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Positive Discipline, from my
perspective, has been a Godsend for managing student behavior in our
school.
Bill Scott, Principal
What a year! What a year, when using the methods described in the
book, Positive Discipline in the Classroom. There is a difference, a
big difference. I use to think control was the answer when dealing
with children. Now I am of the mindset that practicing mutual
respect, cooperation, responsibility, limited choices, and finding
solutions to problems is a less stressful way to go. At the heart of
this practice is the class meeting. This is where children come
together to learn that making mistakes leads to learning. The class
meeting is also where children learn the skills and mutual respect
that will help them become productive members of society. In
closing, the one big thing I have learned is that it is more
important to find solutions to a problem than to use punishment.
Because when children are given a chance to take part in the
solution process they take ownership in it.
Mark Graves
2nd grade teacher
We get much more done. We work much better together because of
Positive Discipline
Angel Taylor, 2nd grade teacher
I have not seen a child yet that hasn’t improved because of
Positive Discipline
Margaret Wilson, 4th grade teacher
I’ve taught school for 15 years. In the past the teacher was the
judge, jury, and executioner. Now children solve their own problems
so we have more time.
Mary DiNatale, 3rd grade teacher
Our teachers experience almost all the frustrations that teachers
all over the country face, and make all the mistakes (as do I), but
no one's yelling at anybody, no one's losing it, no one's giving up
in despair. And Positive Discipline gets a lot of the credit for
that.
Mike Brock, Principal
In my experience, the major "biggie" that happens in true Class
Meetings is the sense of connectedness that happens in the class.
This is SOOO powerful. The classroom atmosphere moves from ME to WE.
Mutual Respect is born. The students and teacher learn to value each
other's perceptions and opinions. Teachers still tend to perceive
respect as a top down/bottom up thing, whether they articulate it or
not. Class meetings open the heart. Remember, my students are VERY
disconnected....most are in foster families, have been incarcerated,
no fathers, been sexually exploited, etc. and are considered to be
extreme. It is "feather time" (class meetings) that brings us into
harmony when so much else in their world is discord.
Aggression happens (in classrooms and in the world) when we
perceive others as so different they deserve to be hurt. When I
discuss Class Meetings as a concept, I always say the need to be
"felt", not described or explain. Whenever possible, here at the
high school, I volunteer to sit in as a member of the class and
co-lead with the teacher for the first meeting. With NO exception,
once is all it takes.
Chris Haymond, CPDA
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