Review of Working With Our 4-D Students

brooke oakes · Post by **brooke oakes** » 16 Oct 2021, 15:26

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Working With Our 4-D Students" by Davis Larry.]

4 out of 4 stars

Share This Review

In schools, educators work with a variety of students with diverse personalities and needs. Some students have difficulty communicating their feelings and needs. They may act out to communicate and are considered defiant. Many times these students are sent to the office or suspended from school. What else could we do for these students? How can educators break down the barriers for these students to participate fully in their education?

Working With Our 4-D Students by Larry D. Davis is about how educators can foster relationships and connections with challenging students. Davis explains that these students are usually going through challenges in their lives outside of school. They act out because they don't know how to express or communicate what they are going through. That they are not trusting and feel unsafe. He states that these students need to stay in school. Sending them to the office or suspending them from school does not teach them the skills they need to function in life. It also prevents them from getting the education that they are entitled to have.

The author says helping these students participate in their education could help close or eliminate the achievement gap in America. To illustrate this idea, Davis shares a story about a teacher with poor class scores. It's brought to the teachers' attention that these students talk during class, don't participate, and lose academic time. When the teacher decided to try building relationships with the students' everything is changed. The culture in the classroom became respectful. The students enjoyed participating in class. The students' scores all increased. Creating a positive culture had a positive impact on their academics in his classroom.

One of my favorite ideas is avoiding the power struggle. Davis says that power struggles only do two things. They take away time from learning and allow the defiant student to get their way. The author talks about building trust and relationships with these students. Many times students who are acting out do not feel safe and are struggling academically. You want to help them feel safe and part of the community. Doing this helps to reduce unwanted behaviors. Davis says that you want to have clear expectations and stay consistent.

As an educator myself, I enjoyed this book. The author discusses the psychology behind unwanted behavior and provides ideas you can use to reduce these behaviors. I loved the case studies used to illustrate, and the spaces included to jot down my thoughts and responses were useful. I also loved that there were excerpts from other presenters to expand on the ideas discussed in the book.

I didn't find anything that I didn't like about the book. The book contained few errors and was well written. The author explains the ideas well with detailed scenarios that I felt were relatable to students I have taught. Therefore I have to give this book 4 out of 4 stars.

I recommend this book for adults and educators who work with children who have challenging behavior in any setting. I believe the information is also helpful for those who work with children in other areas besides the school setting.

******
Working With Our 4-D Students
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Suzer6440 xyz · Post by **Suzer6440 xyz** » 17 Oct 2021, 21:58

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this review%definitely a book I would like to read.I am in the field of education and and agree 100% that building relationships and trust is so so important. Behaviors, disrespect and negativity in the classroom definitely changes when positivity, interest and fun is spread throughout. Great job… thanks for my next read…….

markodim721 · Post by **markodim721** » 19 Oct 2021, 03:50

I like the way the issue of working with special students is addressed in the book - with a lot of understanding and tact.

brooke oakes · Post by **brooke oakes** » 20 Oct 2021, 03:51

Suzer6440 xyz wrote: ↑17 Oct 2021, 21:58 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this review%definitely a book I would like to read.I am in the field of education and and agree 100% that building relationships and trust is so so important. Behaviors, disrespect and negativity in the classroom definitely changes when positivity, interest and fun is spread throughout. Great job… thanks for my next read…….

Thank you for your comment! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Let me know what you think when you read it!

brooke oakes · Post by **brooke oakes** » 20 Oct 2021, 03:52

markodim721 wrote: ↑19 Oct 2021, 03:50 I like the way the issue of working with special students is addressed in the book - with a lot of understanding and tact.

I appreciate you taking the time to comment! So glad you enjoyed this as well!