Judicious Discipline

“Be Safe. Protect our property. Do your best work. Respect the needs of others.” (Landau & P. Gathercoal,200, p.454)

Forrest Gathercoal

• Professor at Oregon State University

• Experience as a teacher, coach, and high school vice principal

• Author of Judicious Discipline in which he leads workshops around the United States

Key Concepts

• Front-loading Framework, not a management model

• Students have complete freedom in the classroom; except when their behavior interferes with the safety and rights of those around them.

• Democratic classrooms• Based on the U.S Bill of Rights• Freedom, Justice, and Equality• Judicious consequences (No rewards or

punishments!)

Bill of Rights

1st AmendmentFreedom of religion, speech, and/or the press

• 4th AmendmentEquality, protection from search and seizure

• 14th AmendmentJustice through due process of law

Student’s Role

• Students have the freedom to think and act based on their interests

• Through due process, students receive justice• Students receive the opportunity of equality

to learn

Gaining Attention!

• Turn the lights on and off until the students are quiet

• Ring a bell/ Make noise!• Count from 5 to 1- at one the students should

be quiet by when you reach one

6

5..4..3..2..1Silence!

Teacher’s Role

• Be a role model– Must create and post his/her code of ethics

• Develop Judicious Rules as a class• Use judicious consequences

– Must be at the level of the violation– Must be prepared for individual situations and/or students

• Encourage students to become active learners• Do not fear sharing power and control• Student centeredness- in which every solution to a

problem will help the child learn from his/her mistakes

Implementation• Introduce the Bill of Rights and the values of

equality, freedom, and justice• Create an fair and prepared learning environment• Teach students to be leaders• Develop a democratic classroom

How much freedom is enough?

• Do students have the right to wear clothing that is prohibited by the school, due to a religious belief?

• Can I lower a students grade (considered as their “property”) because he/she was late?

• Can I put a child in detention without a due process?

Compelling State Interest

• Property loss/damage– No one has the right to destroy another’s property (including

the school’s property)• Legitimate educational purpose– Educational rules and consequences must be set to ensure

the students’ success• Threat to health and safety– Teachers must ensure the safety of the every child

• Serious disruption of the educational process– Students’ rights can be denied if they disrupt the educational

process

Judicious Discipline

Class Meetings

• Students resolve interpersonal conflicts through an open forum

• Teacher will lead the meeting in order to produce an effective and organized meeting

• Students have the option to participate

• No names can be used, instead you can use “A person who acts this way…”

• Teachers will encourage students to set goals for themselves

Key Terms• Class meetings: open forum to peacefully resolve classroom

conflicts• Code of ethics: ethics by which the educator lives• Compelling state interests: four interest that classroom rules

must meet• Democratic classroom: educational classrooms in which students

know their human rights are protected• Front-loading: Educators develop and introduce the rules and

consequences as a class, cooperatively and peacefully• Judicious consequences: individual consequences that will help

the child understand and learn from the mistake• Justice: due process of law and deals with governmental fairness

Ana Fuentes 15

Activities• Create your own classroom rules or save for

future use in using Judicious Discipline in your classroom

• Judicious Discipline key terms crossword puzzle

Reference

• Manning, M.L, & Bucher, K.T (2007). 0-13-170750-7. New Jersey: PEARSON MERRILL/PRENTICE HALL.

• Clipart from:– http://

www.teacherweb.com/SC/bells/madden/bill_of_rights_poster2.jpg

– http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/