A: Edward often clowned around during work times, keeping everyone from getting work done. When logical consequences didn’t help, I decided to try a problem-solving conference. I thought this might be effective because Edward could get defensive at times, and in this conference I could begin by naming the positive aspects of his humor.
Scholastic published this article on the Responsive Classroom approach to rules and logical consequences for the August 2003 issue of Instructor magazine. It was reprinted with permission on the Responsive Classroom website, September 2003.
Kathryn Brady, Mary Beth Forton, Deborah Porter, and Chip Wood are the authors of Rules in School, from which this article was adapted.
I’ve noticed that teachers who are learning about the Responsive Classroom approach to discipline often worry a lot about choosing the “right” response to student misbehavior. “Is there a list of logical consequences that match up with specific misbehaviors?” is an often-asked question, and I see how disappointed they are when I say no. Explaining that there’s simply not a one-size-fits-all solution—different children and situations require different responses— doesn’t seem to help.
In my classroom this year, I am implementing two teaching strategies, Morning Meeting and Rules and Logical Consequences, but I’m concerned about parents’ reactions. I can imagine that they will worry that we’re "wasting time" with play or are too "soft" on discipline. I’d like parents to feel the same interest and investment in these changes as I do. How have you helped parents understand the value of these strategies?
An adapted excerpt from Chapter One of the award-winning book, How to Bullyproof Your Classroom
Public discipline systems—like Class Dojo, stoplights, moving clothespins along a colored card, writing names on the board—can certainly be appealing. Some days can feel as if they’re spent just disciplining, and public discipline systems promise to turn that around by decreasing misbehavior and increasing motivation through the use of visual feedback. The phrase often heard during a conversation about public discipline systems is that “children know exactly where they stand.”
No matter how carefully we teach positive behavior, students will still sometimes misbehave. They'll forget the rules, their impulses will win out over their self-control, or they'll just need to test where the limits are. For example:
Janna rolls her eyes and snickers as Hector shares details of his weekend visit with his cousin during Morning Meeting.
William takes a pencil from a neighbor's desk and refuses to return it when asked by his classmate.
