Discipline Answers

Author/Illustrator, Jeanette Winter, has written some amazing story books recording the efforts of ordinary people––turned heroes––through their initiative and Level D actions.  Any one of these picture books could be used to introduce or deepen an understanding of the concepts of Level D. Even adults and older students appreciate Winter’s books––not only as beautiful works of [...]

QUESTION: Do you introduce the DWS Hierarchy during the very first morning meeting or do you wait until a situation arises to talk about it?  BUT then I think you might embarrass the child whose behavior is inappropriate… Help! RESPONSE: One thing that I love about DWS is the whole concept of being proactive and [...]

For the past three years my elementary school has conducted a “School Procedures Tour.”  In the first year we conducted it in the spring––as a response to what teachers felt was some poor behaviour around the school at that time.  Following that, we became more proactive;  we started our school year with our tour.  By planning [...]

QUESTION: First day of school yesterday. I have about 31 4th/5th graders. Morning started off great, went downhill from there. I’m going to introduce the RRS essay tomorrow. DR. MARSHALL’S RESPONSE: If on the second day of school, essays are used, it means that many of the steps of the Teaching Model have been missed entirely. Some considerations: 1. [...]

Every once in a while, the subject of school awards comes up on the DWS mailring.  Usually the person is concerned that their school requires teachers to present student awards.  The concern is that this thinking doesn’t mesh well with the philosophy of someone wanting to foster internal motivation. On another mailring recently, I read [...]

A note of encouragement to teachers using DWS for the first time––from a member of the Yahoo DWS support group: I’d like to say something to teachers who might be struggling to use DWS for the first time.  I was in your place a couple of years ago.  I think one early mistake that I made––that [...]

QUESTION: If 95% of the kids are attentively listening, but two boys are making faces to each other and laughing, clearly not paying attention, how do you refocus them without calling them out in front of the class?  I get that it’s more effective to ask them about their behavior, but I wonder if I can I [...]

Dr. Marshall suggests that it is important to replace rules with procedures and expectations. Recently I took time to ask about a list of Rights and Responsibilities I noticed hanging on the wall of one alternative high school site that I visit regularly in my position as literacy teacher.  I learned that a number of [...]

QUESTION: I have 5 kids in my second grade class who take most of my attention because of their misbehavior.  I feel so badly for the other students who are on task and listening, because honestly, they don’t get very much of my attention.  I try to point out what Level D looks like and [...]

QUESTION: I’m moving grades this year.  I’m so used to first grade procedures that I can’t really visualize how things should be done in fourth grade?  What procedures do you think will be the most important to go over at the beginning of the year? RESPONSE: I taught grade four for many years before I [...]