30 seconds

30 SECONDS

￭ Take a look at me. Size me up, judge me, make some assumptions about who you think I am based on your very limited exposure to me.

DISCUSSION

￭ In your school team, discuss what is problematic about the student discipline anecdote that I shared with you from my high school experience.

DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM

￭ Cut school- consequence was not being allowed to come to school

￭ We don’t know why he cut school- might be a deeper cause

￭ Outcome of discipline policy = loss of learning

￭ What does Jim learn from the consequence?

Principles, not Practices

￭ Learning and growth is the point of student discipline – not justice

￭ Student discipline has to be directly tied to a positive vision of student behavior and school culture

￭ The consequences assigned to a student should be logically connected to the student’s behavior

￭ Shift the responsibility for solving the problem from the adult to the student

￭ Alternative discipline begins with investing in your relationships with students

Principles, not Practices

￭ Focused on learning￭ Linked to a positive vision of

school culture￭ Invests in and builds relationships￭ Consequences are logically

connected to behaviors￭ Students take responsibility for

solving the problem

DISCUSSION

￭ Examine your school’s discipline policy in the context of these principles.

￭ In what ways do your policies, practices, and structures reflect those principles?

￭ In what ways do they undermine those principles?

Next Step

￭ Take one policy, practice, or structure in your school that does not reflect those principles and re-fashion it so that it does honor them.

A Couple of Resources

￭ SaferSanerSchools: Transforming School Culture with Restorative Practices

￭ The Power of Our Words by Paula Denton

Resources

￭ NTN Quick Guide – Building Positive School Culture

￭ SaferSanerSchools: Transforming School Culture with Restorative Practices

￭ The Power of Our Words by Paula Denton