Discipline Answers

QUESTION: I am a student teacher in a 3rd grade class.  My college says that you should never start a lesson with “Take out your math book.”  Okay… then how do you get the kids to take  out their math books?  My other question is how do you get them to do it right away? It usually takes [...]

QUESTION: I don’t understand how the teaching of procedures can be used in a discipline situation.  Can you give me an example. RESPONSE: The following anecdote is an example of how a Discipline without Stress teacher dealt with misbehavior by introducing some new procedures. BEING SELF-DISCIPLINED WITH PENCILS! Having used DwStress for several years now, [...]

QUESTION: I’m a middle school art teacher. I’ve just read Dr. Marshall’s DWS book.  I want to use it in my teaching but I’m having trouble understanding expectations vs. rules. The two sound the same to me just that they have different labels. I’m not sure if I need to convert what I have used in [...]

QUESTION: I need help with beginning of the year procedures instruction for first grade. RESPONSE from a member of THE DWS MAILRING: I can tell you a little about what I do with my first graders. The first day of school is all about them going home feeling GOOD about school – their new teacher, class, and school itself. [...]

QUESTION: I’ve always started the year by setting up classroom rules. Usually I keep it simple—just four rules: 1) Be safe  2) Be respectful,  3) Be responsible, and; 4) Be kind. Would you ever do this as part of the DWS approach? If not, then how do you make students aware of your expectations? RESPONSE: [...]

QUESTION: The biggest problem I have in implementing this discipline approach is kids talking when they’re not supposed to. We go through the questions about what level that behavior is and whether it’s appropriate, which they are able to answer just fine. But when I ask them what can they do next time (or when [...]

The following post was originally shared on the DWS mailring. It highlights an important DWS teaching attitude–that of choosing to view a negative situation (students doing a poor job of completing and returning homework) as an opportunity to help students to take responsibility. In addition to demonstrating the Principle of Positivity, this post also illustrates [...]

QUESTION: I am a student teacher in a 1st grade class. Love the kids but I have a really hard time getting them to listen during our morning meeting time! At least three are ADD but some are just immature. The kids seem to enjoy the activities and greetings I present but their inattention creates [...]

QUESTION: I have recently taken over a classroom, as a substitute for three weeks. The teacher of this classroom has been on leave for some time and the students have had many temporary teachers. I feel that I am using all the correct educational practices but the discipline problems in this class are extensive. I [...]

In discipline situations, Dr. Marshall suggests that before moving to the second phase of the Raise Responsibility System—Checking for Understanding—effective teachers will first try to make use of various “unobtrusive techniques.” These are explained in detail on pp. 90-93 of DISCIPLINE WITHOUT STRESS, PUNISHMENTS or REWARDS. The use of very simple techniques involving body language, [...]