Video:What Is Positive Discipline?
with Meghan Lynn AllenLearn what positive discipline is so that you can implement it in your classroom successfully. Here are some tips on using positive discipline in secondary education.See Transcript
Transcript:What Is Positive Discipline?
Hi! This is Meghan Lynn Allen for About.com, and today we're answering the question: what is positive discipline?
Definition of Positive Discipline
Positive discipline is a response to behavior that's designed to make that behavior occur less likely in the future. And it can help create order in the classroom. Positive discipline is a method that teaches rather than punishes. There are no good or bad kids -- just behavior that needs to be corrected.
Encourage Teaching With Positive Discipline
Positive discipline teaches such things as a sense of connection, personal capabilities, long-term solutions, problem solving and mutual respect. Positive discipline doesn't just try to address a single incident; it tries to root out the causes of the problem. It encourages consistent expectations and responses and it should be a learning experience for both the student and the teacher.
Thank Students With Positive Discipline
Use positive recognition by calling attention to the student's positive behavior. And if they act out negatively, try not to focus on the negative, but focus on the positive. And if they do something good, encourage it and say thank you out loud. For example: "Thank you Johnny, for closing the door quietly."
Examples of Positive Discipline
Another example of positive discipline and recognition is creating an awards system and giving out awards weekly or monthly in the classroom that encourages positive behavior. You can also draw attention to their achievements in the classroom and display them prominently.
Avoid Aggression With Positive Displine
And stay away from being loud and aggressive about their negative behavior. If they're not focusing in class, maybe just a simple, subtle hand on the shoulder to get them to focus. Looking for another neutral way to stop your student's negative behavior? Try the "grocery list" look. That's that stare that's neither negative nor positive, but makes them just uncomfortable enough to snap to attention.
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