Discipline Answers

Here’s a very simple picture book with a poignant message that can be appreciated by readers of any age.  It’s brilliant! Told in just 7 sentences it is the quintessential story of  ”what might have been.”  It will touch your heart and inspire you to reach out to others! Mr. Duck and Mr. Rabbit are neighbors. [...]

In preparation for a new school year, I’ve been looking at lots of picture books lately.  One I picked up is the famous “Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse” by Kevin Henkes.  I can’t quite believe it myself but I’d never read this book before––and it’s been available for 14 years!  Turns out, it’s a great story [...]

QUESTION: Last week I discussed what each level looks like with my class. Now this week the kids are not very well behaved in the hallway.  I’ve prompted them by saying “Check your level.”  The two kids that have the most issues can pinpoint what level they’re at––and also what level they need to be [...]

QUESTION: I’d like to put my student’s names on clothespegs and then move them to different levels on the Hierarchy chart if they misbehave or do something at a high level?  Does this fit with the DWS approach? RESPONSE: Although it might seem as if clothepegs on the Hierarchy chart create a concrete visual to help remind [...]

QUESTION: This is my first year of teaching first grade.  I’ve brainstormed a list of classroom activities and now I want to make procedures for each one.  I’m not sure how to go about it though.  Can you give me an example? RESPONSE: Sure!  Let’s take the example of planning procedures for Show and Tell. [...]

QUESTION: I will be teaching 1st grade in a month!   People tell me I need to plan my procedures but I don’t really know how to get started.  HELP!!! RESPONSE: You’re very smart to be thinking ahead to the procedures that you want to teach in the beginning of the year.  It’s a very [...]

After my teaching partner and I initially introduce the DWS Hierarchy to our primary students, we also introduce a smaller, portable version.   On this simpler version there are no descriptors, only the names of the four levels.  It’s made from a piece of black poster board (roughly 12″ by  24″) with a strip of [...]

QUESTION: I usually involve the students in the creation of classroom rules.  To me, we are just agreeing upon how we can make our classroom a safe and fun place to be. I don’t know if it’s really so different from a DWS approach of having procedures, but “no rules.”  Isn’t this just a matter [...]

QUESTION: I’ve read the DWS book and understand the point of internal being more important that external. However, I teach in a self-contained class with kids that are moderately cognitively delayed. I will have kids with autism and some with oppositional defiant disorder too. They will not have internal motivation for a while (they CAN [...]

In DWS classrooms, teachers use Dr. Marshall’s four-leveled Hierarchy chart to introduce young people to empowering information about internal motivation.  Students of all ages learn that to be motivated internally (as opposed to being pressured or coaxed externally,) is the highest level of personal and social development.  In order for students to take full advantage of the [...]