|
Table of Contents
|
 “Children are more likely to be respectful when important adults in their lives respect them. They are more likely to care about others if they know they are cared about.” – Alfie Kohn, Beyond
Discipline:
From Compliance to Community Research indicates that one of the most effective interventions for encouraging positive behaviour is to build positive relationships that cross all age boundaries: among adults in the school community, between adults and students, and among students. The relationships between students and adults are particularly important; that is, relationships of students with teachers, bus drivers, agency partners, lunchroom staff and other adult members of the school community. Positive involvement in school activities and strong relationships with at least one adult at school can significantly change the way a student feels about school. Making contactWe held a session for bus drivers. We encouraged them to make personal contact with every student riding on their bus and offered practical strategies. In many cases it was as simple as making an effort to say hello to each student as he or she got on the bus each day. – Principal, rural junior high school Strong relationships between students, including peer mentorships, can also promote a sense of belonging to the school community. In all cases, these relationships must be built on both social skills and core values such as respect—the same kinds of values that are supported through character and citizenship education. By embracing, modelling and teaching core values, school staff can create a climate in which behavioural expectations are a natural extension of a belief in treating each other fairly and respectfully. Character education and effective behaviour supportsWe are in our fifth year of implementing an effective behaviour support system in our school. In the third year, we started to combine our efforts with a character education initiative, specifically focusing on the seven virtues outlined in Michele Borba’s Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues that Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing [for details, see Appendix B of this resource]. Our ongoing focus is on empathy and self-control. Every two weeks we have assemblies that focus on skill building and then follow up with activities to reinforce the skill. The assemblies, which are presented by cross-graded groups of students and teachers, introduce a skill related to a particular virtue. For example, we might talk about making positive choices related to fairness. The data we have collected over four years shows a dramatic drop in behaviour incidents and a corresponding increase in students’ ability to verbalize what they are feeling. Before we had a behaviour support system, you never knew how a student would react to what you said. Now our students, staff and parents have a common language that helps ensure that everyone is treated fairly. We can turn to students when there is a situation and ask, “Is that hurtful or helpful?” Effective behaviour supports and character education are congruent approaches because of the common language. The first initiative targets behaviour and teaches a specific skill. The second targets a virtue and teaches a specific skill. Character education is a nice extension that brings in the whole idea of being a good citizen and person: we are all responsible for our own behaviour. – Principal, urban elementary school
Enhancing home–school relationshipsParents are their children’s primary educators, particularly when it comes to social behaviour. Through their behaviour and attitudes, parents play direct and indirect roles in supporting a positive school culture. Gaining parents’ supportWhen I was appointed new principal of a Kindergarten to Grade 6 school, suspensions were all too common. We organized a staff development day to provide an opportunity to really talk about behavioural expectations, interventions and monitoring. Then we started collecting data. During the first year, we concentrated on monitoring suspensions only. The data we gathered was clear evidence that the frequency of suspension was inappropriate. Halfway through the school year, I presented this data to parents at a school meeting, along with information from the parent and student satisfaction surveys. Although the satisfaction surveys showed that the students felt safe and cared about, their attitude toward discipline was poor. There was also a perception among staff and the school community that the school had a weak discipline policy. So we clearly explained the rules about keeping hands to yourself, theft and picking up litter, and all parents and children signed the discipline form. Out of almost 400 families, less than half a dozen responded negatively. The parents actively supported our approach, and their support helped bring around some of the teachers who were initially skeptical. We kept parents informed through a newsletter. Suspensions dropped from 42 to fewer than 10, and issues of bullying dropped to a single incident that first year. Parents started to talk about what a great school we had! – Principal, elementary school Schools can use strategies such as these to support and enhance parental involvement.
Schools might develop an information sheet for parents similar to the one below. Parents’ tip sheet for supporting positive behaviour at homeThis term’s focus is on helping children develop self-discipline. You can use the following strategies to reinforce this positive behaviour at home.
|
