What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase discipline at school? For most, the image of a student sitting in the principal’s office receiving a lecture and being given a punitive consequence is more common than not. Honestly it bothers me that “the principal’s office” often brings a negative connotation. As educators we are in the profession of helping kids grow and this includes behaviorally. Elementary schools deal with kids in the age range of 5-12 years old. I for one did not have the world figured out when I was that young. As a leader of the building, you should create a culture of assisting students through a problem while providing accountability. The most dangerous thing you can do as part of discipline is make assumptions. We should never assume a child has the skill set to make correct decisions. Each instance should be seen as a learning opportunity, not a cause for punishment. One of my favorite sayings in regards to discipline is simple, but powerful: “If a child cannot read, we teach them read…if a child cannot add, we teach them to add…but if a child cannot behave, we ______?” If your answer to the blank is punish, I challenge you to consciously approach your next behavior situation with the mindset of teaching. There are situations where more severe consequences are necessary, but let’s focus on the circumstances where alternative options could be effective.
It is our job as educators to fully understand all students in our classroom, grade level, or building. At Rosehill, we are implementing a few programs that have greatly helped and allowed us to be proactive in avoiding the need for discipline. However, do not forget the words of Dr. Kenny Southwick, “Programs don’t help kids, people do.”
Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) https://www.pbis.org/
PBIS allows the focus of behavior to be placed on the positive and less on the punitive. School-wide expectations are created with common language so no matter your grade level, you know what is expected. Teaching expectations is the foundation of PBIS, which creates a proactive approach to avoid student behavior. An analogy to think of for PBIS is the sunscreen theory: It is better to apply sunscreen and avoid a sunburn than to wait and apply aloe vera to treat a sunburn.
Trauma Smart http://traumasmart.org/
Trauma is more prevalent in the school system today than ever. It is imperative that our toolboxes have a skill set to best know how to approach students with a traumatic background. As a staff we are going through an extensive training to better understand how trauma affects students, and will then move forward with applying the knowledge in our classrooms. I encourage you to build your knowledge of trauma and become sensitive to this matter.
Behavior Intervention Support Team (BIST) http://bist.org/
The BIST model utilizes four steps so educators, parents, and mentors have the ability to know when and how to intervene. This structured support enables youth to gain new skills and participate more fully in their homes, schools and communities. These steps create a consistent, supervised, safe environment in order to teach and protect all students.
The four steps of the BIST model are:
· Early Intervention
· Caring Confrontation
· Protective Planning
· Outlasting
BIST consultants will facilitate the development of a customized program that meets the unique needs of your specific community.
We will help you reach the following goals:
· Increase teaching time for all students
· Facilitate lifelong change in skill sets for even the most challenging students
· Decrease disruptive behavior in the classroom and at home
· Provide relief for adults who are working directly with youth
“Behavior Intervention Support Team (BIST).” Behavior Intervention Support Team (BIST) » BIST. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.
If you would like more information on any of the above programs, feel free to reach out to me at corystrathman@smsd.org. Otherwise continue to build solid relationships with your students and consistently work together with all kids to teach them appropriate behavioral skills.
Be Proactive, Not Reactive!
Cory Strathman