1. Discipline with dignity
By Kimberly and Sean
Discipline with dignity

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

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

7. 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

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

9. 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.

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

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

12. 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.

13. 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.

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

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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.

19. 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.