What about Gentle Discipline in schools?

[Dewdrop]

I'm a teacher, and I 'm always looking for new ways of keeping a calm classroom! Do you guys have any ideas of gentle ways of keeping discipline - I teach 11-18 year olds.

What do you think?

I usually try to avoid problems by keeping everyone really busy and making sure everything is really interesting, but there can be times when one of the kids will want to cause trouble.

[mummy2boys]

Good question....I can't help but I am sure others will


I will :pray for you and your classroom

[TulipMama]

I've used the 5 Steps during summer Bible school. Though the kids were younger than then age group you are talking about, there was a bit of a language barrier. But it was quite effective. The "you need to. . ." helps reinforce that they are responsible for their own actions.

I've found with older kids the "Do you need me to help you?" will either open them up when they really need help--or will spur them to action so that their peers don't see them as needing "help."


Another approach, would be to spend a day working with them to establish "Classroom Norms." This is a common team-building exercise. When the norms are discussed and then settled upon, you can have a chart with them. Then, when they act up they are violating the norms that they all agreed upon. It is not an infraction that you, the teacher, need to "enforce"--but the class as a whole (peer pressure for the good!) This is what I've experienced in the working world, and I think it helps the age group you are working with as they transition to adulthood and being responsible for their own actions.


Anyway, just brainstorming ideas. . .

[jujubnme]

There's a section for teachers on Jane Nelson's Positive Discipline (http://www.positivediscipline.com/) website. If you search around I think you can find a lot of positive discipline resources for classroom management (which would be the secular version of GBD).

[milkmommy]

My DH used to teach Jr.High one beef I and (he once he stoped and considered it) was the school decided that dententions were the cure for everything. :rolleyes My problem with them was so much the "punishment" aspect but the horrible effect they had on the classroom.
Lets take on overly active 12 year old tell him he can only sit and stay quiet for 4 hours (8-12) then if he doesn't do this take away the only chance he has to run around and strech out only to re enter the classroom for another 3 hours of sitting. Kids need movement.. This simple concept seems lost in most PS. :rolleyes

Deanna

[schoolofmom]

We used Nelsen's Positive Discipline in the Classroom (http://www.empoweringpeople.com/store/page13.html) as our text in my college "Guidance in the Classroom" class. It was very good and had lots of great ideas!