Educational Discipline Models

Over these past few months I’ve started doing some more formal research into different discipline models to support 121’s approach. Although what we are doing doesn’t fall neatly into any one model I found resonance with a few of them.

Glasser’s Model: Making Choices

William Glasser makes use of what is called the ‘class meeting’ method, where the class together decides on what behaviour is acceptable or not and what the consequences of negative behaviour will be. This model is based on the idea that learners are rational beings capable of making decisions about their own behaviour, It forces learners to continuously make choices for themselves. When a learner misbehaves they are given a clear choice: You can stop doing that or you can face either this consequence or that consequence. Learners are asked: "What choices did you have? Why did you make that choice? Did you like the result? What have you learned?"

This is an approach 121 makes us of all the time in detention. At the start of every detention session, the main facilitator (which we call the ‘pilot’) walks the class through a process of defining what behaviour is or is not acceptable in the detention session. This is approached in a different and creative way each week. The facilitators then outline the consequences of negative behaviour. Usually these are a series of consequences learners can choose from. For example, if they are disrupting their small group, they may either spend the rest of the session with the pilot at the front of the class, or with the teacher on duty elsewhere in the school. Most choose to sit with the pilot and still be part of what is happening.

Ginott’s Model: Modeling the behaviour you want to see

In this model, key is modeling what you want learners to do. This forms the backbone of our approach at 121. It’s no use having a program on controlling your anger if we as facilitators keep losing our tempers! We also see no point in yelling at learners to keep quiet. Rather than reducing the noise, we would only be adding to it! We make use of silence as a form of silencing the group. The pilot will stand at the front of the room and wait with a silent ‘presence’, catching the eye of learners that continue to talk until the group comes to quietness. This takes longer but saves the pilot their voice and their energy!

Ginott stresses that teachers need to speak to learners as they would want to be spoken to. Sarcasm is seen as hazardous, as is attacking the learner personally. Rather, educators are encouraged to address what the learner is doing as opposed to labeling the learner themselves as being ‘bad’ or ‘disruptive’. “Labeling disables”. Ginott argues that teachers are at their best when they help learners develop their trust in themselves and their ability to control their own behaviour.

There are several other models that we’ll explore in later blog posts. What many of these models have in common is that they encourage learners to take personal responsibility. Rather then needing to rely on external factors to keep them in line, they need to learn self control and, paradoxically, the freedom that comes from imposing limits and boundaries on ourselves.