Discipline Answers

Throughout this summer, I’ve been emailing back and forth with one teacher in my province who wants to learn how the reading program my partner and I have developed, works in our grade one classroom. She is also quite interested in a program our K-6 school has instituted called “The Whole School Read,” in which [...]

QUESTION:
I am a high school Social Studies teacher. As a teacher of a content area, I don’t penalize my students for spelling errors on their assignments as an English teacher would, but at the same time, I don’t want to give them the impression that spelling isn’t important. I’m not having much success. Once the [...]

QUESTION:
I work with very low math students. 
Part of my plan for next year is to convince them that
 things can be different. I want to convince them that they can find
 success and not be so frustrated! The worst behavior cases seem
 to be the kids that have given up.
 But then [...]

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 [...]

QUESTION:

I am still waiting for my Discipline without Stress book to arrive, but this morning I introduced the system to my class anyway. Even though it’s almost the end of the year, I have such big behavior problems that I decided I had nothing to lose and everything to gain! However, I must have [...]

Through our use of the DISCIPLINE without STRESS approach, my teaching partner and I have come to understand that positive changes in behavior are more likely to occur when we prompt students to think about how they choose to operate in their lives. More and more often, we now practice the DISICPLINE without STRESS Principle [...]

QUESTION:
At our school, we have a program intended to create peace in our community. I am being told that I must teach the pledge that goes with this program. Although I do like the idea of encouraging kids to be peaceful, I wonder how a pledge would fit into a Discipline without Stress [...]

The following post was originally shared on the DISCIPLINE without STRESS mailring.
It highlights an important DISCIPLINE without STRESS 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 [...]

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:
Can you give me an example of how I can use the DISCIPLINE without STRESS system to motivate young students academically?
RESPONSE:
Here is an example from my own grade one classroom:
Before beginning a journal writing session, I might put two examples of writing on the board. On one sample, I would write all [...]