DISCIPLINE WITH DIGNITYBy Kimberly and Sean

Important Theorists

Richard Curwin Allen Mendler

Former 7th Grade Teacher

Doctorate of Education from University of Massachusetts

Psychological Consultant Educational Consultant Psychotherapist Chief Crazy Horse Award

First Theorists to address violence, hostility, and aggression in schools

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

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.