“The suggestion that the Dog Whisperer is also a Child Whisperer of sorts has popped up — sometimes couched as a joke, but, well, not really — in parents’ forums like blogs, online discussion boards, magazines, Twitter feeds and podcasts. Some parents are starting to take notice…. [S]ome parents — particularly those weary of never-say-no techniques and child-rearing books suggesting that children should call the shots — say they find inspiration, and even practical advice, in Mr. Millan’s approach, which teaches pet owners how to become the alpha dogs by projecting his trademark “calm-assertive energy.””
Or becoming the alpha dog in your own classroom. I’ve been using techniques from the Dog Whisperer in my classroom since Day 1. I’m no expert at it, and I still have a ways to go in becoming a master pack leader, to be sure (got the assertive part down pat, still trying to master the calm), but it helps. I apply his hierarchy of needs to my students:
1) Exercise: Keep them busy! For each 41-minute period, I always have 2-4 different activities planned, each with a different approach. On the days when I do not have something with explicit physical activity involved, I always have back-ups for my ADHD kids.
2) Discipline: It is so important to have clearly stated classroom expectations from the very beginning! I create “classroom habits”, I state my policies clearly in my syllabus and refer to them often, I only allow for wiggle room under special circumstances. Students function so much better when they know what is expected of them, academically and behaviorally, and when these exectations are regularly repeated and enforced.
3) Affection: Yes, I am known to be a battle-axe. I don’t put up with any disrespect, and I rarely bend the rules. However, I find that, with a busy, active, and well-managed class, we can then have a lot of fun. We can do really fun and interesting things, we can joke around, etc., so long as the work gets done. And occasionally, it’s okay to let the students have their way (or at least let them think they’re having their way), but always know when to reel it in and get back to business. Reward them with praise and sometimes even small treats (I’m not kidding), and watch their faces just light up!
