Like many of my Kindergarten students, I’m concerned about Damian because he doesn’t have an adequate vocabulary or many expressive oral language skills. His articulation when speaking is also extremely poor; he’s missing a very large number of top teeth (as a result of years of excessive sugar in his diet.) I’ve noticed that when he can’t find or clearly say the words he needs to communicate, he resorts to hitting or kicking to get his points across. In fact, after just a week in school, we had to make alternate arrangements for him at lunch playtime so that his opportunities for getting into trouble would be fewer. Damian now goes to the Resource Room for supervised play time and … >>>
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QUESTION (Part One):
I’ve heard you say “The person who asks the questions controls the conversation.” However, I have a child in my first grade class this year who refuses to answer any of my reflective questions.
DR. MARSHALL’S RESPONSE:
Try:
If you are not happy and would like me to help you, let me know what you would like me to do. There is no hurry; take your time. I’ll be here to help you when you want me to help.”
If you would like me to help you find a friend, let me know.
If you want to talk to me alone, just let me know.
QUESTION (Part Two):
Since he does not respond, I eventually feel forced … >>>
READ MORE >>> →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 … >>>
READ MORE >>> →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 … >>>
READ MORE >>> →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!
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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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First posted on the Teachers.net site. Permission was granted from the author to re-post here:
6th and 7th graders are very impulsive creatures — they have been taught to be impulsive by adults. Don’t believe it? Just go to a teacher training session and observe how the teachers behave while the speakers are presenting! As a society we have become more impulsive, less respectful and less willing to listen to others. Just watch the adults, who come, presumably, to watch a student performance at school; they often talk right through it!
So, I guess my point is that until students are taught and learn self control, are disciplinary consequences really the answer? Is giving them Detention Hall going to … >>>
READ MORE >>> →Throughout this summer, I’ve been emailing back and forth with one teacher in my province who wants to learn how the reading program my partner and I have developed, works in our grade one classroom. She is also quite interested in a program our K-6 school has instituted called “The Whole School Read,” in which every class reads for the first 30 minutes of the day and parents are encouraged to join us as helpers.
She recently asked me the question posted below and I share my response here because it includes an explanation of how this discipline approach can be used to help children take responsibility for their own behavior by understanding the concept of Choice-Response Thinking. In … >>>
READ MORE >>> →The more I use the Discipline without Stress approach, the more I appreciate that Step One of Dr. Marshall’s Teaching Model is key to the whole plan.
We’ve just started a series of swimming lessons at our local Community Center for all the primary students in our school. This year I decided to be more proactive than in previous years. Instead of just talking for a couple of minutes–just prior to getting on the bus on the first day–about what behavior is expected at the swimming pool, I decided to plan for a time to discuss it the day before.
As soon as I really started thinking to myself in an organized way about what procedures we would need … >>>
READ MORE >>> →QUESTION:
I once had a grade 8 student who said, “It doesn’t matter what level I say I’m on, you’re always going to find a way to tell me that I’m on an unacceptable level.”
I’m wondering what a teacher might say in response to something like that?
RESPONSE from Tammy, shared on the DWS Mailring:
I’d probably ask, “Can you show me, then, how the behavior fits into a higher level?… >>>
READ MORE >>> →QUESTION:
Dr. Marshall says that we should teach students that in this system of discipline, operation on Levels A and B “automatically invites the use of authority” by the teacher. My students understand that continued operation on the lower levels will result in the use of authority. They see this as a good reason for raising the level of their behavior to something higher.
Now I’m wondering: Is there anything that “automatically” accompanies behavior on Levels C and D?
RESPONSE:
Yes! Firstly, it should be understood that operation on any one of the four levels of the Hierarchy is accompanied by logical and predictable results related to:
• self-esteem and;
• the quality of relationships that are created with authority … >>>
QUESTION:
I have an ADHD student in my class who takes up at least a third of my time.I’m not sure if this would be part of the DwStress approach, but I have decided that from now on he will go to the In-School Discipline Room whenever he is disrupting my class. I feel that the essays and self-referrals are not working and that the best thing for the rest of my students is to get this child out of the room when he is disruptive.
DR. MARSHALL’S RESPONSE:
EXACTLY! It is simply not fair to other students or parents to allow this student to disrupt everyone else’s learning. His staying in your class is CONTINGENT upon his acting on … >>>
READ MORE >>> →QUESTION:
Language is my biggest stumbling block. I know what I want to say but on the spur of the moment I often find it hard to put into words. As I develop new habits with this discipline approach, I sometimes feel a bit tongue-tied. Can you give me some examples of questions that don’t sound manipulative or coercive.
RESPONSE:
Developing new habits can be a challenge at first, but remember that any skill gets easier with practice! There are many questions in Dr. Marshall’s book that can be used to prompt reflection (pages 19-20.)
It’s important to remember that tone of voice is very important when asking questions, so as to avoid any sense of sarcasm or coercion.
Here … >>>
READ MORE >>> →QUESTION:
I have used Discipline without Stress for about five or six years now and plan to continue to do so in the fall with my new Grade 3 class. I will be getting a student with Asperger’s Syndrome, who has a full time E.A. From what I understand, much of his day is based on rewards of some kind, such as time on the computer. If you have used the levels of responsibility with a student who is extremely emotional, yet quite high functioning, please post your ideas and advice.
REPSONSES from members of the Discipline without Stress mailring:
I have used Discipline without Stress for about 4 years now. During that time I’ve had at least 3-4 kids
… >>> READ MORE >>> → QUESTION:
I have a 3rd grade student who is demonstrating increasingly disruptive behaviors. I have all kinds of support with him – my principal, school counselor, behavioral specialist – we’re all involved, every day. This boy can work elsewhere when he can’t manage in the classroom. My question is this: How do I teach the other students that it’s better for them to ignore this student’s behavior than to be an audience or worse yet, play along? I need some “choice words” to really explain it and underscore the importance of this.
They did a great job today and I complimented them on doing so after the student had been removed from the room. A couple of them asked me … >>>
READ MORE >>> →QUESTION:
I don’t understand how the teaching of procedures can be used in a discipline situation. Can you give me an example?
RESPONSE:
Having used Discipline without Stress for several years now, I understand the importance of teaching procedures at the start of the school year. Even so, I still find that I sometimes forget this important step in my teaching and then suffer the consequences. Luckily though, I also know how Dr. Marshall would suggest remedying such a situation. He would suggest backtracking–to teach the procedures that I should have taught in the first place! Here is an example of one such impromptu “lesson” which turned out to be extremely helpful for the remainder of the school year.
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READ MORE >>> →QUESTION:
I am a student teacher in a 1st grade class. Love the kids but I have a really hard time getting them to listen during our morning meeting time! At least three are ADD but some are just immature.
The kids seem to enjoy the activities and greetings I present but their inattention creates discipline problems–and it’s driving me nuts! The classroom teacher has a green/yellow/red card discipline plan that I’ve threatened to use and I did send one jumpy kid back to his desk because he was disturbing us. Any other suggestions?
RESPONSE:
My first suggestion is to take care of classroom management–that’s PART I of the Discipline without Stress Teaching Model. Perhaps your students have never … >>>
QUESTION: School has been in session for just two weeks. This is my first year of using the Discipline without Stress approach. Already I find myself completely overwhelmed with discipline and behavior issues. I’m actually feeling quite a bit of stress about discipline! What should I do? DR. MARSHALL’S RESPONSE: Revisit the four-part Discipline without Stress Teaching Model. Many so-called “discipline problems” can be avoided altogether by proactively teaching classroom procedures. Go back and pretend it’s the first day of school. Start teaching procedures for everything–don’t assume students know how to do anything. Process precedes product. Teaching procedures comes before attempting to teach anything else. Teach an attention management signal: Raise a hand, count, give me five, clap … >>>
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