Discipline is consistently ranked as one of the leading concerns of teachers.

• Discipline is often equated with punishment.

• Punitive consequences have inherent limitations:– Lying/Sneaky Behavior

– Fear

– May become neutral

– May become reinforcing

Arguing with an adolescent is like Mud Wrestling a PIG!

You both get dirty---

And the pig LOVES it!!

• Emotional and behavioral disabilities are contagious, affecting teachers and making classroom management more complicated. Teachers of students with mental retardation do not experience a slowdown in abstract thinking. Teachers who have students with dyslexia do not start reading letters backward. But teachers with troubled students in their class are hard pressed to maintain their own emotional and behavioral equilibrium.

(Henley, 1995)

A Comparison of Approaches to Academic and Social Errors

Academic Errors• Assume student is

trying• Assume error is

accidental• We provide practice

Edward Kameenui (circa, 1990)

Social Errors• Assume student is

NOT TRYING• Assume error is

DELIBERATE• We provide NO

PRACTICE

Mild/Universal Errors

A Comparison of Approaches to Academic and Social Errors

Academic errors• Assume student has

learned or was taught the wrong way

• We reteach, provide feedback and practice

Edward Kameenui, (Circa, 1990)

Social Errors• Assume student refuses

to cooperate• Assume student knows

right from wrong but is deliberately noncompliant

• Remove student from context and assume student has “learned lesson” and will behave in the future

Targeted/ Intense Errors

Encyclopedia Game

Teacher’s Encyclopedia of Behavior Management

• Forest VS. Trees

• Increased numbers of students with significant behavior problems in general education classes.

• Inclusive special education practices have increased the need for all teachers to be skilled in handling misbehavior.

Finding the Right Problem

• You have a class in which many students are hostile toward one another—especially in the form of sarcasm, ridicule, put-downs etc.

• Name Calling/Put Downs• Rude/Impolite• Smart-aleck/Inappropriate Humor

Finding the Right Problem

• You have a student who always had to have the last word. She will comply, but she will engage in verbal comebacks as long as you will continue to interact

• Arguing—Student with the Teacher

Finding the Right Place

• The last time you had a guest speaker your class was terrible—many students acting silly, disruptive, not participating and so on. You are beginning to question whether you should schedule any activity that is not part of the daily routine.

• Misbehavior during Special Events

Finding the Right Place

You praise a student, give a positive note or award a point and within ten minutes the student exhibits her worst misbehavior

• Reinforcement, Misbehavior after Receiving