Alfie Kohn – författare

A groundbreaking approach to parenting by nationally-respected educator Alfie Kohn that gives parents “powerful alternatives to help children become their most caring, responsible selves” (Adele Faber, New York Times bestselling author) by switching the dynamic from doing things to children to working with them in order to understand their needs and how to meet them.Most parenting guides begin with the question “How can we get kids to do what they're told?” and then proceed to offer various techniques for controlling them. In this truly groundbreaking book, nationally respected educator Alfie Kohn begins instead by asking, “What do kids need—and how can we meet those needs?” What follows from that question are ideas for working with children rather than doing things to them. One basic need all children have, Kohn argues, is to be loved unconditionally, to know that they will be accepted even if they screw up or fall short. Yet conventional approaches to parenting such as punishments (including “time-outs”), rewards (including positive reinforcement), and other forms of control teach children that they are loved only when they please us or impress us. Kohn cites a body of powerful, and largely unknown, research detailing the damage caused by leading children to believe they must earn our approval. That's precisely the message children derive from common discipline techniques, even though it's not the message most parents intend to send. More than just another book about discipline, though, Unconditional Parenting addresses the ways parents think about, feel about, and act with their children. It invites them to question their most basic assumptions about raising kids while offering a wealth of practical strategies for shifting from “doing to” to “working with” parenting—including how to replace praise with the unconditional support that children need to grow into healthy, caring, responsible people. This is an eye-opening, paradigm-shattering book that will reconnect readers to their own best instincts and inspire them to become better parents.

Drawing from hundreds of studies in half a dozen fields, The Brighter Side of Human Nature makes a powerful case that caring and generosity are just as natural as selfishness and aggression. This lively refutation of cynical assumptions about our species considers the nature of empathy and the causes of war, why we (incorrectly) explain all behaviour in terms of self-interest, and how we can teach children to care.

No Contest stands as the definitive critique of competition. Contrary to accepted wisdom, competition is not basic to human nature; it poisons our relationships and holds us back from doing our best. In this new edition, Alfie Kohn argues that the race to win turns all of us into losers.

So why do we continue to administer this modern cod liver oil-or even demand a larger dose? Kohn's incisive analysis reveals how a set of misconceptions about learning and a misguided focus on competitiveness has left our kids with less free time, and our families with more conflict. Pointing to stories of parents who have fought back-and schools that have proved educational excellence is possible without homework-Kohn demonstrates how we can rethink what happens during and after school in order to rescue our families and our children's love of learning.

"Alfie Kohn has a knack for bursting the bubbles that surround just about every school topic imaginable, from putting kids into uniforms to make them behave better to raising kids' self-esteem by rewarding them with stickers and pizza for reading books and doing homework. This collection of previously published essays reminds us that many schools have veered off course in their day-to-day business. And it's a primer that, if taken seriously, can put schools back on the right track." --Educational LeadershipThrough his writings and speeches, Alfie Kohn has been stirring up controversy for years, demonstrating how the conventional wisdom about education often isn't supported by the available research, and illuminating gaps between our long-term goals for students and what actually goes on in schools. Now What to Look for in a Classroom brings together his most popular articles from Educational Leadership, Phi Delta Kappan, and Education Week--and also from The Atlantic Monthly, the Boston Globe, and other publications. From self-esteem to school uniforms, from grade inflation to character education, Kohn raises a series of provocative questions about the status quo in this collection of incisive essays. He challenges us to reconsider some of our most basic assumptions about children and education. Can good values really be instilledin students? What, if anything, lies behind the label of attention deficit disorder? Are there solid data to support our skepticism about watching TV? Might such allegedly enlightened practices as authentic assessment,logical consequences,and Total Quality educationturn out to be detrimental? Whether he is explaining why cooperative learning can be so threatening or why detracking is so fiercely opposed, Kohn offers a fresh, informed, and frequently disconcerting perspective on the major issues in education. In the And, his critical examination of current practice is complemented by a vision of what schooling ought to be. Kohn argues for giving children more opportunity to participate in their own schooling, for transforming classrooms into caring communities, and for providing the kind of education that taps and nourishes children's curiosity. Through all these essays, Kohn calls us back to our own ideals, showing us how we can be more effective at helping students to become good learners and good people.

A groundbreaking approach to parenting by nationally-respected educator Alfie Kohn that gives parents “powerful alternatives to help children become their most caring, responsible selves” (Adele Faber, New York Times bestselling author) by switching the dynamic from doing things to children to working with them in order to understand their needs and how to meet them.Most parenting guides begin with the question “How can we get kids to do what they''re told?” and then proceed to offer various techniques for controlling them. In this truly groundbreaking book, nationally respected educator Alfie Kohn begins instead by asking, “What do kids need—and how can we meet those needs?” What follows from that question are ideas for working with children rather than doing things to them. One basic need all children have, Kohn argues, is to be loved unconditionally, to know that they will be accepted even if they screw up or fall short. Yet conventional approaches to parenting such as punishments (including “time-outs”), rewards (including positive reinforcement), and other forms of control teach children that they are loved only when they please us or impress us. Kohn cites a body of powerful, and largely unknown, research detailing the damage caused by leading children to believe they must earn our approval. That''s precisely the message children derive from common discipline techniques, even though it''s not the message most parents intend to send. More than just another book about discipline, though, Unconditional Parenting addresses the ways parents think about, feel about, and act with their children. It invites them to question their most basic assumptions about raising kids while offering a wealth of practical strategies for shifting from “doing to” to “working with” parenting—including how to replace praise with the unconditional support that children need to grow into healthy, caring, responsible people. This is an eye-opening, paradigm-shattering book that will reconnect readers to their own best instincts and inspire them to become better parents.

Was denken Eltern über ihre Kinder? Was empfinden sie für ihre Kinder? Wie handeln sie?Liebe und Eigenständigkeit ermuntert uns, genau hinzuschauen. Das lohnt sich, denn es gibt einen Weg, unsere Kinder respektvoll und in Liebe zu begleiten. Ein Weg, der uns in einen tiefen und klaren Kontakt mit unseren Kindern bringt und uns sogar über die Zeit der Pubertät hinaus mit unseren Kindern zu verbinden vermag.Doch noch fragen wir uns häufig, wie wir es erreichen können, dass unsere Kinder das tun, was wir von ihnen wollen. Genau hier stecken wir in den Sackgassen gewohnter Erziehungsversuche fest. Alfie Kohn steht uns zur Seite, indem er mit den Mythen und Wunschvorstellungen eingefahrener Erziehungslehren aufräumt und uns an jenen Punkt zurückführt, an dem das Fragen wirklich Sinn macht: "Was brauchen Kinder und wie können wir diese Bedürfnisse erfüllen?"Ein Grundbedürfnis aller Kinder ist es, bedingungslos geliebt zu werden. Zu wissen, dass sie auch dann angenommen sind, wenn sie mal voll aufdrehen oder wenn ihnen etwas misslingt. Übliche Erziehungsmethoden wie Bestrafung oder Belohnung versagen an dieser Stelle. Sie setzen auf Kontrolle und vermitteln unseren Kindern so, dass sie nur dann geliebt werden, wenn sie uns gefallen oder wenn sie uns beeindrucken.Alfie Kohn verweist auf umfassende aber wenig bekannte Forschungsergebnisse, die belegen, welchen Schaden es anrichten kann, Kindern den Eindruck zu vermitteln, sie müssten sich unsere Anerkennung "verdienen". Denn das ist die Botschaft, die den meisten der heute weit verbreiteten Erziehungsmethoden zugrunde liegt - ob wir es wollen oder nicht.Eine Vielzahl praktischer Beispiele rundet Liebe und Eigenständigkeit ab. Sie zeigen uns ganz alltagsbezogen, wie wir mit Kindern zusammenarbeiten können, statt sie nur als Objekte zu behandeln. Sie zeigen uns, wie wir Lob durch bedingungslose Unterstützung ersetzen können - jenes Elixier, das Kinder so sehr brauchen, um zu gesunden, warmherzigen und verantwortungsbewussten Menschen heranzuwachsen.Doch Achtung! Dieses Buch öffnet einem die Augen, erschüttert eingefahrene Denkmuster und hilft uns am Ende, zu unserer eigenen Intuition zurückzufinden und bessere Eltern zu werden.