The following is a series of statements sent to me and my responses to them. STATEMENT: I’m an elementary character education/physical education teacher and I wanted to share somewhat of a different twist on your system. My biggest struggle was using the letters A, B, C, and D as it is so ingrained in our students that A is “best” and D is “worst.” RESPONSE: The “difficulty” is with perception. There have been numerous posts by people who originally were apprehensive but found that STUDENTS OF ALL AGES had no difficulty understanding the concepts and did not confuse a grading system with the Levels of Development. Letters and vocabulary are always used in context. For example, when do you spell “to”?
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I was recently asked whether or not I am a behaviorist. My response: Behaviorism usually refers to approaches of Pavlov (classical conditioning of stimulus/response) and Skinner (behavior modification by reinforcing behavior AFTER an act occurs). Behavior modification is popular in schools, especially with special education teachers. Unfortunately, MANY RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE APPROACH TO BE INEFFECTIVE. However, its staying power is attested to by an increasing number of states mandating that schools use “positive behavior support” that is based on a behavior modification model. The essence of behavior modification is to REWARD DESIRED BEHAVIOR AND IGNORE UNDESIRED BEHAVIOR. The fact that inappropriate behavior is ignored can send the message that nothing is wrong with the behavior, and so there
READ MORE >>> →One of the things to emphasize in working in the area of discipline is to make heavy use of positive images to influence behavior. This technique is powerful and especially useful for young people who have neurological-based behavior (NBB) challenges. The body, mind, and emotions are fully integrated. Feelings, learning, and physical behavior all work in conjunction with each other and are inseparable. A change in behavior is as much emotion based as it is cognition based—that is, it has as much to do with feelings as with knowledge. The human mind thinks not so much through the use of simple language but through the heavy use of pictures, images, and visions. One of the best ways to influence behavior
READ MORE >>> →In order to significantly improve relationships, focus on UNDERSTANDING the other person, rather than attempting to influence that person. You will find that agreement is often achieved more quickly with this approach. Rather than assuming you know the reasoning behind another person’s viewpoint, ask for an explanation. Air at clarification—rather than influencing. Using this process, the person articulates the reasoning, and you many find that the person’s reasoning is well-worth considering. You may receive an insight about the other person which will assist you in your discussions and understanding of that person. Having the other person feel and believe that his/her reasoning is recognized—not necessarily agreed with—can have a dramatic influence on changing opinion.s More ideas on this topic are available at
READ MORE >>> →Unfortunately, any educators confuse “classroom management” with “discipline.” The essential differences between curriculum, instruction, classroom management, and discipline is important. A clear understanding of the the differences between each assists in teachers’ becoming more effective and efficient in each category. Most importantly, understanding the differences between the four areas can pinpoint the cause of problems. Rules are meant to control, not inspire. They aim at teaching obedience—rather than promoting responsibility. Rules are necessary in games, but between people rules create adversarial relationships due the enforcement mentality. Learn a much more effective approach to promote responsible behavior and reduce discipline problems. Procedures are the key to successful classroom management.
READ MORE >>> →Benjamin Franklin understood that the art of persuasion was to induce the person to influence himself. He knew that persuading others to his point of view took patience and endurance, attributes of self-discipline. He assumed that people are often won over slowly, often indirectly. He believed that if you don’t win the bargain today, go after it again tomorrow—and the next day. Here are some of Franklin’s strategies of persuasion and bargaining: 1. Be clear in your own mind about exactly what you are after. 2. Do your homework so that you are fully prepared to discuss every aspect and respond to every question and comment. 3. Be persistent. Don’t expect to “win” the first time. The first objective should
READ MORE >>> →I often come across articles about how an incompletely developed brain accounts for poor self-discipline, irresponsible behavior, and emotional problems of teenagers. It is true that teenagers, by virtue of their hormonal changes, are prone to be emotionally volatile, unpredictable, self-absorbed, and hypersensitive. However, the IMMATURE BRAIN that supposedly causes teen problems is nothing less than a myth. Most of the brain changes that are observed during the teen years lie on a continuum of changes that takes place over much of our lives. In addition, some of these myths are based on studies of brain activity of teens as compared to adults. But snapshots of brain activities have nothing to do with causation. A person's emotions, such as stress,
READ MORE >>> →Among the recommendations by the Commission on No Child Left Behind, a blue-ribbon panel assembled by the Aspen Institute (a non-partisan think tank), is a call to assess teachers "by their effectiveness in raising student achievement." Under the proposal a student's achievement would count for no less than half of a teacher's score. Teachers would have to remain above the bottom 25% of teachers in their state to remain in good standing. These teachers would have seven years to move out of the bottom quarter. After two years, they would have to get training, and after three, the principal would have to write a letter notifying parents that their children's teacher is struggling to meet "highly qualified and effective" criteria.
READ MORE >>> →Rules are meant to control, not to inspire. Rules are necessary in games. Between people, however, rules result in adversarial relationships because rules require enforcement. In addition, rules are often stated in negative terms and imply an imposed consequence if not followed. With young people, rules place the adult in the position of an enforcer—a cop wearing a blue uniform with copper buttons, rather than of a teacher, coach, mentor, facilitator of learning, or educator. Enforcing rules can result in power struggles that rarely result in win-win situations or good relationships. Upon analysis, you will see that rules are either procedures or expectations. Rather than relying on rules, therefore, you will be much more effective if you teach procedures, which
READ MORE >>> →Little children come to school filled with curiosity. They are endlessly asking “why?” questions in an attempt to find meaning and make connections. Somewhere around grade four they stop asking, “Why?” and begin to ask, “Will this be on the test?” These two questions—more than any other observation that could be made—indicate the change in learning. The “Why?” question is an internally motivated curiosity question; the “Will this be on the test?” is a conformity question to the system. It is essential for a civil society to follow ordinances and laws and conform to societal expectations. It is a necessary part of the culture. However, in order for a DEMOCRATIC society to flourish, the VALUES OF THE CULTURE must be
READ MORE >>> →An article in the January 11, 2008 issue of the Los Angeles Times indicates that research suggests long days and heavy workloads can affect an instructor’s ability to discipline and manage a classroom. The headline of the article is, “Teachers’ stress linked to preschool expulsions.” The article was well written. However, the research suggests only the obvious. It does not deal with the prime reason for the expulsions and stress of teachers or the stress of the youngsters. Anyone, and that includes very young people, behave for a purpose. That purpose is either related to something the person wants or something the person wants to avoid. Simply stated, the young people who were expelled were operating in a manner to
READ MORE >>> →Promoting Responsibility & Learning – Volume 8 Number 1
#1 Likeability
#3 The art of influence
#5 Special education resources
It’s so easy to embrace the negative. In my seminars I pose the following situation: Suppose your supervisor asks you to stop by the office before leaving for the day. I then ask people to respond by a raise of hands as to how many immediately engage in negative self-talk, e.g., “What did I do wrong?” The raised hands are unanimous. But the negative assumption doesn’t have to be created. Consciously or not, this negative self-talk is our own imposition. Compartmentalize it. The supervisor may have a positive communication. Since the subject of the conversation is unknown at the time, a wrong assumption may prompt undue stress. As an elementary, middle, and high school principal, I engaged in a self-argument:
READ MORE >>> →What do you do when you have a negative experience? Imagine the brain as a large ship. If a leak occurs in the floating vessel, the vessel immediately compartmentalizes the area of the leak to prevent the leak from sinking the entire ship. This is necessary because it may take some time before the ship returns to port to repair the damages. This concept of compartmentalization can help when we encounter a negative situation, stimulation, or urge. When we have a negative experience—be it with a significant other, a child, a parent, a member of the family, or a fellow worker—COMPARTMENTALIZE IT. Set it aside. Isolate it. Deal with it later when you are in port and in a better
READ MORE >>> →Practitioners of the Raise Responsibility System (Roman Numeral III of the Discipline Without Stress Teaching Model) understand that the only part of the system students need to understand are the four levels of personal and social development. Lower levels A and B are unacceptable, whereas the higher levels C and D are both acceptable. Also, the significant difference between level C and level D is in the motivation. The motivation for level C is “EXternal,” whereas the motivation for level D is “INternal.” Two examples I use in my seminars are (1) asking a teenager at home to make the bed before going to school and (2) asking a student in a classroom to pick up the trash. In the
READ MORE >>> →There is a common confusion that classroom behavior and motivation are closely related. However, responsible behavior does not necessarily prompt motivation to learn. The data suggest that 50% of teachers leave the profession within five years because of poor student behavior. But control and compliance in behavior do not create a climate of academic achievement. We prepare teachers to teach reading, writing, arithmetic and other useful skills and worthwhile information leading to knowledge—and, hopefully, wisdom. Unfortunately, teachers are not taught that which is most essential when first entering the classroom: How to motivate for responsible behavior AND motivate students to want to put forth effort in their learning. As I often demonstrate in a simple exercise in my seminars to
READ MORE >>> →Information may prompt people to think, but illustrations prompt people to remember. If you want people to remember, touch an emotional chord by painting a picture, relating an experience, or telling a story. There is a greater chance of the learning staying in long-term memory using these approaches than when only focusing on information. If you have ever listened to a professional speaker or a good sermon, you will notice that the most often used pattern is to make a point and then tell a story. Sharing information without dressing it with some clothing just slips out of short-term memory. The brain thinks in pictures, not in words. Dress the information by painting a picture, and learning will be enhanced.
READ MORE >>> →Studies suggest that smiling makes people appear more attractive, kinder and, by some accounts, easier to remember. All smiles share something in common: an emotional foundation. Depending upon what the emotion is, the brain sends different instructions to the face. The areas in instigating a polite, or voluntary, smile (the kind exchanged with a bank teller, for example) are not the same ones involved in a more emotional smile (such as the kind that emerges on seeing a loved one or hearing a funny joke). However, regardless of what prompts a smile, the results are the same. Both you and the recipient are prompted to have good feelings. Dr. Dale Anderson, M.D. prescribes smiling and even laughing a few minute
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