Teachers hear discipline plan
City teachers hear discipline plan
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By Brian Kimball
Published: June 12, 2008
Disrespectful, stubborn, disruptive, troublemakers – that's how some teachers describe students with behavior problems whom they discipline on a regular basis.
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‘State it positively'
Rather than telling students what not to do, teachers should tell them what they should do, McDougal said.
For example, don't post a rule that reads, "No talking out of turn.” Instead have the sign read "Remain quiet unless called upon,” he said.
"Behavior management is always evolving,” said Ginger Sherman, a Hawthorne Elementary special education teacher. "Ten years ago it was, ‘If you don't do this you get your name on the board.' It was more negative. Now it's like, ‘State it positively,' and it works. It does work.”
McDougal gave 53 seminars across the nation last year and said he received a lot of positive feedback.
"So many times we fall into the pitfalls of thinking of behavior and negative consequences,” said Arden Kaiser, a seventh grade math teacher at Jefferson Middle School. "(McDougal) is emphasizing consequences for positive behavior, which by all means is the way to do it. That's the way real life is.”
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