Paul Moor

(07.27.1899 - 08.16.1977), Swiss Remedial teacher

Paul Moor is certainly one of the fathers of special education and was a representative of a valueled education. In his many years of work, he developed among others his theory of "inner strength", which today (unfortunately) hardly found attention, although they are still - or especially - explain many symptoms and problems.

In his estimation, the man of a budget, which results among others from his abilities and skills, his will, his willingness to work hard and its parent goal in life requires. From many different components results in an internal maintenance of man, which enables him to face life with its challenges. "Disability" is defined as a lack of or insufficient MOOR strong hold in the different components.

Where this stop (still) missing, it must be supported by an external maintenance or be replaced - by the special education.

PAUL MOOR deduced from this, among other factors important pedagogical principles:

  1. "We need to understand the child before we educate it ... Wherever a child fails, we do not just have to ask: What do you do against it Educationally important is the question:? What do you do for it should namely for what are could be ... and we never have to educate only the development inhibited child as such, but always also its surroundings ... All who have no inner strength, need people who in turn have an inner strength as external support. This may consist structures, joie de vivre, help with lifestyle and coping with everyday life are made."
  2.  "Not against the error, but for the Missing" "... and it is probably one of the most important principles of special education and stay up to not only fight the symptoms and eliminate quickly (as the doctor in measles not the red spots directly concerned), but to heal the child, by doing everything that he is doing better. “
  3. "Not only the child, his enviroment is to educate"

(Source:. Heilpädagogik Ein Heilpädagogisches Lehrbuch (1st 1965) Huber, Bern [ua] 1974th)

In particular, the phrase "Not against the error, but for the Missing"  is for me not only an option for action, an indication, but an essential form of approach - especially in the company of children and adolescents with "challenging behavior". We are always very quick to conduct. It is important to ask what the child needs, what it lacks in order to behave differently.