After my teaching partner and I initially introduce the DWS Hierarchy to our primary students, we also introduce a smaller, portable version.   On this simpler version there are no descriptors, only the names of the four levels.  It’s made from a piece of black poster board (roughly 12″ by  24″) with a strip of magnetic tape on the back so that it attaches easily to our white board.

Typically it hangs at the front of the room where it’s highly visible and also easy to grab.  From there we can carry it to other places in the room as needed.  We might take it to the carpet/calendar area or to any space where an individual child or group of children would benefit from a DWS discussion. We find that frequent references to the Hierarchy (in relation to something that is happening in the moment,) is the secret to motivating the students in our class to want to aim for those higher levels.  If the Hierarchy is always within reach, we tend to be more proactive with it as well, using it before activities as a motivational tool.

Our portable Hierarchy actually looks much like a traffic light, although the colors are reversed from a real one (with green on top, yellow in the center and red on the bottom.)  Because it looks similar to a traffic light, I actually almost hesitate to mention it.  Traffic light symbols are often used in external reward systems and I don’t like people to think that those types of discipline plans have anything to do with the DWS approach.  However, I find this small Hierarchy to be such a valuable teaching tool that I wanted to share the idea.

Here is what it looks like:

When arranged as above, the colors on this portable Hierarchy correspond very well to the meanings of the colors on an actual traffic light.

  • Green on a traffic light means “GO.”  In DWS, the highest level of the Hierarchy, Democracy, is always the goal.  Therefore, any time you are acting on this highest level, what you do is acceptable and appropriate.  When operating on D Level, it’s as if you should feel free to “GO AHEAD with this choice.”
  • On a traffic light yellow is the color of “CAUTION.”  This is exactly the understanding we want children to gain about Level C.  Operation on Level C indicates that you are being motivated externally––making choices (about actions, decisions, behavior etc.,) based on something outside of yourself.  Whenever decisions are made based on something external, caution is advised.  In other words, it’s always wise to consider questions such as the following when you decide to operate on Level C: “Who am I following?”, “Where am I being led?”, “Does the person I am following have my best interests at heart?”
  • Red on a traffic light has a very clear meaning––“STOP!”  This corresponds very well to the understanding we want children to have about the lowest two levels of the Hierarchy. Both Levels A and B  (Anarchy and Bossing/Bullying) are unacceptable.  If you are operating on either of those levels, then there’s no question about it––you need to STOP.

Some related postings:

Please explain how the “Trash Scenario” is used to teach the Hierarchy

What are the most important things to understand about the DWS Hierarchy?

I need concrete examples of each level.


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Posted In: Teaching the Hierarchy
posted On: August 4, 2010: 4:29 pm: By Kerry Weisner
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