Using procedures to gain the cooperation of a passive-aggressive student
My teaching partner and I have a little girl in our grade one classroom this year who is very stubborn and actually downright defiant in a passive aggressive way. Right from the beginning of the year she would deliberately do the opposite of whatever the teacher was asking or quietly not do anything at all. When everyone was [...]
When do you introduce the Hierarchy?
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 [...]
One day last February we learned that a new boy would be joining our grade one class. In an effort to be proactive, my teaching partner, Darlene, planned a class meeting the day before he arrived. She wanted to encourage the students to welcome the new child and she also hoped to avoid a 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 the level of their own behavior (and they can accurately assess it [...]
Some “evidence” that DWS really gets kids thinking!
This week I had a neat experience while teaching a grade 7 student at my newest job at the middle school. I just thought I’d share. For those who don’t know me, I have three teaching positions, all of which are shared with the same partner. Darlene and I share a grade 1 classroom, each [...]
Sharing My Latest DWS Success!
Posted by J.E., a member of the Discipline without Stress mailring. Here is my latest success: Last Friday, three third graders left their homeroom in route to my class (science) and on the way, chose to yell and scream and play an impromptu game of tag. (At my school, we don’t walk the kids from [...]
How can I help a child who says he likes Level A?
QUESTION: Today I began introducing the DwStress Hierarchy to my class. As we were discussing the four levels of behavior, one boy with emotional problems said, “I like Level A. I like to be on Level A. I don’t want to be on Level C or D.” This boy has had so much negative attention [...]
Can I keep them in at recess to finish work?
QUESTION: My class talks so much that I would like to keep them in at recess to get their work done. Is this against the philosophy of DwStress?? RESPONSE: It would depend on how the situation comes about. Dr. Marshall points out that imposed consequences are typically viewed as punishments by students and so lead [...]
How do I teach students to ignore a misbehaving classmate?
QUESTION: I have a 3rd grade student who is demonstrating increasingly disruptive behaviors. I have all kinds of support with him – my principal, school counselor, behavioral specialist – we’re all involved, every day. This boy can work elsewhere when he can’t manage in the classroom. My question is this: How do I teach the [...]
Level D Integrity at the Beach
Almost every year, Darlene, my teaching partner, and I, do a dinosaur unit in our primary classroom. As a culmination to a month of learning about dinosaurs and fossils, we always plan a field trip to Darlene’s house, which is located close to a beautiful sandy beach. The “Dinosaur Dig” is often the highlight of [...]
