Educating Oppositional and Defiant Children

Philip S. Hall and Nancy D. Hall

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About This Book

Oppositional and defiant children present a major challenge for teachers and other educators. 

Students with serious behavior disorders can become aggressive, disruptive, and even violent in class. But instead of becoming frustrated with this antisocial behavior, educators need to approach each child individually with patience and understanding.

Using stories based on actual classroom cases, Philip S. Hall and Nancy D. Hall illustrate the key concepts and techniques needed to successfully teach oppositional students. 

They believe that the teacher's own behavior can positively influence the student's reactions, and they offer practical advice on what approaches work and don’t work. 

Readers will learn how to

• Identify the risk factors that can trigger antisocial behavior;
• Engineer the classroom environment, routines, and tasks to increase success;
• Interact in ways that promote positive behavior;
• Temporarily remove a disruptive child from the classroom while preserving the child’s dignity;
• Work with the child’s parents to find the appropriate special education services;
• Guide parents toward effective training programs; and
• Develop a school culture with the values and beliefs to nurture oppositional students.

Students with oppositional and defiant behavior must feel they are emotionally and physically safe in the classroom. The authors show how educators can help students move from despair to hope, from anger to comfort, and from failure to success. 

See the book's table of contents and read excerpts.

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About the Authors

PHILLIP S. HALL is a psychologist with 30 years of experience working with children who have challenging behaviors. For the past 10 years, he was Director of the School Psychology Program at Minot State University in Minot, North Dakota. During that time, Hall provided a comprehensive clinic for children with oppositional and defiant behaviors and their families. Recently retired from academic work, he continues to consult widely to schools faced with students who have challenging behavior or learning problems.

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NANCY D. HALL has worked for the past 25 years in educational administration. Fifteen of those years were as an elementary school principal, where she worked closely with special needs children, their parents, teachers, and community service providers. She is currently Vice President of Academic Affairs at Minot State University.

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