Behavior and Discipline: Staff Development Ideas

Staff Development Ideas: Introduction to Behaviors and Discipline

Introduce to the Staff the Five Themes/Beliefs

Ask teachers to reflect on their experiences as children when they were disciplined. List various discipline techniques that were used the five themes. Then reflect by asking for examples of when discipline techniques used supported the five themes?

Put teachers into 5 groups one for each theme and ask them to analyze your school district's present discipline policies based on these five themes. Use the following questions for discussion:







Theme One		How does our current discipline model support and establish good relationships among and between peers and educators? How does our current model encourage us to interact as a community of learners?



Theme Two		When misbehavior occurs, do we consider what is being taught and how it is being taught? Do we consider making adaptations for students who are having learning and behavioral difficulties as a possible solution for misbehavior?



Theme Three		In what ways are we involving students in the creation of our discipline policies? Have we established venues for conversations about school expectations and behavioral norms?



Theme Four		When a student misbehaves, do we ask ourselves what motivation the student may have for the misbehavior? Do we ask ourselves what conditions (environmental) may be contributing to the student's behavior? Do we consider fixing the conditions and eliminating the cause of the misbehavior or do we just proceed by controlling the student?



Theme Five		Do we primarily use punishments, & rewards to change problem behaviors? Do our discipline policies and procedures foster self-discipline and self control? Do our discipline policies and procedures require more of the teacher or the student?

Second Introductory Activity

Evaluation and Analysis of Current Discipline Practices Handout

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A second introductory activity would be to conduct an evaluation and analysis of current discipline practices.

Ask teachers to list the characteristics and skills that they believe will lead to success in life. Put these in one column.

Next, ask the teachers to list what current discipline practices enhance and encourage these characteristics and which current discipline practices do not enhance and encourage these characteristics.




Characteristics and Skills of Successful Students	Discipline Practices that Support these Characteristics and Skills	Discipline Practices that Discourage these Characteristics and Skills

Questions that may be used for this activity:

If we want students who take initiative, what opportunities are we giving them to have control and take initiative?
If we want students to be responsible, in what ways are we giving them responsibility for their choices and behavior?
If we want students who make good choices, what opportunities for choice are given? Do we allow students to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes?

Behavior and Discipline

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