Why Schools Are "Failing" Discipline

Hello Parents.  It's very important for you to know what is going on in your child's classroom when it comes to discipline.  I suggest you work questions naturally into your conversations about school with your children.  "Does anybody get in trouble in your class?", "What did the teacher do when that happened", "Oh, they missed recess, how many kids missed recess?", "Does that happen a lot?" If you don't ask, you likely won't know, because when you ask a teacher or principal, they may say, "we use several positive interventions ideas throughout the school". This may sound great at first, but let's look a little closer at this idea. Based off the book, "Lost At School", by Dr. Ross Greene, the problem with this idea is that the good, problem free children get rewards and will continue to get the rewards and they already know how to be good, and don't actually need the incentive. Studies show, they will actually be good without the incentives. The "problem" kids, who may actually have an unfound disability, a serious problem at home, or may be regularly treated as a nuisance or worse by staff, never get the rewards, and won't because of their "problems".  So in reality, good rewards really don't work that well either when it comes to discipline. What children really need, is consistent, kind, respectful, nurturing from their teachers, and children with difficulties need even more of the same, as well as a team to help figure out what is wrong and what kind of help this child needs to be successful.  In the end, it most likely will not be a punishment. Did you know under section 504 of "The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the "Child Find Mandate", the school and staff actually have a legal duty to do exactly that.  If you have a child who routinely gets in trouble at school and you would like some advice, visit my contact page at Jordan's Advocate.com