Discipline with dignity By Kimberly and Sean Discipline with dignity

Important Theorists Allen Mendler Richard Curwin First Theorists to address violence, hostility, and aggression in schools Former 7th Grade Teacher Doctorate of Education from University of Massachusetts Psychological Consultant Educational Consultant Psychotherapist Chief Crazy Horse Award Chief Crazy Horse Award is an esteemed award given for reaching discouraged youth.

Beliefs Democratic Student-centered Based on Four Basic Philosophical Foundations Student centered and emphasizes student’s dignity, self-esteem, and overall well-being. Democratic Atmosphere Teachers need to avoid authoritarian stances Responsibility model rather than obedience model

Student Centered Emphasizes the student’s dignity, self- esteem, and overall well being. Teachers: convey a sense of warmth demonstrate caring attitude greet students at door share moments of appreciation embrace student interests and concerns Use humor appropriately

Democratic Atmosphere Students involved in process of making classroom rules and guidelines for behavior in addition to proposing consequences or corrective actions if their rights are violated. Students help develop expectations for the teacher. Responsibility is learned when teachers give students opportunities to make choices and experience consequences.

Avoid Authoritarian Stance Teachers are not autocratic In other disciplines , teachers demand obedience Teachers believe students owe them obedience

Responsibility vs. Obedience Students accept responsibility for appropriate behavior rather than adults demanding and receiving obedience Emphasis should be on long-term behavior improvement rather than short-term fixes

Important Terminology Healthy Classrooms Long-term Efforts Responsibility Social Contracts Ineffective Things Obedience Short-term Efforts Zero-tolerance Policies

Healthy Classrooms Are warm and inviting, neat and clean, organized, uncluttered and not over decorated. Students have more confidence in themselves in a good environment.

Long-term Efforts - Involve teaching self-discipline in an effort to promote long-term changes in student behavior.

Responsibility Teaching students to look ahead, see their options and anticipate consequences. From these insights they can choose the best path.

Social Contracts - Define what is acceptable and unacceptable before misbehavior. Spell out procedure to follow when rules are broken so that the rules are understood before they break them. Developed together with students to give them a sense of ownership in the classroom.

Ineffective Things - Continuing to try the same methods when they’re not working. Maybe they work with most students but are ineffective with a few. Maybe they used to work. Perhaps they are things like reinforcements that backfire and lead to worse behavior. i. e. detention or ISAP for students who don’t care.

Obedience - According to Mendler this means “do not question and certainly do not be different.”

Short-term Efforts Imposed discipline that looks for a quick fix on behavioral problems. Can lead to increases of those same problems in the long- term.

Zero-tolerance Policies - Meant to be simple to understand, tough, and set high standards. They were to improve safety and eliminate violence. However, because they treat everyone the same without regarding circumstances they are inherently unfair.

Classroom Situations: Seven Principles of Teacher Behavior Teachers use long term efforts to change behaviors rather than short term efforts Teachers stop doing ineffective things Teachers think, “I will be fair, and I won’t always treat everyone the same” Teachers make rules that make sense Teachers model what they expect Teachers believe responsibility is more important that obedience Teachers always treat students with dignity Teachers address problem behaviors through dignity, hope, healthy classrooms, social contracts, consequences, and power struggles Teachers do NOT: Keep track of offenses and consequences, look for causes of misbehavior, look for quick fixes for behavior problems Teachers MUST: be willing to consider the effectiveness of teaching and management, be willing to change what does not work Mendler believes that students might be more emotionally healthy if teachers would place as much emphasis on caring for and about others as they do on achieving high scores on high stakes tests. To help students feel valued and cared for, teachers can do fairly simple things to connect with them personally, socially, and academically. Personal connections include the following: Let each student know that he or she is noticed and is as important as the principal, teacher, or the curriculum Allow students to make decisions for themselves instead of telling them everything and structuring their lives. Greet students at door with a welcoming smile Ask students what they think, believe, want, and expect Sit with students at lunch and let them know you think they are special Social connections include: Focus on the school and classroom as a community of learners who are concerned about each other, help each other, and plan together Involve students through peer and cross-age tutoring Have students bring extra pencils and paper to class so students who forget will have access to materials Help less-organized students learn organization skills Academic connections: Value students’ thoughts, problem-solving abilities, and the efforts that put forth as they seek to succeed Help students avoid feelings of failure by building more on strengths and by minimizing weaknesses Provide opportunities for students to take advantage of brain-compatible learning, learning styles, and multiple intelligences Show appreciation for effort as well as achievement

Pros: Emphasizes caring and empathy, rather than control and dispassion. Student-centered. Worries more for student rights and dignity. Focuses on preventative measures. Encourages picking your battles. Focus only on the real problem behaviors. Can help the at-risk student, rather than ostracize.

Cons: Allows for more blame on the part of the school and teacher for misbehavior. May overemphasize self-discipline. Students do not always choose the path that is best for them. Requires strong leadership on the part of the teacher to succeed. Requires a lot of work on the part of the teacher. It’s not a simple approach to classroom discipline.