The Discipline Plan
A Discipline Plan should be as thoughtfully conceived as any lesson plan would be and should include the characteristic language you will use, the behaviour consequences that will be in place, and any steps you will take to repair and rebuild damaged relationships on a daily basis (Rogers,1995).
Characteristic Language
Choose to communicate with words that are positive and encouraging whenever possible.
Make constructive comments about the 'behaviour' not the 'person'.
Choose words carefully whenever speaking to students
Make constructive comments about the 'behaviour' not the 'person'.
Choose words carefully whenever speaking to students
Examples
‘I like the way you have raised your hand to ask for help - you are a great learner!’
Rule reminders - ‘Hands up to ask questions thanks’
‘Now we are using our 'quiet working voices' at our desks’
Rule reminders - ‘Hands up to ask questions thanks’
‘Now we are using our 'quiet working voices' at our desks’
Behaviour Consequences
Use 'I' statements where possible. Avoid 'You' statements
(Gordon 1974)
Provide choices and logical consequences.
Incorporate constructive behaviour managment strategies that enable the student to reflect, write and talk about their behaviour. For example, the 'Better Choices Program' and Bill Roger's '4W's'.
Both the 'Better Choices Program' and the '4W's Form' offer similar benefits in that they remove the student from their peers (e.g. lunch break) so they have time to quietly reflect, write and discuss their behaviour with a teacher, who then helps the student to identify the alternative choices they can make next time.
Students then have the opportunity to put things right, for example - apologising to someone for taking their belongings and returning the items.
Examples
'I' Statements
‘If you continue to talk during class sharing time I will ask you to move to the time-out area’.
‘If you choose to talk when you are supposed to be working quietly you may not finish your work, and I'm concerned that you will have to complete it at lunch time.
'Better Choices Program' (Beaconsfield State School in Mackay).
Students are asked to write about their behaviour, the consequence, how it affected others and identify better choices. (Hence the name). The student intially works alone then discusses their completed form with a teacher.
4W's (Bill Rogers)
This strategy is appropriate for behaviour disruptions that are not serious but occur frequently and are annoying.
The 4W Form asks the students to reply to the following questions:
1. What I did against our class or school rules (my behaviour)
2. What rules (or rights) I broke or infringed.
3. What is my explanation?
4. What I think I should do to fix things up or work things out. (restitution)
Repair and Rebuild Relationships
Incorporate any or all of the following strategies to assist with relationship building:
- Utilize 'I' statements
- Hold one-on-one conversations with students
- Introduce classroom meetings
- Encourage an open door policy for parents and caregivers
- Value all classroom relationships
- Maintain open lines of communication
- Utilize 'I' statements
- Hold one-on-one conversations with students
- Introduce classroom meetings
- Encourage an open door policy for parents and caregivers
- Value all classroom relationships
- Maintain open lines of communication
Examples
Quiet one-on-one discussions utilising ‘I’ statements. e.g. 'When you throw pencils around the classroom I am afraid that you will hurt someone. This upsets me as I need to look after all students in this class’.
‘I liked the way you listened in class today. See how much work you got done as a result’. You can have a stamp for your great effort!
Enable students opportunities to make mistakes and learn from them without 'writing them off' or 'holding grudges'
Conduct classroom meetings - which encourage students to speak to you about problems, concerns, feelings, emotions and their classroom experiences in general. Follow through and make improvements from students' suggestions.
Encourage parents to visit and assist in the classroom
Create opportunities for students to share their achievements with their parents, friends and caregivers. e.g. classroom function, poetry reading, art display or performance.
‘I liked the way you listened in class today. See how much work you got done as a result’. You can have a stamp for your great effort!
Enable students opportunities to make mistakes and learn from them without 'writing them off' or 'holding grudges'
Conduct classroom meetings - which encourage students to speak to you about problems, concerns, feelings, emotions and their classroom experiences in general. Follow through and make improvements from students' suggestions.
Encourage parents to visit and assist in the classroom
Create opportunities for students to share their achievements with their parents, friends and caregivers. e.g. classroom function, poetry reading, art display or performance.
Other important points to keep in mind when developing a Discipline Plan are:
1. Have high expectations.
“In classrooms where teachers expose students to high expectations these students tend to achieve more and have higher self-esteem and a greater resistance to problem behaviours". (Pianta, 2006, cited in Krause et al (p508)
2. Be fair and equitable
“Students and adults can accurately detect differential teacher behaviours, including the emotional qualities, after viewing just 10 seconds of ‘silent’ video footage of the teacher. This is remarkable, given that the footage was silent and the differential treatment was made obvious by body language and facial expressions alone!” (Babad, Bernieri & Rosenthal, 1991, cited in Krause et al, pg 509)
3. Use ‘I’ Statements where possible (Gordon 1974)
Use of 'I' statements helps to avoid ‘labelling’ or ‘tagging’ the student with negative ‘you’ statements that might ‘stick’.
For example: ‘I would like you to stop talking when I am speaking to the class so that everyone can hear me and understand what they need to do’. ('I' statement)
‘You constantly talk and distract the class during learning time’. ('You' statement)
Notice that the 'I' statement leaves the learner emotionally intact and 'free' to make a choice as to the behaviour he/she will display. It also communicates the desired behaviour, i.e. 'stop talking when I am speaking to the class'. By contrast, a 'you' statement pidgeon-holes the learner and 'stops' him/her from making a choice to be different or improve behaviour. It also fails to communicate the desired behaviour.
4. Understand your school's policies relating to behaviour management/discipline - particularly with regard to students who are difficult to manage and very disruptive to the learning of other students. Find out about the strategies in place for calling for further assistance if and when you require it. Who do you call, e.g. Principal, and what will his/her likely response be. e.g. supervised time-away from class in the Principal's office, followed by periods of in-school suspension, then at-home suspension and so on.
Remember - words are very powerful - choose them and use them wisely.
1. Have high expectations.
“In classrooms where teachers expose students to high expectations these students tend to achieve more and have higher self-esteem and a greater resistance to problem behaviours". (Pianta, 2006, cited in Krause et al (p508)
2. Be fair and equitable
“Students and adults can accurately detect differential teacher behaviours, including the emotional qualities, after viewing just 10 seconds of ‘silent’ video footage of the teacher. This is remarkable, given that the footage was silent and the differential treatment was made obvious by body language and facial expressions alone!” (Babad, Bernieri & Rosenthal, 1991, cited in Krause et al, pg 509)
3. Use ‘I’ Statements where possible (Gordon 1974)
Use of 'I' statements helps to avoid ‘labelling’ or ‘tagging’ the student with negative ‘you’ statements that might ‘stick’.
For example: ‘I would like you to stop talking when I am speaking to the class so that everyone can hear me and understand what they need to do’. ('I' statement)
‘You constantly talk and distract the class during learning time’. ('You' statement)
Notice that the 'I' statement leaves the learner emotionally intact and 'free' to make a choice as to the behaviour he/she will display. It also communicates the desired behaviour, i.e. 'stop talking when I am speaking to the class'. By contrast, a 'you' statement pidgeon-holes the learner and 'stops' him/her from making a choice to be different or improve behaviour. It also fails to communicate the desired behaviour.
4. Understand your school's policies relating to behaviour management/discipline - particularly with regard to students who are difficult to manage and very disruptive to the learning of other students. Find out about the strategies in place for calling for further assistance if and when you require it. Who do you call, e.g. Principal, and what will his/her likely response be. e.g. supervised time-away from class in the Principal's office, followed by periods of in-school suspension, then at-home suspension and so on.
Remember - words are very powerful - choose them and use them wisely.
