On my recent trip to New England, I met some wonderful creative teachers who shared the different things they do to meet the basic needs of kids and motivate them to become problem solvers. One teacher in particular is Allison Smith, Box 1531 N. Eastham MA 02651. Allison shared some of her creative strategies on how to win children over from her care chair/love chair . Allison believes as I do that when you see a child hurting and needing special attention to invite them into the love chair to be comforted and supported is a preventive way to head off potential anger acceleration. She also utilizes a strategy by starting a story about animals, i.e. A bunny was alone in the woods and the other animals would not be his friend. Allison invites the children to act out the story and invites them to come up with their own solutions for helping the bunny. Allison reports that children often come up with their own solutions that often represent their own experiences. She considers it a great tool for assisting children with their fears and confusion.

– Allison Smith