Discipline Answers

Are young kids developmentally ready to operate on Level D?

On July 16, 2010   /   Discipline Answers, The Raise Responsibilty System  

QUESTION:

As a first grade teacher, I totally agree with DWS being the best way to go.  However, I have some concerns about the developmental readiness of young children to operate on the level of Democracy on the Hierarchy.  I seem to recall from my Ed. Psych. class that this level of behavior was ‘normally’ expected around the teenage years––if at all.

RESPONSE:

I’ve heard this concern raised before and although I haven’t taken psychology courses for many years now, I’m happy to give an opinion based purely on personal experience in the classroom. I teach Grade One too!

Firstly, I feel it’s important to review the definition of what it means to be operating on Level … >>>

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Welcoming a new student

On July 16, 2010   /   Discipline Answers, Positivity, RRSystem in Action  

One day last February we learned that a new boy would be joining our grade one class.  In an effort to be proactive, my teaching partner, Darlene, planned a class meeting the day before he arrived.  She wanted to encourage the students to welcome the new child and she also hoped to avoid a situation with which we’ve had some difficulty in the past.

In previous years when we’ve had a new addition to our class, we’ve sometimes experienced the following problem:  If the new youngster starts to feel anxious and begins to cling to Mom when it’s time for her to leave, we’ve been surprised to see that there have always been one or two other kids in the … >>>

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Isn’t an adult paycheck the same thing as a reward?

On May 25, 2010   /   Rewarding  

QUESTION:

What is a good response to people who argue that extrinsic rewards are okay for students because they’re just the same as an adult getting a paycheck at the end of the week?  When people say this, I cringe.  I know it’s not the same, but I don’t know how to argue the point intelligently.

DR. MARSHALL’S RESPONSE:

Here is what to say:

Employment is a social contract.  A person provides some service for remuneration. The only thing a fee for service has in common with rewards (as acknowledgments or as incentives) is that they both MAY involve legal tender.

When was the last time you looked at your paycheck and thanked your employer for the reward?… >>>

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Books (picture) to introduce the Levels of Development

On March 13, 2010   /   Discipline Answers, Teaching the Hierarchy  

Hierarchy

Here is a list of picture books to introduce the four levels of the Hierarchy of Social Development.
The bold books with the asterisk (*) are the ones I used when I developed and taught the levels.

Level A Books – Anarchy (not acceptable level)
*Miss Nelson Is Missing by Harry Allard and James Marshall
Mean Soup, by Betsy Everitt
Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink, by Diane deGroat
Miss Nelson is Missing, by Harry Allard
We Share Everything, by Robert Munsch
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, by Kevin Henkes
When Sophie Gets Angry Really Really Angry, by Molly G. Bang

Level B Books – Bullying and Bothering (not acceptable level)
*The Three Little Pigs by James Marshall… >>>

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Can I use DWS with Grade 5’s?

On March 13, 2010   /   General Questions  

QUESTION:
Do you feel I can implement this successfully with 5th graders or is it geared more to the lower grades?

RESPONSE:

DWS is very effective with grade fives!

Dr. Marshall first developed this approach for middle and high school students. It’s since been adapted for use with younger students in intermediate and primary grades––although the only real adaptations are in terms of vocabulary.  At every grade level the teacher explains the same four levels, but chooses words that are suited to the age and ability of their particular students.

Choosing appropriate vocabulary to explain DWS concepts would be much like what teachers would naturally do when students learn about any new or challenging topic.  For instance, students … >>>

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Dealing with ADD, ADHD, and ODD

On October 5, 2009   /   Discipline, Special Challenges  

QUESTION:

I was contacted by a reporter from CBS News who was inquiring about the reported increase in oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) ) of students in a major eastern coast city.

The reporter had heard that teachers are having a frustrating time dealing with students who have ADD, ADHD, and now ODD. How can teachers teach, prepare students for high stakes testing, and individualize programs for all their “disordered” students?

RESPONSE:

I informed her that the designation of ODD at one time was referred to as “passive-aggressive” behavior but had been re-designated by the American Psychiatric Association in 1994. In that year, the association published their “DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS – FOURTH EDITION (DSM-IV). This is the … >>>

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Role-playing Level C – It’s a good idea!

On August 26, 2009   /   Discipline Answers, Positivity, RRSystem in Action, The Raise Responsibilty System  

Sherry, a fabulous grade six teacher at my school, mentioned to me one day that when she sees a child operating on Level B in her classroom, she uses the opportunity to do some role-playing.  After she has asked the student to assess the level of their own behavior (and they can accurately assess it as Level B,) she says very respectfully to the child, “Now, would you like an opportunity to try this again––operating at a higher level?”

This week I tried using Sherry’s idea in my grade one classroom.  Here’s one example:

Two boys sat down on the carpet near each other as we were getting ready to read a story. The boys weren’t right beside … >>>

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Isn’t DWS very similar to Love and Logic?

On August 26, 2009   /   Discipline Answers, The Teaching Model  

A response by Claudia Payne, a member of the DWS Mailring:

My school has spent a great deal of money training us on L&L.  Buy DWS.  It includes Jim Fay’s philosophy and is much easier to use since it is a “system” and can be used “publicly” without any demeaning of the student.

When I need to remind students about talking I say (over my microphone) gently, playfully, “Do you need authority?”  They always say, “No.”  I then say lovingly, “Why not?”  They always say, “Because I’m going to stop.”

I have found it tremendously useful to incorporate social time into my lessons by having kids discuss with each other briefly before responding individually for the whole class.

The … >>>

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With all these reflective questions, B students are getting all the attention!

On August 24, 2009   /   Checking for Understanding, Discipline Answers  

QUESTION:

I want to recognize my Level C and D students more but it seems that the B ones are getting all the attention; I keep having to asking them reflective questions!  For example, if they are all squirmy and loud in the hall I have been asking them, “Do you think your behavior is “up here?” (D/C),  or “down here?” (B/A).   Most kids will be honest and say they are “down here.” Then I might say, “What should we do if this problems continues?”  and the child tells me a consequence for their “down here” behavior.  This is  part of the philosophy––right?––eliciting consequences from the students? My fear is that my Level C and D … >>>

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10-15 students are arriving late – every day!

On August 22, 2009   /   Creating desire, Improving Academics, Positivity  

QUESTION:
I am currently in a situation where I am the permanent teacher, taking the place of another teacher. I have been in this position for about 3 weeks now, and I have noticed that many students arrive late every day. Not just one or two but 10-15 students are arriving late to my class! Are there any positive solutions that I could implement right away to alleviate the problem? I am going to hold a class meeting this Monday to ask them how we can solve the problem.  Please help me! I need some guidance and direction in order to alleviate the matter.

DR. MARSHALL’S RESPONSE:
A class meeting is a good start for the students.

But the problem … >>>

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How can procedures be used when students misbehave?

On August 9, 2009   /   Discipline Answers, Guided Choices, Procedures in the Classroom  

QUESTION:

I’m trying to get a handle on this whole concept of guided choices and procedures.  I guess I don’t really understand what a procedure is or how you would use a procedure when a student is misbehaving.  Can you give me an example?

DR. MARSHALL’S RESPONSE:

Teaching procedures is teaching expectations.

Here is an example:

Rather than punishing students for walking down the hallway and talking without permission (against directions), students can be asked for suggestions.  The question can be put to them, “What can you do if you have the urge to talk?”

A student might volunteer, “Tell yourself not to talk.”  The teacher can respond that this is a good plan but will not produce success unless … >>>

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Help! I’m expected to post rules, consequences and rewards!

On July 29, 2009   /   Discipline Answers, General Questions  

QUESTION:

I have a problem.  My entire school district has been requested to update our classroom discipline plans for review by the new superintendent before the end of August.  My principal knows how I feel about the punitive discipline approach used across our district.  Last year he allowed me leeway––I didn’t have to post rules, consequences, rewards. However, with this latest pressure, he told me that I will have to comply with the new superintendent’s wishes.  I am wondering if there’s any way of making DWS “look” like a conventional discipline plan without “being” a conventional plan!

RESPONSE:

Well, it’s tough to take two opposite approaches and make one look like the other, BUT––survival seems key … >>>

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Intermediate/High School – Goal Setting and “The Last Lecture”

On July 19, 2009   /   Connections to Literature, Creating desire, Discipline Answers, For High Schools, For Middle Schools  

Last week I spent an evening with Teresa, an old friend of mine who just happens to be a fabulous grade six teacher at a nearby school.  As it always does, our talk eventually turned to two of our favorite subjects––teaching and whatever good books we’ve read lately!

One thing I always admire about this friend is her ability to take an idea and run with it in the classroom.  She  inspires, elevates and motivates her students!  Teresa often bases interesting lessons for her grade sixes on some little item she’s found in the newspaper, something she’s heard on a radio talk show or something that comes from a good book she is reading herself.  She has a … >>>

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Using Discipline without Stress to deal with an uncooperative student

On July 17, 2009   /   Choice, Discipline Answers, Reflection, Special Challenges  

In our second year of working with Discipline without Stress my teaching partner and I had a student with special needs.  Chronologically he was old enough to be in grade three but emotionally and cognitively, grade one was a much better placement for him.  Here is one experience with this boy that taught me a lot!

****************************************************************************

This past Monday morning when it was time to go to the gym for our regular Monday morning assembly, Casey had a photograph that a parent must  have given him outside; likely it was a snapshot of a birthday party that he had attended recently.  Being focused on the urgency I felt about getting to the assembly on time, I didn’t notice how … >>>

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High School/Adult Book- “Everyday Greatness”

On July 14, 2009   /   Connections to Literature, Discipline Answers  

I recently came across a book from the public library and thought that I’d pass along the title for those who enjoy reading about Level D!

The book is called “Everyday Greatness–Inspiration for a Meaningful Life.”  It’s actually a book of excerpts from Reader’s Digest that have been organized into various themes.  The Table of Contents looks like a list of virtues.  In each theme there is commentary by Stephen Covey and then some related quotes.

I find that I can more easily motivate my students when I feel motivated myself!  Reading stories about individuals who have acted from a place of internal motivation encourages me to think deeply about the value of such behavior.  In turn, this … >>>

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Praising is second nature to me!

On July 8, 2009   /   Acknowledgement, Discipline Answers  

QUESTION:

Today was my first time using DWS in the classroom.  I found it extremely difficult to break the habit of praising kids!  I want to encourage rather than praise, but it just seems that praising is second nature to me.

RESPONSE:

When first trying DWS in the classroom there’s much to think about––so don’t be too hard on yourself!

Remember Dr. Marshall’s advice:  Implement now, perfect later!

Just do your best and as you go along keep reflecting on things you would like to improve or change. You’re already doing this!   Step by step, you’ll start to move in the direction of your goals.

Don’t worry too much about the praise issue in these early days with DWS.  If … >>>

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Intermediate/High School Book- “Letters to a Bullied Girl”

On April 11, 2009   /   Connections to Literature, Discipline Answers, Teaching the Hierarchy  

I’d like to share a new book I recently signed out from my public library.

It’s called Letters to a Bullied Girl; Messages of Healing and Hope by Olivia Gardner with Emily and Sarah Buder.

Book Cover

Just as the title suggests, the book is filled almost entirely with personal letters––presented in an easy-to-read format.  The letters are all addressed to one of the authors, Olivia, expressing messages of encouragement to help Olivia get past the serious issues of bullying that she experienced for several years.

Olivia, now 15, suffers from epilepsy and was bullied relentlessly at school and on the Internet, to the point where she considered taking her own life.  In March of 2007, two sisters read about … >>>

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