Biography William GlasserBiography Born in 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio Received BS and MA in clinical psychology Case Western Reserve University and received MD from UCLA Believed problems should be viewed as irresponsible Emphasized maintaining caring relationships Developed Reality Therapy based on his Choice Theory

1) all we do is behave, 2 )almost all behaviour is chosen, and 3)we are driven by our genes to satisfy five basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun. 1) all we do is behave, 2 )almost all behaviour is chosen, and 3)we are driven by our genes to satisfy five basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun.

In Essence... “...the most important need is love and belonging, as closeness and connectedness with the people we care about is a requisite for satisfying all of the needs,” and “Being disconnected is the source of almost all human problems such as what is called mental illness, drug addiction, violence, crime, school failure, spousal abuse...” (William Glasser Institute)

NON-COERCIVE DISCIPLINE

Non-Coercive Discipline States that students should take responsibility for their actions To do this, students and teachers should create student-teacher contracts which allow the student to devise their own goal, plan and solution with minimal direction from the teacher Glasser also does not believe in rewards/ punishments because they are coercive and take away responsibility from the students (teacher- implemented)  Glasser would prefer the students to create their own personal rewards for a job well done

Application in the Classroom Glasser views misbehaviours stemming from 5 basic needs: survival, love/ belonging, freedom, fun and power - He maintains that 95% of all misbehaviour stems from the need for power although love/ belonging he is the most important, as it affects the other needs

As Such... There are 7 Caring Habits that should be used in the classroom: -supporting -encouraging -listening -accepting -respecting -trusting -negotiating differences To deal with misbehaving students... - Avoid past actions and respond to what they are doing, what need they are trying to fulfill through their action, and how they are going to fix it - Then the student and teacher create a contract and agree on solutions to solve the problem

More Helpful Hints Reinforcement and punishment are not part of his reality therapy models He believes that consequences should be natural and not teacher-directed Glasser also believes that punishment is ineffective because it does not allow the student to take responsibility for their actions Glasser is a strong believer in class meetings: a time to calmly discuss issues and create a plan to solve the problems

Glasser and Special Education Glasser believes that the most important basic need is love/belonging. This is especially important for special needs students as they may feel separated from their peers because of modified or accommodated curriculum or other activities. Teachers should be encouraging and should also make use of class meetings to solve any impending problems

Glasser & Behavioural Exceptionalities Students with behavioural exceptions usually have other difficulties and emotional problems that could be caused by the home environment or from a lack of close relationships with other people. Glasser would emphasis his reality therapy for the classroom. This would create a more unified classroom, and the child would feel comfortable enough to share the problems that they are facing. A student-teacher contract would also encourage the child to be responsible and would help them create achievable goals

Sara Porter Sara is doing poorly in school because one of her universal needs isn’t being met, Ms. Mercer is not following the seven caring habits, most notably encouragment By not following Glasser’s seven caring habits, Ms. Mercer could be making Sara feel as though she doesn’t belong in the classroom, which could be leading to her defiant behaviours. To solve this problem, Ms. Mercer should try and follow the Seven Caring traits, as Sara may open up to her about why she has trouble completing following instructions while completing a task. If these traits are used sucessfully, Sara’s basic needs will be met, and this should lessen any undesirable behaviours.

Bibliography “The William Glasser Institute – Home of Choice Therapy.” William Glasser Institute Jan. 2009