by Dr. Kelly Gfroerer and Dr. Jane Nelsen misguided-power-cartoon-web.jpg Image from the Positive Discipline Teacher Tool Cards One of the most difficult classroom management challenges is avoiding power struggles. Remember, it takes two to engage in a power struggle. The Mistaken Goal Chart shows us that your feelings are the best […]
Category Archives: Teachers
Understanding the Mistaken Goal of Undue Attention
undue-attention-cards-web.jpg A Positive Discipline Teacher Tool Card Everyone wants attention. It’s part of human nature. Adler and Dreikurs long ago pointed out the fundamental human need to feel belonging and connection. The problem arises in classrooms when students seek attention in negative ways because of their mistaken beliefs about how to gain a […]
Become a Mistaken Goal Detective
mistaken-goal-detective-cartoon-web.jpg Solving the mystery of “why” your students “misbehave” can be fun and beneficial. Once you break the code, you will have more information on how to encourage behavior change. In Positive Discipline we emphasize the importance of understanding the belief behind the behavior. You can use the Mistaken Goal Chart and the […]
Validate Feelings Teacher Tool
From the Positive Discipline Teacher Tool Cards by Dr. Jane Nelsen and Dr. Kelly Gfroerer validate-feelings-teacher-cartoon-web.jpg “What are you thinking?” “I don’t know.” “What are you feeling?” “I don’t know.” Does this sound familiar? In Positive Discipline we teach how important it is to understand the “belief” behind the […]
Involve Students in Creating Class Guidelines
by Dr. Jane Nelsen and Dr. Kelly Gfroerer Imagine you are a student on the first day of school, and the teacher presents some pre-established rules for classroom behavior. Does this excite you, or do you listen with boredom? Now imagine you are a student on the first day of school, and the teacher says, […]
What Does a Positive Discipline Class Meeting Look Like?
by Jane Nelsen, co-author of Positive Discipline in the Classroom Many teachers use circle time, morning meetings, or what they may call class meetings. Most of these meetings are “teacher generated.” In other words, the teacher decides what should be discussed or follows a program with suggested topics designed to teach children about […]
Teach Students to Give and Receive Compliments
compliments-teacher-text.jpg by Dr. Jane Nelsen and Dr. Kelly Gfroerer Nothing can change your mood from sad to glad more quickly than gratitude. Negativity changes to positive feelings the instant you focus on what you appreciate. Since this is such a profound truth, doesn’t it make sense to teach this valuable skill to students—and to […]
Connection Before Correction for Teachers
by Dr. Jane Nelsen and Dr. Kelly Gfroerer Research has shown that a connection at school is the primary factor for academic achievement. teacher-connection-before-connection.jpg Connection before correction is the best way to encourage behavior change. Examples:CONNECTION: Validate feelings,“I see you are frustrated and angry.”CORRECTION: “It is okay to feel what you feel, but […]
Avoiding Barriers
From the book, Raising Self-Reliant Children in a Self-Indulgent World, by H. Stephen Glenn & Jane Nelsen Do you create any of the following barriers regularly with someone you love? Do you believe that if you worked at it you could use them less often? Let’s look at an example as a means of […]
A Misbehaving Child is a Discouraged Child
Where did we ever get the crazy idea that the way to make a child “do” better is to first make him or her “feel worse”? That is the premise of punishment; and it is truly crazy. Think of the last time you felt scolded and humiliated by another adult. Were you thinking, “This is […]