QUESTION: I teach small groups in a reading pull-out program. I have students for 30-45 minutes every day. Do you think I could implement the Discipline without Stress approach effectively in my small group setting? RESPONSE: It is certainly possible to use the DWS approach in a small-group teaching situation. DWS is an effective tool [...]
August 2009
Monthly Archive
Can I use DWS in a small group/pull-out situation?
Role-playing Level C – a good idea!
Sherry, a fabulous grade six teacher at my school, mentioned to me one day that when she sees a child operating on Level B in her classroom, she uses the opportunity to do some role-playing. After she has asked the student to assess their level of behavior (and they can accurately assess it as Level [...]
Isn’t DWS very similar to Love and Logic?
A response by Claudia Payne, a member of the DWS Mailring: My school has spent a great deal of money training us on L&L. Buy DWS. It includes Jim Fay’s philosophy and is much easier to use since it is a “system” and can be used “publicly” without any demeaning of the student. When I [...]
How do I help students realize they are responsible for their own grade?
QUESTION: I teach a 10th grade remedial math class. My problem is this: Very few of the students are doing their home and class assignments. I am trying to get them to realize how it’s affecting their grade, however I noticed that whenever I give them a progress report they seem to feel that I [...]
My students are too young to write a reflection sheet.
QUESTION: Occasionally I feel the need to give one of my Kindergarten students a reflection sheet but at this age they can’t write. Then what? DR. MARSHALL’S RESPONSE: Establish a reflection table for misbehaving students with the comment, “It seems to me that you need some reflection time to bring your behavior to a higher [...]
With all these reflective questions, B students are getting all the attention!
QUESTION: I want to recognize my Level C and D students more but it seems that the B ones are getting all the attention; I keep having to asking them reflective questions! For example, if they are all squirmy and loud in the hall I have been asking them, “Do you think your behavior is [...]
10-15 students are arriving late – every day!
QUESTION: I am currently in a situation where I am the permanent teacher, taking the place of another teacher. I have been in this position for about 3 weeks now, and I have noticed that many students arrive late every day. Not just one or two but 10-15 students are arriving late to my class! [...]
How can I handle students who won’t take no for an answer?
QUESTION: I teach a class of remediation seniors who have not passed the high school exit exam. They are very difficult to control. Nothing fazes them. There are two or three who simply do not take no for an answer. They ask to go to the bathroom, get a drink, make a phone call. I [...]
Does it matter what kind of home a child is from?
QUESTION: Do you think it makes any difference to the success of the DWS program what kind of home the child is from, or what methods the rest of the faculty uses for discipline? DR. MARSHALL’S RESPONSE: Re: Home Life Focus on the behavior––not the “why” for the behavior. Regardless of the “why,” everyone still [...]
How does the Responsive Classroom model dovetail with DWS?
QUESTION: Can anyone tell me please, how the Responsive Classroom Model dovetails with Dr. Marshall’s teachings? I think there are lots of connections and would like to explore them more. RESPONSE: The Responsive Classroom website explains: ”At the heart of the Responsive Classroom approach are 10 classroom practices.” Those that are either in common with DWS [...]
