Jane,

What are some other suggestions besides time out in a classroom?

We have many, many, many other suggestions in two books, Positive Discipline in the Classroom and Positive Discipline: A Teacher's A-Z Guide. In addition, we teach how to make time out be encouraging and empowering instead of punitive, since we know that children do better when they feel better, not when they feel worse. Following is an excerpt from Positive Discipline in the Classroom on "Positive Time Out."

Time out can be a positive tool, an encouraging and empowering experience for students, instead of a punitive and humiliating one. Time out is encouraging when the purpose is to give students a chance to take a break for a short time and try again as soon as they're ready to change their behavior. We all have times when, for one reason or another, we don't feel like doing what's required and may choose some form of acting out instead. Time out can be a cooling-off period.

Teachers see the value of encouraging time out when they are more concerned with long-range benefits to students than with short-term control a the expense of students. Punitive time out may stop misbehavior for the moment, but the benefits are only short term if the student decides to get even or give up. The key to encouraging positive time out is the attitude of the teacher and the explanation given to students.

Explain to students that everyone needs time out once in a while, because we all misbehave, and make mistakes at times. It cam help to have a place to sort out feelings, calm down, and then make a decision about what to do. This is not meant for punishment, but for a time to calm down until you feel better. As soon as you feel better (and you can decide when that is), you can rejoin the group.

Feelings and actions are not the same. What we feel is never inappropriate. What we do often is. "If your behavior is inappropriate (disrespectful to others), I may ask if it would help you to go to the time-out area." Positive time out invites accountability when it is just one option for a student to choose. For example, a teacher could ask, "Which would help you most right now: positive time out, the problem-solving steps, or putting the problem on the agenda?" Some teachers provide a timer for students to set according to how much time they think they"ll need to feel better. Other teachers feel comfortable allowing a student as much time as he or she needs.

It is most effective when students help design a positive time-out area. Let them brainstorm ideas for creating an area where they can go when they need time to cool off, calm down, and feel better. They might decide on cushions, a tape player for music, books, and stuffed animals. One high school class designed an area that looked like Hawaii. The whole class created a mural of the ocean, a beach, and palm trees. Students donated two beach chairs, a stuffed dolphin, and sea shells.

An important part of the design of the area is to include guidelines to answer any objections that might be raised by teachers, such as the noise factor or students using the area to avoid work. Students will decide on respectful guidelines when they are given the opportunity to do so. The teacher can give input, such as suggesting that music played on a cassette player with earphones be of a soothing nature and that students can provide a plan to make up work that is missed. Most students decide on a guideline of no more than ten minutes for positive time out. Some teachers allow students to stay as long as they need to, having faith that students will not misuse this privilege. If the privilege is misused, the problem is discussed during a class meeting so solutions can be found.

Some teachers allow students to choose a "listening buddy" to go to time out with them. Students are trained to be listening buddies which means they just listen or sit quietly to give comfort to a student who may be upset.

People do better when they feel better. We don't motivate students to do better by making them feel worse through punitive time out. It does not help to tell students, "Go to time out and think about what you did." It is helpful to tell students, "When you are in time out, do something to help you feel better, because I know you will do better when you feel better."