Discipline Answers

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 [...]

Shared by Robin Tzucker on the DISCIPLINE Without STRESS Mailring: One of the reasons I like this system so much is that it feels much nicer to be in a place where everyone is treated equally. Kids don’t always need the same things, so there will always be plenty of times when we need to [...]

QUESTION: Next year, I’m going to be the first teacher in my school to implement DISCIPLINE without STRESS. My concern is that our school has a store and students can receive “Duck Bucks” for behaving, doing good deeds, etc.–our mascot is a duck. At the end of the quarter, the kids can buy things. I [...]

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 [...]

My teaching partner and I have always provided a home reading program for our grade one students. We give each one a ziplock bag in which to store their home reading books and every morning they make an exchange, taking two new books home. Well, that’s the theory of it anyway! In reality, we have [...]

QUESTION: I have just read the book and plan to implement DISCIPLINE without STRESS in this coming school year. I anticipate that I might have a problem with giving into the urge to praise individuals or the class as a whole. I can see myself saying, “Look at these students who have been C and [...]

QUESTION: As a Learning Assistance teacher, I work with small groups of students for 30-45 minutes every day. All of the teachers at my school use the “colored card, stickers and treasure chest” method of classroom discipline. I don’t think they’ve ever seen an extrinsic reward they didn’t like! Do you think I could still [...]

QUESTION: At our last behavior team meeting, it was decided that a “sticker behavior plan” should be implemented for one of my students who doesn’t accomplish much in class. I’m new to Discipline without Stress and I’m wondering if this kind of individual behavior plan would work in conjunction with this approach? It seems contradictory. [...]