It is counterproductive to give tangible rewards to young people for doing things that they should be doing. This belief was reinforced by the following e-mail I received from someone who had just subscribed to my free monthly newsletter, Promoting Responsibility & Learning. “I found out about you from another teacher who told me about your website. I called and got info on the phone about signing up for the newsletter. I also ordered your book from Amazon. “I had a situation this year that I did not know how to deal with. I had a very bright class who were lazy. Usually I am a very motivational teacher and do not use bribes. However, this class had been so
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Karen Klein, the bus supervisor in Greece, New York has recently been in the headlines since a student videoed her being bullied by some middle school students and then posted it on the Internet. The video went viral. The media has been clamoring for the involved students to be punished. What form should the punishment take? The usual approach is to have punishment imposed. In this way discipline standards will be maintained. However, a more effect approach is to ELICIT the punishment. Having the person or people involved will have them committed to responsible behavior. The reason is that when punishment is imposed, future motivation will be based on fear. Having young people committed to responsible behavior is far more effective than
READ MORE >>> →Myron Tribus states that there is no such thing as immaculate perception—that what you see is what you thought before you looked. This is particularly the case regarding stereotyping and perceptions, especially about ourselves. If a student receives a below average score on a test, the self-talk may be, “I’m just not good in this subject.” On the other hand, the self-talk can be, “I guess I’ll have to study more next time.” The difference is in the student’s perception. A similar situation can be with stereotyping oneself. For example, a woman who believes that women do worse than men in math will tend to perform less well on math tests as a result. Notice that this comparison was made between men
READ MORE >>> →A common confusion of teachers and school leaders is that classroom management and motivation are the same. Successful classroom management does not create motivation to learn. More and more teachers complain about the apathy of students to put forth effort in their learning. However, a teacher can have the most effective classroom management but still not prompt student effort. The reason is that classroom management has nothing to do with student motivation. Classroom management has to do with what the teacher does—specifically, the procedures taught, practiced, and reinforced to ensure that students understand how to implement what has been taught. Motivation, in contrast to making instruction efficient, is about making instruction effective. What does the teacher do to create interest,
READ MORE >>> →Kids who can control their impulses do better in school. It is common for people to believe that intelligence plays the key role in children’s academic achievement. However, a study by Pennsylvania University researchers found that the ability to self-regulate—to pay attention to a task and inhibit impulsive behavior—was more important than intelligence for early academic success. A child’s ability to monitor his or her thinking and behavior develops rapidly during school. Parents who are interested in boosting their children’s school readiness should engage them in some activities that involve taking turns, paying attention for sustained periods, and for prompting them to reflect on their self-control. One procedure that can be practiced to help in impulse control is explained in
READ MORE >>> →Promoting Responsibility & Learning – Volume 12 Number 6
#5 Learning and standardized tests
#6 Parenting and zipping the lip
#7 Discipline Without Stress with at-risk students
After much practice, students at a New York City school were informed that they would not be allowed to sing “God Bless the U.S.A.” at a school performance. As far as can be determined, the school administration’s position was that, since there are so many different cultures represented at the school, some students would take offense at the lyrics: God Bless The USAby Lee Greenwood If tomorrow all the things were gone, I’d worked for all my life,And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom, and they can’t take that away. Hey! And I’m proud to be an American where at
READ MORE >>> →At a presentation in St. Louis yesterday, June 12, 2012, I was asked a question about having hard evidence for the success of “Discipline Without Stress.” In order to accurately assess the program, it is necessary to validate that all parts of the system be implemented. Specifically, I. Did the teacher model, teach, and reinforce procedures? (the essence of good classroom management) Or did the teacher ASSUME students knew what to do? This is one of the most common mistakes of teachers. II. A. Was the teacher positive in communications with students? II. B. Did the teacher stop coercion and empower students with choices? II. C. Did the teacher ask reflective questions to prompt change? III. A. Did the teacher teach
READ MORE >>> →A teacher who still subscribes to the newsletter but changed her subscription from her school to her home e-mail address, informed me of the reason for the change. She wrote, “I still subscribe at my home e-mail; however, my school is totally into PBIS and therefore, I have to follow that program.” Thousands of teachers in the United States are in this same situation. I understood her dilemma. I shared with her what others are doing to implement BPIS while using DWS. PBIS does NOT mandate that the TEACHER is the one who MUST reinforce expected and appropriate behaviors with some form of “reward.” Have the students do it. They can appoint a committee to set the procedures, which may include different students at
READ MORE >>> →The number of U.S. children being raised by their grandparents rose sharply as the recession began, according to an analysis of census data. Two million, nine hundred thousand children were being raised primarily by their grandparents. This was up 16% from 2000, with a surge from 2007 – 2008. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry believes that many children living with grandparents enter that arrangement with pre-existing problems stemming from abuse and loss of parents. Here are some suggestions for grandparents raising grandchildren: (1) Rather than establishing rules which have an enforcement mentality, teach procedures for what you desire. Do NOT assume your grandchildren know what you want. (2) Communicate in positive ways, such as in what you
READ MORE >>> →The federal program referred to as “No Child Left Behind” is based on a faulty foundation. It is based on a negative approach—and no negative approach is long-lasting. The federal legislation classifies students in six sub-categories: (1) black, (2) white, (3) Hispanic, (4) economically disadvantaged, (5) special education, and (6) English language learners. All must attain higher scores each year until 2014 when all schools across the U.S.A. reach a 100% pass rate. It appears obvious to most people that many factors affect students’ learning—including socio-economic status, expectations of the parents regarding education, and genetic makeup. Yet, despite these factors, the federal government has mandated that all schools will meet these arbitrary and unrealistic standards—or be labeled as failures. The
READ MORE >>> →Using standardized tests for student and teacher accountability continues to be headline news. By definition, half the test scores on standardized test must be below average. If too many test takers score correctly on a test item, the item is eliminated because it does not differentiate enough. In addition, (1) standardized tests do not correlate with most school curriculums, (2) these tests are biased toward higher economic communities, and (3) they are not valid because they were not developed to assess if what has been taught has been learned. But there is another major problem with using standardized tests to assess schooling. I think that most people would agree that what has been learned in school should be helpful in
READ MORE >>> →It seems incomprehensible that educational leaders continue to allow political agencies (government) to manipulate school districts. I am referring to the national debate of requiring teachers to be evaluated based on student performance on standardized test scores. The Obama administration has long sought to make “value-added” scores part of teacher evaluations. It requires that states seeking federal stimulus aid get rid of legal barriers that would prohibit tying the scores to teacher pay and retention. With this federal manipulation, school districts around the country are revamping the way teachers are evaluated—with many using student test scores as one measure of effectiveness. The Los Angeles Times reported today (June 1, 2012) that one group in favor of this approach would allow such scores
READ MORE >>> →The new “Common Core State Standards” are sweeping the USA as the newest approach to improve K-12 education. The new “guidelines” are designed to shape how students will learn and be held accountable, beginning with English and math. So far 45 states have joined the charge. One of the major investments to proceed requires schools to adopt new textbooks that are aligned to the “national curriculum standards.” Estimated costs range between $1 and $8 billion—not million, but billion—in order to be ready for the 2014-2015 school year when districts will most likely start taking federal funds. Texas, one of the larger textbook buying states, is not participating. California, another large textbook purchasing state, has a particular dilemma. At the height
READ MORE >>> →Although consistency is important, imposing the same consequence on all students is the least fair approach. A significant trait that teachers, students, and parents are concerned about is being consistent. “How can I be fair, firm, and CONSISTENT?” was a question I continually asked myself—not only as a teacher, but especially as an assistant principal of supervision and control in a high school of 3,200 students. The question was also on my mind when I disciplined students as a middle school assistant principal and as an elementary school principal. Only when I returned to the classroom after 24 years in counseling, staff development, and administration did I realize that my mindset of being consistent in dispensing punishments was unfair and
READ MORE >>> →Promoting Responsibility & Learning – Volume 12 Number 5
#3 How classroom management differs from discipline
#5 Learning and motivation
#7 Discipline plan for a substitute teacher
Promoting Responsibility & Learning – Volume 12 Number 4
#2 Impulsivity and discipline
#6 Parenting and school homework
#7 Discipline Without Stress for special education
There is no such thing as immaculate perception. What you see is what you thought before you looked. Our beliefs and theories direct our thoughts, and these thoughts mold our perceptions. These perceptions then direct our actions. In 1960, Douglas McGregor published The Human Side of Enterprise. This book was a major influence in promoting the application of behavioral sciences in organizations. McGregor studied various approaches to managing people, concluded that managerial approaches could be understood from the ASSUMPTIONS managers made about people. McGregor concluded that the thinking and activity of people in authority is based on two very different sets of assumptions. He referred to these assumptions as Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X McGregor labeled the assumptions upon
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