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PROMOTING RESPONSIBILITY & LEARNING
The Monthly Newsletter by Marvin
Marshall
Companion to
Discipline Without Stress
Volume 2, Number 1
January 2002
Our circulation increased from a little over 200 subscribers
when we started in August, 2001, to more than 600 at the
end of
the year.
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Welcome
2. Promoting Responsibility
3. Increasing Effectiveness
4. Improving Relationships
5. Teachers.Net: Promoting Learning:
 Exercise
Combining Positivity, Choice, and Reflection
6. Your Questions Answered
7. Public Seminars
8. What Others Are Saying About The Book
"DISCIPLINE
WITHOUT STRESS, PUNISHMENTS or REWARDS
How Teachers and
Parents Promote Responsibility & Learning"
9. About this Newsletter
My travels regularly take me
to New York where I am working with four schools in upper Manhattan and Harlem.
At a recent meeting of representatives from the schools, a very interesting
comment was made. A representative said that her school did not have major
discipline problems. The concern of the school had to do with the social skills
and responsibility that students would carry with them when they left the
school, i.e., the influence the school would have on them in their futures.
The comment struck a very tender spot with me--one that
brought to mind how I got started and why I am doing what I do.
I returned to the classroom after 24 years in school
counseling, supervision, and administration--looking forward to the joy of
teaching. The prime factor that struck me more than any other in my observation
of students was that so many of the current generation lacked the sense of
responsibility of former generations. This prompted me to develop a system for
promoting responsibility and led to the publication of my first book, "FOSTERING
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY," published by Phi Delta Kappa.
I used what I had gained from my experiences in teaching
at all levels, as well as my counseling experiences and what I had learned as an
elementary school principal, middle school administrator, and high school
principal.
They can be reduced to three principles: (1) People act
better when they feel better. (2) People are empowered when given choices. (3)
No one can change another person. A person CAN CONTROL another person but CANNOT
CHANGE another person. People change themselves.
I also knew that, from my former teaching experiences, I
had to teach procedures for everything that I wanted my students to do well. I
knew that teaching procedures is proactive and is absolutely necessary for good
classroom management. That being the case, I thought, why not use a PROactive
approach--rather than a REactive approach--for discipline? Why wait until a
student misbehaves and then REACT? Why not use Stephen Covey's first habit of
highly effective people? Be PR0ACTIVE; TEACH first.
This was the beginning of the "RAISE RESPONSIBILITY
SYSTEM" now used in schools across the country. I did not set out to develop a
discipline program. I set out to raise the level of social and individual
responsibility of my students. Here is what I discovered. With today's youth, if
you teach toward obedience, you will face resistance, rebellion, and
defiance--more often than you care to.
However, if you aim at and foster responsibility, you
will get obedience as a natural by-product.
After developing my simple program, discipline problems
disappeared, my stress was reduced, and I truly regained the joy of classroom
teaching. All I did was (1) TEACH four levels of social development, (2) hone my
skills of asking reflective questions (already set up because the levels are a
benchmark for reflection), and (3) with some students learn how to use authority
without being punitive.
My 2002 wish for teachers is to reflect on the best path
to take your students--towards obedience or towards responsibility. I have
learned that the former does not naturally transfer to the latter.
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| 2. PROMOTING
RESPONSIBILITY |
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Years ago
my family and I took the cog railway up to Pike's Peak,
just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Cartographers named the peak after
Zebulon Pike, who first reported the 14,110 foot peak in 1806. The view of the
majestic purple mountain range was so inspiring that I easily understood why the
view prompted a Massachusetts teacher to compose a poem.
Since the singing of its first stanza has recently
resounded across the nation, you may enjoy the poem written by Katherine Lee
Bates in its entirety.
Notice that the second verse is about self-control, a
key factor in both national and individual responsible behaviors.
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
by Katharine Lee Bates
O beautiful for spacious skies
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw
Confirm thy soul in self-control
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife
Who more than self the country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for halcyon skies
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!
O beautiful for pilgrims feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through
Wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!
O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice
for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!
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| 3. INCREASING
EFFECTIVENESS |
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Instead of thinking of the right thing to say, think of a
reflective question to ask.
The sooner you inculcate the mode of asking reflective
questions --instead of telling--the less stressful it will be for you, and the
more successful you will become.
Reflective questions prompt evaluation of the person's
own behavior. An example to a young person is, "In the long run, is what you are
doing in your own best interests?"
If the question is evaded, ask a second time.
Follow up with another question that stimulates thinking
such as, "If what you are doing is not getting you what you want, what could you
do differently?"
If he says he doesn't know, then you could ask, "What
would an extraordinary person do in this situation?"
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| 4. IMPROVING RELATIONSHIPS |
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I was brought up on a principle my mother instilled in me,
namely, "If you can't say something nice about a person, then do not say
anything at all." In other words, refrain from negativism.
The advice of my mother found itself the bedrock of my
first principle to reduce stress: POSITIVITY. I now think of it whenever
something negative pops into my head or if I am about to say something that can
be interpreted in a negative way. I immediately ask myself, "How can I say that
in positive way?"
In building and improving relationships, its opposite--
negativity--is the biggest enemy. You do not want it in your mind. You do not
want it in your house. You do not want it in your environment. You do not want
to express negativity to your associates, to those who may work for you, or to
your friends. You do not want anything to do with it. When you see it, turn it
around. If you can not turn it around, then you turn around and walk the other
way.
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My PROMOTING LEARNING article on <teachers.net> for
January is an exercise combining positivity, choice, and reflection. It is a
wonderful beginning-of-the-year experience for students.
http://teachers.net/gazette/JAN02/marshall.html
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| 6. YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED |
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1.) The school I work in is very entrenched in the idea
that discipline EQUALS punishment. The students buy into this idea in that they
seem to depend on punitive reactions from their teachers and parents. Teaching
students what you expect is simply not enough so far. How does one help the
child to move from being punishment minded to being self-motivated if they don't
buy into it?
2.) I have read several books that work with similar ideas to yours.
"Without Boundaries" by Janet Wood, "The Continuum Concept" by Jean Liedloff,
and materials on Taking Children Seriously (an educational/parenting/human
relations theory). They make a great deal of sense to me, but I am at a loss as
to how to implement this kind of teaching of right/wrong, appropriate/
inappropriate behavior to the youngest of children (birth to toddler). Most of
us were raised in a way that is very different from this approach, so without a
working model, it is difficult to put into practice. I have done my best based
on what I have read, but still feel I could understand it better.
Response:
1) Share with the faculty the National Parent Teachers Association's
definition of discipline:
"To many people, discipline means punishment. But, actually, to
discipline means to teach. Rather than punishment, discipline should be a
positive way of helping and guiding
children to achieve self-control." (Discipline: A Parent's Guide
-Copyright 1993 by the National PTA)
To do it, teach your students the four levels of social development
described in Chapter 3 of the book, "Discipline without Stress, Punishments or
Rewards." A quick description is on the site
http://www.MarvinMarshall.com. Click on the first link, "Quick Summaries,"
and scroll down to the second article.
Have the librarian order a copy of the book (800.606.6105) and inform
you when it arrives. Share the section on motivation and punishments with
others.
I will have a new site up later this month to share concerns like yours.
It will be a narrative about using rewards, punishments, and telling people what
to do in attempts to change behaviors. It will also make clear that THE MOST
EFFECTIVE DISCIPLINE IS NOT PUNITIVE. The universal resource locater (URL --
Internet address) will be in the newsletter next month.
2) The "Raise Responsibility System," described in Chapter 3 is what you
are looking for. For youngsters under 5 years old, Chapter 6 on parenting has
specific suggestions.
http://www.DisciplineWithoutStress.com
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7. TEACHERS.NET: PROMOTING LEARNING:
Use the Language You Want Learned -
"Responsibilities" rather than "Rules"
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For Educators, Youth
Workers, and Parents
DISCIPLINE WITHOUT STRESS, PUNISHMENTS or REWARDS
Promote Responsibility and Learning
SPONSOR: Staff Development Resources/
California Elementary Education Association.
Request a brochure for complete information by calling
800.678.8908.
Burbank, CA
March 14
Ontario, CA
March 15
Sacramento, CA
March 19
South San Francisco, CA March 20
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| 8. THE SHORTCOMINGS OF
PUNISHMENTS AND REWARDS and Tips for Parents |
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"The strategies that Dr.
Marshall describes for developing humane, responsive, and responsible classrooms
are grounded in research AND good practice. They link classroom management
concerns to the more fundamental issues of how teachers can create powerful
curriculum, teaching, learning, and lasting motivation. I recommend this book to
anyone who wants to create a 'right to learn' in all classrooms."
Linda Darling-Hammond, Ed.D., Professor of Education
Stanford University
Author of THE RIGHT TO LEARN
Director,
National Commission on Teaching and America's Future
Carried by:
National Association of Elementary
School Principals
National Association of Secondary School Principals
National School Boards Association
Phi Delta Kappa International
Performance Learning Systems
The Brain Store
ORDER INFORMATION:
Phone: 800.606.6105 (USA) --
714.995.0989 (International)
Fax: 714.995.3902 (purchase orders)
http://www.DisciplineWithoutStress.com
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9. ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER: |
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REPOSTS and REPRINTS:
Permission to repost or reprint this newsletter in whole or in part is granted
as long as the following link is included:
http://www.MarvinMarshall.com.
COPYRIGHT:
© Copyright 2002 Marvin Marshall. All rights reserved.
PRIVACY STATEMENT: Your address will always be kept confidential and will not be
released to anyone.
Back issues are archived online at:
http://www.marvinmarshall.com/newsletter/index.htm
If you enjoy this newsletter the following sites may be of Interest:
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