Chapter 10 – Discipline Through Dignity and Hope for Challenging Youth

1. Chapter 10 – Discipline Through Dignity and Hope for Challenging Youth By Steven Conway

2. Discipline with Dignity Hypothesis • Misbehavior will not be a serious problem in a classroom where dignity is not compromised and the teacher provides genuine hope and expects success.

3. Practice of Discipline with Dignity • Students who are difficult to manage do not believe they will ever achieve success in school; school has no value to them. • This can be changed if the classroom provides dignity and hope for success.

4. Richard Curwin and Allen Mendler • Mostly deal with discipline regarding challenging youth. • Have written several books together and individually including Discipline with Dignity, Rediscovering Hope: Our Greatest Teaching Strategy (Curwin), and Connecting With Students (Mendler)

5. Curwin and Mendler on Discipline with Dignity • Teachers must understand that they must teach students how to behave appropriately. • Some students realize that school has no value to them, and they will not achieve success; therefore, they misbehave in order to achieve attention and power.

6. Four Phase Plan for Schools and Educators • Curwin and Mendler believe this plan works best for entire schools • Identify Core Values • Faculty, staff, students, and parents work together to determine how students should act when in school. • Create Rules and Consequences • Rules based on schools values and should state specifically what students should and should not do.

7. Four Phase Plan (continued) • Model the Values • Teachers should respond to conflicts the same way they want their students to respond. • Write down how students should resolve conflicts, and make sure students do the same. • Use No Interventions that Violate Core Values • Students copy teacher behaviors thinking they are acceptable. • Intimidating and humiliating students will violate core values. • Teachers must model nonviolent behaviors and help students use those same tactics.

8. Preparing Oneself in Advance • Write down what students say or do that irritates you. • Figure out why a student is behaving that way. • What do you currently do to solve the problem? • Are those techniques working? • What can you do to model behavior that correlates with the school values? • Implement them at the next opportunity.

9. Working with Students Behaviorally at Risk of Failure • Behaviorally at risk – students whose behavior puts them in danger of failing; make little effort to learn and instigate trouble. • Curwin – “It is what students do under the conditions they are in, not who they are, that puts them at risk.” • Students feel better by misbehaving rather than following rules with no future reward. They feel better being a troublemaker than being stupid. • Curwin and Mendler believe students need hope and must learn to accept responsibility. • Teachers can help by making learning fun and treat students with respect.

10. Students Who Are Difficult to Control • Traditional methods don’t work (scolding, lectures, sarcasm, detention, principal’s office) • Students already doubt their academic ability; humiliation for not following rules will not make anything better. • Punishment will further deter students from cooperating.

12. Four Principles of Disciplining • Dealing with student behavior is part of teaching. • Look at misbehavior as a way to teach responsibility. • Always treat students with dignity • Treat them as individuals and show concern for their needs • Good discipline must not interfere with student motivation • Motivated students do not misbehave. • Responsibility is more important than obedience • Obedience – “Do as you’re told” • Responsibility – “Make the best decision possible”

13. Rules and Consequences • Logical Consequences – related to behavior • Cleaning up a mess that is made • Conventional Consequences – time-out and removing from room • Generic Consequences – reminders, warnings, choosing, and planning. • Insubordination Rule – invoked when a student refuses to accept the consequences

14. Curwin’s Consequence Considerations • Always implement a consequence when a rule is broken • Select most appropriate consequence • Only let the student who broke the rule know and only state the rule and consequence being administered. • Control anger; don’t be involved in a power struggle.

15. Preventing Escalation • Teacher and student could have a back and forth contest of wills. • Teacher is supposed to help student, not humiliate, anger, embarrass, or demean. • Teachers can: • Listen actively • Speak with the student later • Keep communication private • Invoke Insubordination Rule if student refuses to cooperate

16. Dealing with Aggression, Violence, Hostility, and Conflict • Many students using violence lack a feeling of remorse; therefore, normal discipline will not work with them. • Zero tolerance is not necessary, but teachers should use different methods to help students understand hurting others is wrong.

17. Curwin and Mendler Suggest…. • Use the six-step solution • Calm down • Think and explore options • Decide on what you want to occur • Have a plan B • Carry out your desired solution • Evaluate the results

18. Curwin and Mendler Suggest…. • Solve the problem • Name problem • Say what you want to have happen • Say how you will make that happen • Have a plan B • Carry out your plan

19. Suggestions (continued) • “Pack Your Patience” • Wear an Invisible Shield • Use words that Work • Expect confrontation

20. Bullying and Hate Crimes • Bullying – intentionally committing hurtful acts repeatedly against others • Four types of bullying: • Physical – punching, hitting, kicking • Verbal – name calling, teasing, gossip • Emotional – isolation, ostracizing, blackmail • Sexual – harassment, propositioning, exhibitionism • Hate crimes – dislike of other races, ethnic groups, or religions

21. Bullying and Hate Crimes (cont’d) • Usually occurring away from the teacher’s glance. • Victims may start to fear bullies as frequency increases. • Fear may lead to grades slipping, truancy, and wanting to carry weapons.

22. What Can be Done? • Schedule class meetings • Involve parents of victim and bully • Supervise students in areas where bullying can take place • Establish a confidential reporting system • Don’t try to mediate a bullying situation

23. Students Regaining Hope • Teachers should encourage students that the future will be better • Students who are behaviorally at risk feel education will not serve a purpose in their lives. • Student involvement in education will help make learning seem worthwhile.

24. Motivating Students Who are Difficult to Manage • Students who experience repeated failure decide to misbehave in order to gain attention. • Suggestions: • Select topics that are relevant to the students • Involve students in lessons • Show genuine interest and energy • Have students look forward to future activities

25. Making Changes in Yourself • Teachers must be proactive to make changes in themselves to meet students’ needs • Suggestions: • Believe that all students are worthy of our best effort • Limit causes of misbehavior • Create a caring classroom • Teach self-control • Stay involved with each student without taking their behavior personally

26. Putting it into Practice • Preserve student dignity • Don’t threaten their dignity, even if they threaten yours • Dealing with misbehavior is an important part of teaching • Encourage prosocial behavior, even if it looks like they don’t want it • Results achieved over time • Nothing will be achieved overnight • Emphasize responsibility over obedience • Put students in situations where they have to make decisions, and help them to try again if they fail.

27. The End