world better for troubled children living in our troubled times.

We Have 100s More Inventive Interventions

We have so many more unusual, dynamic interventions for every "kid problem" imaginable. Both our live and recorded Breakthrough Strategies Workshop (http://www.youthchg.com/live.html) provide comprehensive coverage plus $43 college credit and free clock hours. Visit http://www.youthchg.com/interonl.html to see a few more of our newest behavior interventions.

Our $15 Breakthrough Strategies books (http://www.youthchg.com/lessons.html) also deliver powerful interventions for nearly every problem that exists. Order today and get all the tools you need to solve your worst "kid problems" Call 1-800-545-5736. We can help!

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The Breakthrough Strategies Distance Learning Workshop (click) will flood your team with the newest and best behavior intervention strategies that exist. It's like having an expert behavior consultant right in your classroom. Get this professional development continuing ed class on DVD and earn college credit (just $40) and CEUs (Free).

Working with difficult kids doesn't have to be so difficult with our inventive, powerful solutions, all captured on DVD. Don't wonder if your job has to be so hard. Solve your worst "kid problems" now, and begin to love your job again.

Questions? Want to order? Call 1-800-545-5736 toll-free, or use the contact information shown on the very bottom of this page.