Using DWS in Preschool with Students Who Have Special Needs
Posted by Teri Gibson, a member of the Discipline without Stress mailring. I have just begun using DWS this year with my 4 yr. old special needs preschool classes. I absolutely love it. No, my class is not perfect. No, DWS does not solve all behavior problems. What it does is this: For the first [...]
An example of developing procedures proactively to avoid problems.
The more I use the Discipline without Stress approach, the more I appreciate that Step One of the Teaching Model is key to the whole plan. We’ve just started a series of swimming lessons at our local Community Center for all the primary students in our school. This year I decided to be more proactive [...]
The most effective procedures are those that are carefully planned and explicitly taught.
Recently, the following post was shared on the Kinderkorner mailring by Marybeth Quig-Hartman, who generously allowed me to reprint it here. Note the amount of “teacher thinking” that Marybeth puts into developing her routines and the amount of class time she devotes to the teaching of procedures in the beginning of the school year. Such [...]
My class meetings are a disaster!
QUESTION: I teach two 8th grade “behavior modification classes,” mainly composed of students sent to us from alternative school or juvenile hall. I like the suggestion in your discipline book about holding class meetings but the ones I’ve tried so far have been a disaster. There is no way that I know of to keep [...]
How do you teach them to follow a certain procedure?
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 [...]
Tell me how procedures are used in a discipline situation.
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, [...]
I don’t understand the difference between expectations and rules.
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 [...]
I need help with procedures for first grade.
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. [...]
How do you make students aware of your expectations?
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: [...]
What can I suggest to these kids to help them stop talking?
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 [...]
