The Importance of Believing in Others
Featured this week on TED.com is a rare 4 minute video clip taken from a 1972 lecture by Victor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning. You may remember that in the early pages of the DWS book, Dr. Marshall mentions Victor Frankl. Dr. Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, dramatically demonstrated through his own actions and [...]
Looking for a quote to encourage good choices
QUESTION: I want to make an banner for my room. Do you have a good quote that would encourage students to make good choices? DR. MARSHALL’S RESPONSE: Here’s one I used in my classes: Responsibility finds a way. Irresponsibility finds excuses.
Dealing with an uncooperative student
In our second year of working with DWS, my teaching partner and I had a student with special needs. Chronologically he was old enough to be in grade three but emotionally and cognitively grade one was a much better placement for him. At that time I wrote about one experience with this boy that taught [...]
Using DWS to deal with younger siblings visiting in the classroom
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 [...]
Choice-Response Thinking – In a Poem!
Recently I came across this poem by Portia Nelson. AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS by Portia Nelson I I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk I fall in. I am lost … I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes me forever to find a way out. [...]
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 [...]
Choose your teacher–just for the day!
QUESTION: I recently signed up to be a substitute teacher. As such, I don’t really have enough time to fully explain all the procedures and levels of Discipline Without Stress. Classes at middle and high school are only 50 minutes long. What can I do as a sub, in order to manage the class and [...]
HELPING A SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENT DEVELOP SELF-DISCIPLINE
My teaching partner, Darlene had a very effective “DISCIPLINE without STRESS discussion” this week with Casey, one of our Special Needs students. Although Casey is several years older than the other children in our Grade One class, socially he does best with this age group because he has the same play interests as six year [...]
Would a school pledge fit into the DWS approach?
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 approach. [...]
A couple of years ago one my students made a little gift for every child in the class. It was a tiny figure made from little plastic beads. She was keen to give them out and so as the class started to eat their morning snack, I agreed with her that this would be a [...]
