William Glasser’s Choice Theory and Quality Teaching

William Glasser’s Choice Theory and Quality Teaching Presented by: Michelle Burton-Moyes Deanna Richard Sharon McRae

William Glasser Background A psychiatrist Thought to be one of the greatest educational thinkers of our time Contends that behaviour in school will not improve until we change the way we work with students

Choice Theory • Student behaviour is determined by student choice, not teacher control

Foundational Assertions for Choice Theory • We cannot “make” students do anything, but we can influence them to do things that lead to better behaviour and increased success • It is up to teachers to make school adequately interesting and otherwise satisfying to students’ needs

Major Concepts in Glasser’s Non-coercive Discipline • All human behaviour is purposeful • We are responsible for our own behaviour • All of our behaviour is our best attempt to meet five basic needs • Students feel pleasure when their basic needs are met and frustration when they are not • At least half of today’s students will not commit themselves to learning if they find their school experience boring, frustrating, or otherwise dissatisfying

Major Concepts in Glasser’sNon-coercive Discipline • Few students in today’s schools do their best work • If today’s schools are to be successful, they must create quality conditions that greatly reduce student and teacher frustration • What schools require is a new commitment to quality education • The school curriculum should be limited to learnings that are useful or otherwise relevant to students’ lives

Major Concepts in Glasser’sNon-coercive Discipline • Students should be allowed to acquire in-depth information about topics they consider useful or interesting • Quality learning is evident when students become able to demonstrate or explain how, why, and where their learnings are valuable • Instead of scolding, coercing, or punishing, teachers should try to befriend their students, provide encouragement and stimulation, and show unending willingness to help

Major Concepts in Glasser’sNoncoercive Discipline • Teachers who dictate procedures, order students to work, and berate them when they do not are increasingly ineffective with today’s students • Teachers who provide a stimulating learning environment, encourage students and help them as much as possible are most effective with today’s learners • Motivation is the key ingredient in learning

Major Concepts in Glasser’sNon-Coercive Discipline • Teachers who dictate procedures, order students to work, and berate them when they do not are increasingly ineffective with today’s students (Glasser calls these teachers boss teachers) • Teachers who provide a stimulating learning environment, encourage students, and help them as much as possible are most effective with today’s learners (Glasser calls these teachers lead teachers) • Motivation is the key ingredient in learning

Any Program of Quality Education Must Meet Students’ Needs • Survival needs are met when the school environment is kept safe and free from personal threat • Students sense belonging when they receive attention from the teacher and others and participate actively in class concerns • Students sense power when the teacher asks them to participate in making decisions about topics to be studied and procedure for working in class or assigns them responsibility for class duties • Students experience fun when they are able to work and talk with others, engage in interesting activities and share their accomplishments • Students sense freedom when the teacher allows them to make responsible choices concerning what they will study, how they will do so, and how they will demonstrate their accomplishments

Student Needs http://lundak.com/About_Us.html

Main things schools can do to improve student behaviour and learning are: • Provide an engaging curriculum • Emphasize quality • Influence students non-coercively to make good choices about learning and responsible conduct

Quality Curriculum • Schools must be places where students learn useful information and learn it well • Glasser suggests that if students are old enough you may ask them to identify what they would like to explore in depth—learning a smaller number of topics in depth is preferable to covering many topics superficially • Quality learning requires depth of understanding combined with a good grasp of its value • Ask students to explain why the material they have learned is valuable • Ask students regularly to assess the quality of their own efforts

Quality Teaching • Provide a warm, supportive classroom climate • Use lead teaching rather than boss teaching • Ask students only to do work that is useful (knowledge and skills that they will make use of in their lives) • Always ask students to do the best they can • Ask students to evaluate work they have done and improve it • Ask students to explain why they feel their work has high quality • Ask students how they think they might improve their work further • Progressively help students learn to use self-evaluation, improvement and repetition • Help students recognize that doing quality work makes them feel good • Help students see that quality work is never destructive to them, others or the environment

Seven Deadly Habits vs. Seven Connecting Habits Deadly Habits Connecting Habits Caring Listening Supporting Contributing Encouraging Trusting Befriending • Criticizing • Blaming • Complaining • Nagging • Threatening • Punishing • Rewarding students to control them

Relation of Quality Teaching to Discipline Misbehaviour can be reduced greatly if teachers do the following: • Work with students to establish standards of conduct in the classroom • Discuss the importance of quality work • Ask students about class behaviour they believe will help them get their work done and truly help them learn • Ask for student advice on what should happen when behaviour agreements are broken—behaviour problems are best solved by looking for ways to correct the underlying problem

Relation of Quality Teaching to Discipline (cont’d) • Whenever appropriate, ask students what you the teacher “could do to help” • Once agreements and consequences are established they should be put in writing and all students should sign the document • Agreements established and dealt with in this way show that the teacher’s main concern is quality, not power • Hold classroom meetings to explore alternatives to inappropriate behaviour

Gaining Benefits of Quality Classrooms • Replace deadly habits with connecting habits • Make plain how you will work with students • Befriend your students • Establish reasonable rules of class behaviour • Take the energy out of impending misbehaviour

Gaining Benefits of Quality Classrooms • Teach things that make a real difference in students’ lives • Help students learn to strive for quality • explain that you will ask students to work at any given assignment until they have achieved an acceptably high level of competence and that nobody will fail or receive a low grade • Test students frequently, but productively • explain that tests are for learning only and promise that no one will fail or receive a bad grade • Emphasize understanding and making use of new learning • Provide options for students after competence is achieved e.g. help other students or move ahead to something of higher quality

Implementing Glasser’s Ideas in the Classroom • Remember that your students’ behaviour is internally motivated and purposeful—adjust your curriculum to help students meet those needs • Remember that your students will not commit themselves to class activities they find boring, frustrating or dissatisfying • Hold a discussion with your class on how school could be made more interesting and enjoyable

Implementing Glasser’s Ideas in the Classroom • Following the class discussion, indicate that you will try to organize activities as students suggested and that you will do all you can to help them learn and succeed • Hold meetings with your class to discuss new efforts and any results you see in classwork and behaviour—focus on improving learning • Befriend students and provide encouragement and stimulation

Implementing Glasser’s Ideas in the Classroom • Ask students what kinds of class behaviours will help them improve class behaviour while acquiring quality learning • When students misbehave, discuss their behaviour and why it was important and what they feel they could do to avoid misbehaving in the future

Teacher Survey

Student Needs

Thoughts on Glasser?

Critical Friend • “Students should be allowed to acquire in-depth information about topics they consider useful or interesting.” • Student Choice vs. School Expectations—teachers must teach what is in the curriculum • “Do not grade their work because grades suggest to students that the work is finished.” • If we do not grade student work, what do we show to administration, parents, etc.

Critical Friend • “Allow students to come up with rules.” • Ron Morrish “Rule making should be the teacher’s job, and the teacher should be able to explain to students why the rules exist and what they are intended to accomplish.” • What happens when rules are broken? (consequences)

Critical Friend • What about special needs students? • How do these students fit in Glasser’s Choice Theory and Quality Education? • William Glasser makes no mention of students who have special needs • Choice Theory seems to be designed for older students • What about elementary students?

References • Charles, C.M. Building Classroom Discipline. 10th. Toronto, ON: Pearson, 2011, 138-152. • Erwin, J.C. (2003). Giving student what they need. Educational Leadership, 61, 19-23. • Glasser, W. (1998). Choice theory: a new psychology of personal freedom. New York: Harper Perennial. • Glasser, W. (1988). Choice theory in the classroom. New York: Harper Perennial. • Glasser, W. (1997). Choice theory and students success. Education Digest, 63(3), 16-22. • Glasser, W. (1997). A new look at school failure and school success. Phi Delta Kappan, 78(8), 596-603. • Palmatier, L. (1998). Crisis counseling for a quality school community: applying williamglasser's choice theory. USA: Taylor and Francis. • Wubbolding, R.E. (2007). Glasser quality school. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research and Practice, 11(4), 253-261. • http://www.choicetheory.com/ct.htm

William Glasser’s Choice Theory and Quality Teaching