Applying Adlerian Theory to Educational Settings
Pryor, D. B. & Tollerud, T. R. (1999). Applications of Adlerian principles in school
settings. Professional School Counseling, 2(4), 299-304.
Adlerian Theory
1. Human beings are social beings and have an insatiable goal to belong, to find a
place in society.
2. Children’s choices and actions taken may be based on faulty assumptions about
themselves and life. Their behavior may appear inappropriate as they attempt to
find significance.
3. Behavior is purposeful.
4. Humans are biased in their perceptions of the world.
5. Children are sensitive to the social atmosphere they are engaged in and will
perform early experiments with it, seeking what they want. Goals are created from
this trial-and-error.
6. Children draw general conclusions early on about the best way to face situations
and problems.
7. Children strive for superiority in order to overcompensate for feelings of
inferiority.
Applying Adler to School Counseling and Education
1. School counselors need to help children develop a positive lifestyle and social
interest.
2. The goal is establishing a positive self-esteem.
3. Children can learn advanced social skills when given the opportunity to belong to
a group.
a. Collaboration between students and counselors, students and educators,
and students and students is extremely important for valuing cooperation
and not competition.
Four Goals of Self-Defeating Behavior
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Misbehavior in the classroom is usually the stem for counseling assistance.
Knowing what the motivation behind self-defeating behaviors is can help
counselors and educators better handle these situations.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Attention getting
Power
Revenge
Compensation for inadequacy experienced by the student.
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Misbehavior is the student’s choice to fulfill a need.
School counselors and teachers should help modify the child’s motivation rather
than focusing on changing the child’s behavior.
Fostering Encouragement and Logical Consequences
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Counselors and teachers can begin the “corrective procedure” of misbehavior by
encouraging this child.
Accept where the child is in that moment (show empathy and respect).
Follow the Three R guideline for establishing logical consequences.
1. Related- Consequences need to be related to what the child has done.
2. Respectful- Punishment is not usually an effective means of discipline because it
can result in the child’s aggression, passiveness, resentfulness, or
uncooperativeness. Rather, counselors and educators should be respectful in
discipline.
3. Reasonable- Consequences and requests by counselors and educators should be
logical and reasonable.
6 Steps to Encouraging and Understanding Children
1. Guess how the child might be feeling. Check with the child to make sure your
guess is correct.
2. Let the child know you understand. You don’t have to agree or condone the
child’s behavior in order to understand.
3. Ask if the child is willing to hear your feelings.
4. Share your feelings in a non-accusing manner.
5. Work with the child on a solution to the conflict.
6. Work on these areas to avoid problems in the future or to correct a present
problem through logical consequences.
How to Create a Democratic Classroom and School System
1. Have order and limits under all circumstances. A group cannot run democratically
without order and rules.
2. Encourage the child to participate in establishing and maintaining rules necessary
for functioning in an orderly group.
3. Counselors and educators need to know how to exert democratic leadership.
4. Have trust and faith in each other and a spirit of cooperation.
5. Win children’s cooperation. As students what they are interested in learning and
encourage active participation. Replace competition with cooperation.
6. Utilize the group for further individual learning.
7. Integrate the class for a common purpose. Counselors and educators should
understand the principles of motivation.
8. Always show encouragement.
9. Have the courage to be imperfect. Model trial-and-error by accepting mistakes,
taking risks, and sharing thoughts about the learning process. Counselors and
educators should be a role model but also be humble enough to admit mistakes
and shortcomings.
Remember the Adlerian Basics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mutual Respect
Choice
Responsibility
Consequences
Belonging