Discipline Without Stress

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Home : 2007 : July : 3

Discipline Without Stress
By mary3rd

I've been using this method for 4 years now and I'm totally hooked! I try to find picture books that illustrate the four levels and read them the first few days of school. The book has ideas for introducing the levels, too.
The most important thing I've learned is to BE PATIENT. I teach third grade, and I have to keep reminding myself that these kids have had 3 years of indoctrination into the candy/stickers/clips/sticks/behavior charts methods of discipline and it's not going to happen overnight!

One thing we do on the first day of school is this: I ask them to think about how they would train their

pet dog to do a trick. Most of them will tell me that everytime the dog does the trick, they will give it a treat. I then explain to them that that method will work fine on an animal, but that they are CHILDREN, not dogs, and that I will not reward them with a "treat" every time they do something correctly. We then discuss doing the right thing "because it IS the right thing." :) Also, make sure you spend much more time discussing levels C and D than you do A and B. And remember, it's very important that they understand the difference between C and D. It's perfectly OK to be on level C, and they need to know that. D is what we all would like to shoot for, but realistically C is where most of us are.

And one more thing: every once in a while, give the whole class a treat if you wish. Just make sure they know that it's because you love them, and not a "reward" for doing the "right thing." Don't worry if you backslide once or twice - you're learning the method, too! Best of luck with this - I think you'll have a great year!