Discipline Without Stress Newsletter – June 2005

Volume 5 Number 6

IN THIS ISSUE:

 1. Welcome

 2. Promoting Responsibility

 3. Increasing Effectiveness

 4. Improving Relationships

 5. Promoting Learning

 6. Implementing The Raise Responsibility System:

    How Your School Can Implement the System

   Your Questions Answered

    Free Mailring/User Group

    Impulse Management Posters and Cards

 A Comment about the RAISE RESPONSIBILITY SYSTEM

 About the Book: DISCIPLINE Without STRESS


1. WELCOME


It’s nice to travel; it’s

good to return home.

My speaking at a private school and at two teacher training universities in

Beijing and Kunming, China last month was as

culturally informative as my previous presentations in Japan, Korea, and

Malaysia.

Construction in Beijing is

explosive in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games. The mix of an emerging

capitalistic

economic system with a communist political system challenges traditional

thinking.

As a former teacher of

comparative religions, I was also interested in the practices of Buddhism,

Confucianism, and Doaism/Toasim. All three originated as philosophies to

practice but are now observed as religions. Many temples

have statues devoted to all three founders (Siddhartha Gautama, Confucius, and

Lao Zi, respectively) side by side,

and it is not uncommon to see all three religions practiced by the same person.

Two factoids may be of

interest to Westerners. Chinese temples and other buildings have a step or stair

at their

entrances. This emanates from the belief that “evil spirits” cannot climb or

walk up stairs, and a reason that buildings

have curled up corners on their rooftops is to reflect “evil spirits” off and

away.

The People’s Republic of

China is the world’s most populist nation with 1.2 billion people and more than

50 ethnic

groups. About 80 percent live in rural areas. Mandarin is the official

dialect–but with many others spoken, such as

Cantonese in Hong Kong. Although the written language is universal throughout

the country, the spoken language is

“tonal.” Meanings are conveyed by voice inflection, so people in different parts

of the country have a challenging

time conversing. English is taught as a second language.

Chinese education emphasizes

– learning to know

– learning to do

– learning to live together

– learning to be

Decorum, politeness, and hygiene are emphasized.

The Chinese government is

making a concerted attempt to upgrade and improve both its teacher training

universities and public schools. A major problem is that, after being exposed to

urban life during college training, very few graduates want to return to their

rural roots.

On a personal note, during

dinner with the Beijing publisher of my book, I learned that in only five months

the book had

become their second best seller. The Chinese translation of 8000 copies of the

book is now in its second printing.

I presume that the Raise

Responsibility System complements Chinese society because the hierarchy explains

the necessity

of level C (following expectations for a civil society), yet has level D as a

higher motivational level. Level D indicates the DESIRE to do what is

expected–rather than to fit in or to please others.

The following communication

may be of interest:

I’m Chinese. I’m a teacher

of English in a key school in

Beijing, China. Besides teaching English, I’m also the

home teacher of a class. It has always been a headache to

keep the class in a good order every day before I used

your social behavior hierarchy. After studying the

hierarchy, my students have changed a lot. They are eager

to reach Level D. They evaluate their behavior every day.

Even the naughtiest boy in class is now trying his best to

make progress. Although there are still some problems with

students, I can see hope now. I know they are making a

great effort to improve themselves. Being a home teacher

is not so hard as before. Thank you for your great idea,

which has brought happiness to my teaching career.

Best wishes

Linda Nan Lee

Beijing No.80 Middle School


Recommended summer reading

for teachers:

“The Queen of Education: Rules for Making School Work” by LouAnne Johnson–whose

real life story was the source for

“Dangerous Minds,” the 1995 box office hit starring Michelle Pfeiffer.


2. PROMOTING  RESPONSIBILITY


Acknowledgments encourage and motivate. They serve to give recognition

without the disadvantages to giving praise.

Praise has a price. It implies a lack of acceptance and worth when the youth

does not behave as the adult wishes.

Using a phrase which starts with, “I like . . .” encourages a young person to

behave IN ORDER TO PLEASE THE ADULT (level

C). By contrast, acknowledgments affirm while fostering self-satisfaction for

future level D motivation.

Notice the difference in the following examples: “I am so pleased with the

way you treated your brother,” versus “You

treated your brother with real consideration.” “I like the way you are working,”

versus “Your working shows good

effort.” “I’m so proud of you for your grades,” versus “Your grades show you are

doing well.”

Two characteristics usually determine whether the comment is one of praise or

one of acknowledgment. The first is that

praise often starts with a reference to oneself: “I am so proud of you for . . .

.” or “I like the way . . . .” The

second is that praise is patronizing. If you would not make the comment to an

adult, then think twice before making it

to a youth–unless you want to promote obedience rather than responsibility.

The point is not that praise should never be used but that an acknowledgment

engenders more positive feelings than

praise and, therefore, is a more effective motivator for influencing future

behavior.


3. INCREASING
EFFECTIVENESS


Practicing something new may be simple–but often not easy. The reason is

that any change feels different and,

therefore, a little uncomfortable. We usually do those things which feel

comfortable–rather than uncomfortable.

We know that practice makes perfect–assuming the practice is practiced

correctly, and we know that visualizations

assist in increasing effectiveness. However, a third approach complements both

practice and visualization for even greater effectiveness. I am referring to

incantations that engage not only your physiology and neurology but also engage

your feelings.

For example, assume you are in the habit of TELLING your child (student,

spouse, employee) what to do. You would like

to start posing reflective questions so that ownership will belong to the other

person you want to influence. To assist you in forming and using the new habit

of ASKING, you will find yourself more effective and comfortable in achieving

your objective if you first articulate it out loud to yourself and rehearse it

by moving your arms in an outstretched, open gesture–smiling as you ask and

hearing yourself asking instead of telling. Engaging your mind, mouth, tongue,

vocal chords, body, and emotions more

effectively activates new neural connections.

Remember that consistency empowers. Use the incantation regularly until it

becomes your default approach–which will

become more comfortable.


4. IMPROVING RELATIONSHIPS


Think us rather than me.


5. PROMOTING LEARNING


“LEADERSHIP” is the journal of the Association of California School

Administrators (ACSA), the U.S.A.’s largest

association of school administrators for any state. The theme of the May/June

issue is, “HOW TO CHAMPION A POSITIVE

LEARNING CLIMATE.”

My article in LEADERSHIP is entitled, “PROMOTING POSITIVITY, CHOICE, AND

REFLECTION:

These Three Simple Practices Can Make School A Place Where Teachers and Students

Want To Be.”


6. Implementing the RAISE
RESPONSIBILITY SYSTEM


How a school can conduct its own in-house staff development is described at

http://marvinmarshall.com/In_House_Package.html.

Details for implementation are described on the next link at

http://marvinmarshall.com/in-housedetails.html.

Topics include differences between classroom management and

discipline, three principles to practice, the three parts of

the RRSystem, and how the RRSystem can be used to

raise academic achievement.


QUESTION:

I have recently been researching your system and it sounds pretty impressive. I

was looking for studies that prove your

system works, but unfortunately I have found none. The only thing I can find is

testimonies from teachers posted on your

web site. Would you be able to tell me where I can find some other sources that

prove your system works (if there are

any).

Thank you..

RESPONSE

Testimonials themselves are validations that the system works:

http://marvinmarshall.com/testimonials.htm

The increasing number of subscribers to the monthly newsletter–archived at

http://marvinmarshall.com/newsletter/index.htm, the increasing number of

Raise Responsibility System mailring users at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RaiseResponsibilitySystem, and the fact that

this month the book is going into its fourth 10,000 printing should give

sufficient indication that something must be working.

The first question that needs to be addressed is whether or not what I advocate

is being implemented. If the practices

below are not implemented (in a classroom or school), the assessment would not

be valid.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT:

1. Teaching procedures, practicing them, and then reinforcing them. In other

words, does the teacher practice good classroom management–or are rules and

assuming students know how and what to do the prime sources of reliance?

THREE PRINCIPLES TO PRACTICE

2. Does the teacher communicate in POSITIVE terms to encourage students–or are

the communications

forthcoming in a way that immediately prompts negative feelings and becomes

counterproductive to success?

3. Does the teacher always give the student CHOICES–preferably three?

4. Does the teacher ask questions that prompt REFLECTION and self-evaluation?

RAISE RESPONSIBILITY SYSTEM (Teaching, Asking, Eliciting)

5. Have the students learned the ABCD levels of social development? (TEACHING)

6. Has the teacher prompted reflection in a NONCOERCIVE manner to have students

identify the level of chosen behavior using the ABCD hierarchy? (ASKING)

7. If disruptions continue, did the teacher ELICIT a procedure or consequence to

assist in redirecting

future impulsive behaviors–or does the teacher impose punishment, which

immediately engenders adversarial relationships?

MOTIVATION FOR LEARNING

8. Does the teacher use the hierarchy to promote a DESIRE to have students put

forth effort for learning?

http://marvinmarshall.com/hierarchy.htm

According to the 2003 American Association of Retired Persons’ Education

Community Study, “Exodus: A Study of Teacher Retention in America,” the biggest

challenges facing current teachers are: (1) motivating students to learn and (2)

keeping classroom discipline.

I guarantee that these two areas are most effectively accomplished by following

what is described above and at

http://marvinmarshall.com/in-housedetails.html.


You can post questions and learn more about the system at the free user group

(mailring support) at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RaiseResponsibilitySystem


IMPULSE MANAGEMENT POSTERS and CARDS


Learning a procedure for responding appropriately to impulses is described on

the Impulse Management link at

http://marvinmarshall.com/impulsemanagement.html


A Comment about THE RAISE RESPONSIBILITY SYSTEM


“We use your program to accurately evaluate the school’s

hallways, cafeteria, transition times, and recesses. My

students are incredibly empowered at the young age of five.”

Veronica Rideaux

Kindergarten Teacher and New Teacher Mentor

Verde Elementary School, Richmond, CA


   WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE BOOK:

   “DISCIPLINE WITHOUT STRESS, PUNISHMENTS OR REWARDS

   How Teachers and Parents Promote Responsibility & Learning”


DESCRIPTIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS AND THREE SECTIONS ONLINE –

A descriptive Table of Contents, three sections (Classroom Meetings,

Collaboration for Quality Learning, and Reducing Perfectionism),

plus additional items of interest are posted at:

http://www.DisciplineWithoutStress.com.

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