Assertive Discipline-lee and Marlene

7/28/2019 Assertive Discipline-lee and Marlene

1/15

Lee and Marlene CantersAssertive Discipline


2/15

Assertive Discipline

The Theory Focuses on creating a classroom based on the rights

and needs of both the students and the teacher in the

classroom The climate of the classroom needs to be calm and

caring

Behavior must be humanely managed

What are the rights and needs of both students andteachers, according to theAssertive Disciplinemodel?


3/15

Rights and Needs

Students

1. Warm, supportive

classroom/teacher

2. Learning

3. Safety

4. Limits

Teachers

1. Support from

administration/parents

2. Teaching

3. Respect and trust

4. Enforce limits


4/15

Primary Teachings

1. In order for teachers to teach and students to learn, the rights and needs

ofall must be met.

2. Teachers rights include a classroom free of disruption and support from

administration and parents to establish this.

3. Teachers must remember that theirmission is to teach students and being

in control of the classroom is key to accomplish this.

4. Teachers must model the behavior that they want to see in their students.

5. Teachers need to directly teachstudents appropriate behavior.

6. Teachers need a discipline plan based on mutual respect and trust.

7. The plan must include both positive and negative consequences

8. Directives to students must be worded in a positive manner.

9. Teachers can be successful with all students, even difficult ones.


5/15

Teachers andAssertive

Discipline

According to the Canters, how do teachers interact with

their students?Hostile teacherssee their students as adversaries. They see theirrelationship as a power struggle, needing to lay down the law anduse harsh, loud commands to do this.

Withhostile teachers

students will: Feel that they are not liked

Feel unjustly controlled

The opposite behavior by a teacher is also possible


6/15


DisciplineNonassertive teachersbehave passively towards students. They

are inconsistent in their discipline plan and apply rules and

procedures in an arbitrary manner.

With nonassertive teachers, students will:

Feel that the teacher is wishy-washy and will not take the teachers

directives seriously!

Act confused about what is expected of them

The ideal teacher, according to theAssertive Discipline

Model, is


7/15


DisciplineAssertive!

Assertive teachers are clear, consistent and confident. They are

consistent in with discipline and apply rules and procedures in amanner that encourages students to behave in an acceptable

manner.

With assertive teachers, students will:Have their needs meet.

Know that they have rights and that they will be respected.

Have trust in their teacher and their teachers words and actions.


8/15

Good Discipline:

A Step-by-Step ApproachAccording to the Canters, good discipline is learned! Good

discipline is the fruit of creating a classroom environment of

mutual respect and trust.

How to begin?

1. Listen to students. Get to know them as individuals. Take an interest

in them as people. This includes communication with their parents, guardians

or caregivers.

2. Teach them how to behave. Teachers must model the behavior that

they expect their students to exhibit. Establish clear routines and procedures in

the classroom. Make sure that students understand what is expected. This may

need to be reinforced and reevaluated often through positive repetition of rules

and/or procedures.


9/15

A Step-by Step Approach

3. Have a Plan! This plan needs to include rules that are stated clearly and

positively. For example, say keep your hands to yourself rather than show

respect to others. It is very important that consequences are used consistently.

- Should include both negative and positive consequences

- Positive consequences are used when the teacher catches a student

being good

- Negative consequences should be used when students misbehaveor interfere with the rights of others to learn. Students should be

aware of consequences. (step 2)

They should never include physical or psychologically harmful forms of

punishment!


10/15

A Step-by-Step Approach

4. The Plan should have:

A discipline hierarchy that establishes clear consequences

that get increasingly harsher if infractions of rules or

directions are repeated.

The only effective way to make this work is to keep track of

student behavior. There are a variety of ways that this can

be accomplished.

Clearly post rules and consequences!


11/15

Difficult Students

According to the Canters, most students will respond well by using

their techniques. However, there will be some who may not, for a

variety of reasons. These difficult students need more attention

and guidance.

How can these students be included?

Reach out to them. Respond to them, dont just react.

Build a trusting relationship with them. Get to know them.

Students may have special needs, such as extra attention, firmer limits,

motivation.

The teacher should determine which need is the primary needand fill that

need first.


12/15

Difficult Students

Some suggestions for working with difficult students:

Write reminders to praise students with positive remarks that are genuine!

Be aware of nondisruptivemisbehaviors, such as withdrawing,

daydreaming, doodling etc. Use positive ways of redirecting such as eye

contact, physical proximity or calling on students.

Reactive confrontations may worsen relationships. The Canters suggest the

following:

1. Stay calm

2. Depersonalize the situation

3. Is it an covert or overt confrontation? Covert is when the student mumbles or sneers but

doesnt verbally confront. Overt is when the student draws other students into the situation

while defying the teacher.

4. Back-off hostile students! Deal with the whole class first. Talk with the student privately ata later time.


13/15

Strengths of Assertive

DisciplineIt Works

McCormack (1989)

Assertive Discipline can be a basis on which to build a more

comprehensive model of discipline, can raise and clarify teacher

expectations for behavior.

McDaniel (1989)

Perhaps the most telling evidence of the strength of Assertive Discipline

is its continued widespread popularity, which suggests that it provides

educators skills that work well for their students and themselves.

Charles (2002)


14/15

Criticism of Assertive

Disciplinecriticized for being unnecessarily harsh and too focused

on suppressing unwanted behavior rather than on helping

students learn to control their own behavior.Charles (2002)

we find no evidence that Assertive Discipline is an

effective approach deserving schoolwide ordistrictwide adoption.

Render, Padilla, & Krank (1989)


15/15

Some final thoughts

I could site other studies that support the effectiveness of Assertive

Discipline, but the real test of any educational approach is its use by

teachers, in classrooms, with students. Assertive Discipline undergoes

that testing in tens of thousands of classrooms every day.

Canter (1988)

The Canters continually modify their approach to ensure that it

remains effective as social realities change. Earlier they focused onteachers being strong leaders in the classroom, while now they

emphasized the building of trusting, helpful relationships between

teachers and students.

Charles (2002)

Documents

Assertive Discipline-lee and Marlene