#185. A Humane and Effective Method for Helping Disruptive Students

Psychologist Ross Greene is the originator of the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions model and the non-profit Lives in the Balance.org. He is the author of several books about how teachers and administrators can help children with challenging behavior. The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children, first published in 1998 and now in its sixth edition, introduced parents to an alternative to disciplining their child with rewards and punishments. Parents learn instead to engage their child in together solving the problems that lead to frustration and melt-downs. Lost at School: Why Our Kids with Behavioral Challenges are Falling Through the Cracks and How We Can Help Them, published in 2008, extended the model for the school setting. Ross’s most recent book, The Kids Who Aren’t Okay: The Urgent Case for Reimagining Support, Belonging, and Hope in School, published just last month, provides a persuasive case for school personnel to transition to the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions model in their own school. Ross was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School for 20 years and is currently an adjunct professor at Virginia Teach and also in Sydney, Australia.Recorded 3/31/26.