Classroom
Management for Middle and Secondary Schools
THE CLEARING HOUSE - Volume 79 Number 1
(Pages 51 - 54)
In an attempt to provide ideas and ways
to make middle and secondary schools
physically and psychologically safe, we
asked a number of experts to write
articles for this special symposium
edition of The Clearing House. Rather
than prescribing specific writing
topics, we asked the authors to share
their beliefs on what contributes to
classroom management and to making
middle and secondary schools safe.
—M. Lee Manning, Professor and Eminent
Scholar and Katherine T Bucher,
Professor—both with the Department of
Educational Curriculum and Instruction,
Old Dominion University, Norfolk,
Virginia - Guest Editors, page 5
Discipline without Stress®
Punishments or Rewards
by Marvin Marshall
This article may be reproduced in
whole or in part as long as reference is made to MarvinMarshall.com
The subject of discipline is often
confused with classroom management.
"I appreciated your differentiation
between classroom management and
discipline. After 35 years in the
classroom, I can see how so many times
discipline problems are exacerbated by
poor management." (Baiotto 2003).
Although related, classroom management
and discipline are distinctly different
topics.
Classroom Management
Classroom management deals with how
things are done. It entails structure,
procedures, and routines, to the point
of becoming rituals. When procedures are
explained to and practiced by students,
and, when necessary, periodically
reinforced by practicing again,
classroom management is enhanced. When
procedures are learned, practiced, and
reinforced, instruction becomes
efficient. This is the foundation of
classroom management and is a prime
responsibility of the teacher.
Chances are that when you walk into a
room, you do not pay much attention to
the floor, but if it were missing, that
would be obvious. This analogy describes
the difference between effective and
ineffective classroom management. You do
not notice it when it is good, but
without it, it’s lack is readily
apparent.
Discipline
In contrast to classroom management,
discipline is the responsibility of the
student. Discipline has to do with
appropriate behavior. Although it is
incumbent upon the teacher to maintain a
classroom conducive to learning, a
person is responsible for his or her
behavior.
When teachers take on the role of
disciplining students, they deprive
young people of the opportunity to
become more responsible. A far more
effective approach is for students to
develop procedures to help redirect
irresponsible impulses. In addition, the
usual approach is for the adult to
impose some form of consequence or
punishment. When this occurs, students
have no ownership in the decisions, take
on a victimhood mentality, and have
negative feelings toward the imposers.
Since the use of coercion engenders
negative feelings, such external
approaches are counterproductive to good
relationships and are effective only
temporarily.
Three Principles to Practice
Superior teachers are aware of three
practices that enhance classroom
management and promote responsible
behavior. Following is a brief
description of each.
Positivity
The first principle to practice is to be
positive. People do better when they
feel better, and that which people
perceive affects the way they feel. For
example, if you receive a compliment,
then a positive feeling emerges. On the
other hand, if you are criticized, a
negative feeling erupts. Effective
teachers communicate in a way that
promotes what is desired, rather than
what is not desired. For example, Stop
talking becomes This is quiet time and
No running becomes We walk in our
hallways. The first practice to promote
appropriate behavior is to be proactive
by presenting expectations that are
positive.
Choice
The second principle to practice is to
offer choices in any situation or
activity. Choice empowers. Since people
do not argue with their own choices,
this approach engenders ownership (a
necessary requirement for lasting
changes) while, simultaneously, reducing
resistance. Many behavior problems erupt
when the student perceives especially in
front of peers that no option is
available. The student feels cornered.
The lack of options often prompts
feelings that lead to resistance and
even defiance. Having options reduces
these negative feelings that coercion
fosters.
Living three options reduces any sense
of coercion. When options are presented,
a student feels empowered as opposed to
overpowered. Offering choices diffuses
the emotional charge of a tense
situation prompted by feelings of
coercion. The misbehaving student is
prompted to think, rather than
impulsively react, because the student
is required to make a choice. For
example, if, after continual
disruptions, a student were given a form
that asked, Would you rather complete
the form (1) in your seat, (2) in the
back of the room, or (3) in the office?
resistance to the task would diminish.
Reflection
The third principle superior teachers
practice has to do with understanding
the differences between controlling
someone else and attempting to change
someone else. Although we can control a
person, the control is only physical. No
one can control how another person
thinks or what the other person wants to
do. In addition, control is only
temporary.
Answering the following question
explains a fundamental concept of the
approach: Think of one person in your
life and ask yourself whether you have
ever changed that person. You will
quickly conclude that you might have
influenced the person to change, but in
the final analysis the person did the
actual changing. As mentioned, we can
control another person temporarily, but
no one can actually change another
person. People change themselves, and
the least effective approach to actuate
another person to change is through the
use of coercion, be it telling or
through imposed punishments, or
manipulation by bribery. (http://www.AboutDiscipline.com).
Reflect for a moment: Do you enjoy being
told what to do? Telling is coercive
because the inference is that what you
are doing is not good enough and that
you need to change. No one likes to hear
this message.
Asking reflective questions is
significantly more effective and longer
lasting than telling someone what to do.
Learning to ask reflective questions is
a skill that anyone can learn. What
would an extraordinary person do in this
situation? and If you could not fail,
what would you do? are reflective and
empowering communications. Here is a
reflective and powerful one I use in my
seminars: If I were a student, would I
want me as a teacher?
The Raise Responsibility System
Communicating in positive terms,
offering choices, and honing the skill
of asking reflective questions are three
principles to practice. They provide a
foundation for the Raise Responsibility
System, which is a discipline and
learning system composed of three parts:
(1) teaching a hierarchy of social
development (teaching), (2) checking for
understanding (asking), and (3) guided
choices (eliciting).
(1) Teaching the hierarchy (Teaching)
Promoting responsible behavior starts
with teaching a hierarchy of four
developmental levels. As with Jean
Piaget’s hierarchy of cognitive
development, Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy
of needs, and Lawrence Kohlberg’s
hierarchy of moral development, the
nature of a hierarchical structure
positions the highest level as the most
desirable one. Exposure to the levels
encourages responsible behavior if for
no other reason than the motivating
principle of challenge.
The approach is proactive in that
concepts are taught at the outset. It is
also positive, offers choices, and
prompts reflection. This is in contrast
to the more traditional approach of
reacting after irresponsible behavior
with a negative approach that is usually
coercive and adversarial.
The concepts comprise four levels of
social development that are made
meaningful by the examples students
create for their own classroom. The
levels are:
|
(D) Democracy
(Highest level) |
| |
Develops self-discipline
Demonstrates initiative
Displays responsibility
Democracy and responsibility are
inseparable
Internal motivation |
| |
|
|
(C) Cooperation/Conformity |
| |
Considerate
Complies
Conforms to peer pressure
External motivation |
| |
|
|
(B) Bossing/Bullying |
| |
Bothers others
Bullies others
Breaks laws and standards
Must be bossed to behave |
| |
|
|
(A) Anarchy (Lowest level) |
| |
Absence of order
Aimless and chaotic |
Levels A and B are not acceptable levels
of behavior. Because schools are
organized institutions, level A is
introduced only to understand the
hierarchy of social development. Notice
that only level B uses a verbal or
gerund form. This prevents referring to
anyone as a bully. The verbal form also
emphasizes that an irresponsible
behavioral level is chosen. People at
this level make their own rules and
standards, rather than following
appropriate expectations. Level B
behavior naturally prompts the use of
authority. However, authority can be
used without punishment or coercion, as
will be seen in the third phase of the
system.
Level C refers to expected behaviors, a
requirement for a civil society. It
includes following the procedures that
the teacher establishes for classroom
management. Cooperation is emphasized at
the elementary levels, but in middle and
high schools this level takes on an
additional dimension. Discussions
include the powerful influence of peer
pressure and situations where such
conformity would not be in the best
interests of either the individual or
society. Motivation at this level is
external; its intent is to please or
influence someone else.
Level D is the goal. It represents the
ideal of taking the initiative to act
responsibly because it is the right
thing to do. A hierarchy is also used to
promote effort in learning (http://www.MarvinMarshall.com/hierarchy.htm).
Both levels C and D are acceptable. The
difference is in the motivation. Level C
aims at obedience, but obedience does
not create desire. Ask a student to pick
up a chair that is on its side and the
student will do so. However, if the
student picks up the chair without being
asked, a positive feeling is engendered.
Taking the initiative to do the right
thing feels good. Obeying a directive
simply lacks this positive emotional
component.
The usual terms employed when discussing
motivation are extrinsic and intrinsic.
When referring to motivation with the
Raise Responsibility System, the terms
external and internal are used because
responsibility is not a characteristic
that we associate with intrinsic
motivation. The motivation to be
responsible is more cognitive and rooted
in ethics and values, in contrast to the
emotion or feeling that is associated
with the word intrinsic. (Technically,
however, whether any motivation can be
extrinsic or external is another subject
beyond the discussion of this article.)
The levels can be illustrated by using a
traffic signal. Levels A and B have a
very clear meaning: stop. These are
unacceptable levels of behavior. The
yellow refers to level C and indicates
caution. This signal communicates a
situation that can go in one of two
directions: up to level D (doing the
right thing because it is the right
thing to do) or down to level B (doing
something inappropriate or
unacceptable). At level C, it is
important to think carefully and
cautiously about the results of one’s
choices. It engenders reflecting on
questions such as, Is this really where
I want to go? and Will it bring results
that are going to be positive for me and
others? The green of the signal at level
D indicates that it is safe to go with
the responsible choice.
(2) Checking for Understanding (Asking)
Disruptions are handled by Checking for
Understanding. The purpose is for the
disrupting student to acknowledge the
chosen behavioral level. Acknowledging
the level is necessary in order to
accept responsibility. The vast majority
of situations are handled by simply
using this basic learning theory of
teaching (the concepts) and then
checking for understanding (asking to
recognize the level chosen). The
self-evaluating questioning strategy
encourages students to reflect on their
level of self-chosen behavior. The
effect of this procedure is, to quote
one teacher,
"They (students) know almost instantly
when they need to make a better choice.
This takes less time away from
instruction and keeps the classroom
climate stress-free and positive." (Capell
1999)
This very important part of the system
involves asking young people to reflect
on their own chosen level of behavior.
This simple prompt to reflect
immediately stops the vast majority of
inappropriate behaviors. In contrast to
asking the student, if the adult
identifies the level of behavior, the
student has been deprived of the
opportunity to reflect and become more
responsible.
A number of factors are engaged using
these two foundational steps of teaching
and then asking. Perhaps the most
important is that the approach separates
the person from the behavior, the act
from the actor, the deed from the doer.
This is a critical concept to
understand. Everyone has a natural
tendency to defend one’s own actions.
Oftentimes, this leads to a
confrontation between teacher and
student. By referring to a level outside
of oneself, the tendency for
defensiveness is eliminated. Other
beneficial factors include an
understanding between internal and
external motivation; empowerment to
address Level B, bully-type behavior;
and the fostering of character
education.
(3) Guided Choices (Eliciting)
Continued or repeated disruptions are
handled by Guided Choices. Authority is
used but without being punitive. The
purpose is to stop the disruption and
give the student a
responsibility-producing activity and/or
to develop a procedure to redirect
future impulses.
As with Checking for Understanding, in
Guided Choices the teacher asks rather
then tells. Asking bypasses emotions
prompted by the brain's amygdala and
prompts the brain to reflect. Since the
student is making a decision and is not
being coerced, dignity is preserved and
confrontation is avoided.
A major reason for the effectiveness of
the system is that students know and
feel that they will not be harmed.
Students understand that the teacher’s
intention is for student growth, not
punishment. Students clearly understand
that the teacher wants to help students
to help themselves, rather than being
victims of their inappropriate
behavioral impulses.
Suppose that Michael sticks his foot out
into the aisle in an attempt to trip
Jimmy. The teacher’s conversation to
Michael sounds like the following:
Michael, every time you stick your foot
out to trip Jimmy you are a victim of
your impulses. Do you want to go through
life being a victim? If not, let's think
of some procedure you can rely on so
that when you get that impulse you will
be able to redirect it. Without your
having some procedure, you will continue
to be a victim of your impulses.
Although essays and self-diagnostic
referrals are available for future
disruptions, the most effective approach
is to elicit a consequence or procedure
to redirect future inappropriate
behaviors. Since people generally do not
argue with their own decisions, an
elicited decision does not engender the
usual negative, adversarial, and
victimhood reaction aroused when a
decision is imposed. Incidentally,
because the decision is the student’s,
rather than the teacher’s, this approach
gains parental support.
Conclusion
The key to effective classroom
management is teaching and practicing
procedures. This is the teacher’s
responsibility. Discipline, on the other
hand, has to do with behavior and is the
student’s responsibility. Superior
teachers practice the three principles
of being positive with students,
offering choices, and prompting
reflection. The Raise Responsibility
System employs a proactive approach that
establishes expectations by first
teaching a hierarchy of social
development. During inappropriate
behavior, the teacher asks or suggests
that the disruptive student reflect on
the level of chosen behavior. If
disruptions continue, a consequence or
procedure is elicited in contrast to the
usual approach of being imposed to
redirect inappropriate impulses.
Employing the three principles to
practice and the Raise Responsibility
System is a significantly more effective
approach to promoting responsible
behavior than are traditional
adversarial and negative approaches.
Suggested Readings
Marshall, M. 1998. Fostering Social
Responsibility. Bloomington, IN: Phi
Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
______. 2001. Discipline without Stress®
Punishments or Rewards - How Teachers
and Parents Promote Responsibility and
Learning. Los Alamitos, CA: Piper Press.
______. 2005. Promoting Positivity,
Choice, and Reflection, Leadership
(Association of California School
Administrators), 34 (5): 28-30.
Marshall, M., and K. Weisner. 2004.
Using a Discipline System to Promote
Learning. Phi Delta Kappan 85 (7):
498-507.
Key
words: discipline, positivity, choice, reflection
REFERENCES
Baiotto, K. March 23, 2003. Personal
communication.
Capell, D. January 7, 1999. Personal
communication.
Marshall, M. http://www.AboutDiscipline.com
Marshall, M.
http://www.MarvinMarshall.com/hierarchy.htm
