It is well known that disruptive student behaviour negatively influences school climate and learning. For students to thrive socially and academically, it is critical that an orderly and safe classroom environment be created, a healthy respect for authority nurtured and student self-discipline developed.
Traditional school discipline with its exclusionary and adversarial practices is ineffective at achieving these goals because suspension and punishment break relationship just when the child needs supportive relationship the most. There is significant evidence that such practices, moreover, are ineffective at helping children develop new behaviours. In fact, children who are disciplined using exclusion or punishment show reduced motivation to maintain self-control, an increase in anger and weakened academic performance. Punishment and suspension also add to the risk trajectory of children who have experienced stress or trauma. It is no wonder, then, that highly punitive schools tend to have higher rates of violence, truancy, and aggression.
There is a better way… At Skye Collage we are implementing phase 1 of a child-centered approach to discipline we call the “Thrive Discipline Framework”. The framework uses five key principles to nurture the respect for authority, self-discipline and cooperation students need to thrive at school and beyond.
Proactive community building.
At Skye College we invest in proactively nurturing a safe, supportive, collaborative and caring culture. We achieve this, amongst other things, through frequent student and staff circles. Circles provide a platform where everyone belongs as equal members of the learning community. Circles are a forum to safely discuss issues that concern the social life of the class and to learn and practice new social and emotional skills.
Relational and self-management skills.
At Skye College our Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum will develop the critical skills students need to remain in right relationship with others and stay connected to their inner selves. These include self-regulation, mindfulness, listening without preconceived judgement and clearly expressing one’s own feelings and needs. Our SEL curriculum draws from several evidence-based approaches with a proven track record for improving social and emotional intelligence.
Clear expectations.
At Skye College we make sure expected behaviour is clearly defined, frequently and explicitly taught, and consistently reinforced throughout the school. Our “thrive behaviours” are clearly linked to the school’s vision (an education to thrive), so that students understand their purpose; not to control, but to equip. Students therefore not only know exactly what is expected, but also understand why these expectations are important.
A consistent restorative response to inappropriate behaviour.
By investing in proactive and preventative initiatives, unwanted behaviour can be dramatically reduced. When it does occur, however, it is critical to respond in a way that is consistent and restorative.
Consistency.
The Thrive Discipline flow chart brings consistency to teachers’ responses to unwanted behaviours. The flowchart not only guides teachers to use the least invasive intervention possible but also provides a way to elevate unwanted behaviours constructively and collaboratively when needed.
A restorative response.
When teachers respond to unwanted behaviour with a restorative mind-frame, the focus is not “what rule was broken and what punishment should be meted out…” Instead, teachers focus on understanding how the unwanted behaviour harmed people and relationships; how thing could be made as right as possible; and how connection could be restored. This is better – for both students and teachers. After all, when teachers feel that they must control students through fear of punishment, they experience high levels of stress in a confrontational classroom culture. In contrast, when teachers are supported to create cooperative communities through the development and maintenance of right relationships, stress decreases and culture becomes more positive and cooperative.
Restorative Discipline has shown that, in most cases, students will choose more respectful options when they come to understand, through dialogue, how their behaviour has impacted others. In other words, restorative approaches to discipline help students learn from their behaviour while strengthening connections to self and others. This makes it much less likely that students will repeat unwanted behaviours.
In summary, the Thrive Discipline Framework will create a safe, supportive, caring and collaborative culture through proactively building a positive school community, developing the skills students need for effective self-management and relationship, clarifying expectations and explicitly teaching thrive-behaviours. When unwanted behaviour does occur, the framework will guide teachers to respond in consistent and restorative ways that strengthen relationship and provide the learning experiences students need to thrive.
