by Ronald Mah

Corwin Press, 2006

by Ronald Mah

Corwin Press, 2008

Calligraphy for "Learning" in

Handouts

(Mini-Posters)

DVDs

by Ronald Mah

on Children's Behavior,

Discipline, and Child

Development at

Articles

for Parents, Teachers, Educators, and Human Services Professionals

Consulting,

Parent Education,

& Staff Development Workshops

& Trainings

Professional

Development

Workshops, Articles, & Consultation,

for Therapists

BUILDING CONSTRUCTIVE ALLIANCES

             WITH ANGRY, INSECURE, UNHAPPY, OVERLY-INVESTED,

                  OR SUSPICIOUS PARENTS OR CLIENTS

FORMAT:

Lecture and Discussion- Participants are encouraged to make the workshop more relevant to their concerns by asking questions.

DESCRIPTION:

Focus is on understanding and addressing the underlying emotional and psychological issues of parents or clients with issues with your program; and how staff can best meet their needs through this awareness combined with appropriate technique, without compromising their integrity and needs. 

SUMMARY OF CONTENT:

Part A - Lecture and Discussion

1) Professional Personal Relationship- Investing in a positive alliance with the parent.

2) Dealing with Parent or Client Complaints

            HOW TO MAKE EMPATHIC CONNECTION

            THE VALIDATING MESSAGE, Message Part One

            THE REALITY MESSAGE, Message Part Two

3) Preventing Self-Sabotage

  Five Defensive Styles that Sabotage positive interaction/resolution

  Renewing the Communication Contract w/ the Parent or Client

PART B - Advanced Experiential Training (optional)

1) Secrets and Motivation

2) Role Play Work

"GETTING IT TOGETHER"

FAMILY DYNAMICS AT HOME (& AT WORK!!)

A Dual Training for Creating  Healthy Relationships & Teams

FORMAT:

Lecture and Discussion- Participants are encouraged to make the workshop more relevant to their concerns by asking questions.

DESCRIPTION:

Focus is on creating practical understanding of both the intrapersonal (you), the interpersonal (others), and the system issues that can lead to tension, stress, frustration, and eventually, moral problems, low productivity, and dysfunction in the family, agency, program, or workplace.  Dynamics of the family and of the workplace are compared and contrasted to foster greater understanding and health in both areas.  Addressed are the family (or staff's) emotional and psychological needs as part of the family (or “workplace family").  Theories of role definitions, system theory, communication, temperamental differences, and psycho-emotional needs are combined to create understanding and to lead to practical strategies for resolving dysfunction in the family and workplace.

SUMMARY OF CONTENT:

A. FAMILY SYSTEMS & WORK SYSTEMS

B. CHARACTERISTICS OF HEALTHY & UNHEALTHY AGENCIES, PROGRAMS, OR WORKPLACES.

            The Workplace System: Hierarchies, Role Definitions, Sub-systems, Lines of Responsibility, Alignments, Coalitions, Triangles, Communication.

C. PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL ISSUES

            1. The Emotional-Psychological-Physical Relationship

            2. Intra-personal Issues- On Knowing Yourself (You w/You) On Developing Self-Esteem: Acceptance/Significance, Power & Control, Virtue, Competence.

            3. Interpersonal Issues (You w/Others- especially Colleagues & Clients) Boundary Problems;  Communication Skills;  Validation/Invalidation;  Defensive Styles that preclude validation.

            4. Management/Discipline Issues (You w/Others).

D. TEMPERAMENTAL ANALYSIS of self & others - match and mismatch issues.

E. STRESS RESPONSE STYLES- Negative & Positive

1) Denial  2) Intensification  3) Avoidance behavior  4) Hypervigilance 

5) Passive-Aggressive Action  6) Co-Dependent Behavior

7) Proactive Action  8) Cathartic Release & Other Types of Release  

POSITIVE RESOLUTIONS WITH

HOSTILE, ANGRY, AND UNHAPPY CLIENTELE

FORMAT:

Lecture, Discussion, and Experiential Work- Participants are encouraged to make the workshop more relevant to their concerns by asking questions.

DESCRIPTION:

Focus is on understanding and addressing the underlying emotional and psychological issues of clientele with issues with your establishment or program; and how staff can best meet their needs through this awareness combined with appropriate technique, without compromising their integrity and needs, or management policies. 

SUMMARY OF CONTENT:

Part A - Lecture and Discussion

1) The Professional Personal Relationship

            Investing in a positive alliance with clientele.

2) Selling the Primary Product- Yourself

            Underlying Emotional and Psychological issues- Clientele & Staff 

3) The Complaint Versus the Psycho/emotional Issues

            "Ignoring the Facts" to make the connection! - Making the Diagnosis

4) Connection and Validation based on the Diagnosis

            HOW TO MAKE EMPATHIC CONNECTION

            THE VALIDATING MESSAGE, Message Part One

            THE REALITY MESSAGE, Message Part Two

5) Renewing the Contract w/ the Client

6) Staff Defensive Styles that Block Effective Resolution

PART B - Advanced Experiential Training

1) Secrets and Motivation

2) Role Play Work

"BOOGERS, TANTRUMS, HEAD LICE, and PIN WORMS…

JUST WHY DO WE DO THIS?"

DESCRIPTION:

A humorous lecture that encourages participants to value both the challenges of working with young children and themselves as vital contributors to children and the community.  From runny noses, to germs, to tantrums-- the frustrations of  early childhood development work are balanced against the impact of good and great caregiving on children's development and community and social health.

SUMMARY OF CONTENT:

Stuff my child development teacher forgot to tell me.

A little girl and a snail story.

The first two years… like the river in Brazil.

Tantrums: what are you supposed to do about a kid throwing a tantrum.

            The tantrum in the sandbox..

From Preschool or Daycare to Princeton, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Harvard.

The difference between a professional and a ……

            Integrity and the ECD educator.

The Two Dirty Tricks of child development.

            The Two Reasons I chose to become an ECE person.

What's worse than finding head lice in your kid's hair?

What's worse than head lice?

A Chinese folktale -- a fairy tale in the United States!

            The Challenge (the Dilemma) of Teaching in America

Traits of resilient children.

Why you?  Why him?  Why her?  When so many didn't?

The Epitaph on your tombstone?

BURNOUT DANGER!!

ON STAYING PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY 

IN THE WORKPLACE

FORMAT:

Lecture and Discussion- Participants are encouraged to make the workshop more relevant to their concerns by asking questions.

DESCRIPTION:

Focus is on creating practical understanding of both the intrapersonal (you) and the interpersonal (others) issues that can lead to tension, stress, frustration and eventual burnout in work.  Addressed are the professional's and clients' and/or staff's and clients'/customers' emotional and psychological needs when a people interaction occurs.  Theories of diagnosis, stress management, temperamental differences, and psycho-emotional needs are combined to create understanding and to lead to practical strategies for resolving personal/professional frustrations and stress in work situations.

SUMMARY OF CONTENT:

A. PHYSICAL ISSUES

B. PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL ISSUES

           A DIAGNOSTIC HIERARCHY for approaching problem behavior.

C. TEMPERAMENTAL ANALYSIS of self & others - match and mismatch issues.

D. STRESS RESPONSE STYLES:

  Stress Building Responses:

   1) Denial;  

   2) Intensification

   3) Avoidance behavior

   4) Hypervigilance

   5) Passive-Aggressive Action

   6) Co-Dependent Behavior

  Stress Releasing Responses:

    1) Proactive Action

   2) Cathartic Release

   3) Physical Release

   4) Breathing

   5) Rest

   6) Self-Nurturing

   7) Seeking Help

   8) Understanding/Insight

FROM PERSONAL THROUGH MORAL & CULTURAL ISSUES TO

ETHICAL & LEGAL REQUIREMENTS--THE STORY OF THE "AL's"

FORMAT:

Lecture and Discussion- Participants are encouraged to make the workshop more relevant to their concerns by asking questions.

DESCRIPTION:

Description: How personal (individual, family, and societal) influences form the foundation for moral beliefs, and how they bring individuals to the field of early childhood education.  Facing challenges in working with children (the talk will discuss dealing with temper tantrums as a concrete example) brings the individual's personal issues face to face with ethical and professional dilemmas (and sometimes legal requirements).  Under ethical and legal requirements, how and why the work stays intensely personal.

SUMMARY OF CONTENT:

1. Why individuals become involved in child development/early childhood education.

Unexpected "benefits!"

2. Three Strands leading to Moral and Cultural Standards:

a) Individual

b) Familial

c) Social: historical, political,religious, economic

            How Individual, familial and social experiences come together to create moral codes—individual's sense of what is right and wrong

            Cross cultural issues that arise in the mix of culture and of peoples

3. How historical, political, religious, and economic experiences come together for a society to create the cultural framework for the society, i.e. the morality of the society

4. What being professional means

What differentiates a professional from another service provider or saleperson?

How Education, Training, Experience, Child Development Theory, and Ethics and Legalities define professionalism

5. An example—Dealing with Temper Tantrums professionally and effectively

Four types of tantrums, four underlying issues, and four approaches.  Personal and emotional prejudices affecting approaching difficult behavior

6. Between Ethical and Legal -- the Chicken or the Egg?

The First Child Abuse Intervention  -  What professions claim to be and do

7. Why mandated child abuse reporting had to be mandated

BALANCING PROFESSIONALISM, SENSITIVITY, & FRIENDSHIP

AS BOSS, (& BUDDY?), COLLEAGUE, CONFIDANT, & EMPLOYEE

FORMAT:

Lecture and Discussion- Participants are encouraged to make the workshop more relevant to their concerns by asking questions.

DESCRIPTION:

Focus is on understanding dynamic issues in the supervisor-supervisee relationship: the intrapersonal, the interpersonal, and the system issues that can lead to tension, stress, frustration, and eventually, morale problems, low productivity, and dysfunction in the agency, program, or workplace.  Addressed are the staff's emotional and psychological needs as part of the workplace "family".  Theories of personal & professional boundaries, role definitions, system theory, communication, temperamental differences, and psycho-emotional needs lead to practical strategies for a healthy work relationship.

SUMMARY OF CONTENT:

A. FAMILY SYSTEMS & WORK SYSTEMS

B. CHARACTERISTICS OF HEALTHY & UNHEALTHY AGENCIES, PROGRAMS, OR WORKPLACES.

            UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS & CHALLENGES of Specific Organizations, Programs, or Businesses

            DEFINING THE ROLES: Boss, Mentor, Parent, Teacher, Colleague, Confidant, Ogre, or What?  Employee, Disciple, Child, Partner, Irritant, or What?

            THE WORKPLACE SYSTEM: Hierarchies, Role Definitions, Sub-systems, Lines of Responsibility, Alignments, Coalitions, Triangles, Communication

            TEMPERAMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE WORKPLACE STEW - Personality Match & Mismatch

C. SELF-ESTEEM IN THE WORKPLACE

            THE FOUR CORNERSTONES OF SELF-ESTEEM for Yourself & Others: Acceptance/Significance, Power & Control, Virtue, Competence

            COMMUNICATION SKILLS that Facilitate Self-Esteem