QUESTION:
The biggest problem I have in implementing this discipline approach is kids talking when they’re not supposed to. We go through the questions about what level that behavior is and whether it’s appropriate, which they are able to answer just fine. But when I ask them what can they do next time (or when they need to list strategies on their reflection sheets,) all they ever say is “don’t talk,” or “ignore others.” What can I suggest to these kids to help them stop talking?

DR.MARSHALL’S RESPONSE:
“Don’t talk” and “ignore others” are not procedures. As usual, go back to step one of the DISCIPLINE without STRESS Teaching Model and have them create and practice a procedure(s).

Have students work in small groups. The assignment is, “Your neighbor is talking and it is getting in the way of your learning. What procedure can your group come up with that can be used to remind other students that they are letting an impulse direct their behavior? What can we do to gently remind others in our class to self-reflect?”

Each group will come up with some procedure. You can have the groups share.

Here is what you have done with this approach:

(1) You have empowered the group. If someone is talking when the person should not be, you now EXPECT the group to handle the situation. The problem/challenge is now theirs.

(2) You have had the students create a procedure that would not be insulting.

(3) You were positive. You replaced a negative (“Don’t talk” and “ignore others”) with some action–something that the students themselves created and own.

http://www.marvinmarshall.com/impulsemanagement.html has an example of text you may want to refer to.

Expect to periodically reinforce and practice.

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Posted In: Procedures in the Classroom, RRSystem in Action
posted On: July 19, 2007: 8:17 pm: By Kerry Weisner
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