Rudolph Dreikurs, M.D.Biography

•Born in Vienna, Austria

•Educated at University of Vienna

•Student and colleague of social psychiatrist, Alfred Alder

•Immigrated to the U.S. in 1937

•Founded the Alfred Alder institutes of Chicago

•Author of several books designed for parents and teachers on child behavior and positive discipline

•Pioneered Positive (Judicious) Discipline

“A CHILD NEEDS ENCOURAGEMENT LIKE

A PLANT NEEDS WATER”

Dreikurs believed that, as social beings, we work toward the basic goal of belonging and significance, and that we are more fulfilled if we can do so in an atmosphere of mutual respect and equality. This theory stresses four basic goals that explain children’s misbehavior: attention seeking, power, revenge, and inadequacy.

Misbehavior

Attention Seeking:

• If children cannot gain attention as a result of their positive behaviors, they will seek out attention by using inappropriate behaviors

Power:

• Students who have a sense or feeling of inferiority will attempt a power struggle with the teacher; if they feel they are “winning,” they will continue the power struggle to become the center of attention

Misbehavior Continued

Revenge:

• If unsuccessful in using attention seeking and power, children resort to retaliation against the adult to gain recognition, because they feel that they have been treated unfairly

Inadequacy:

• If the child has given up hope on being a valuable contributor to the community, he or she will resort to acting passive and lethargic, noncompliant and refusing to participate with the rest of the community

All misbehavior is the result of a child’s mistaken assumption about the way he can find a place and gain status.

• Humans are social beings whose main desire is to belong.

• All behavior is purposive. One cannot understand behavior of another person unless one knows to which goal it is directed, and it is always directed towards finding one's place.

• Each person sees reality differently; his or her perception may be mistaken or biased.

• The student’s “new and improved” behavior is a direct result of the teacher’s correction

• Rather than using punishment, logical consequences should follow the undesirable behavior

Strengths of Dreikurs Theory• Using class meetings, students collaborate on the rules, responsibilities, and

consequences of the classroom. This promotes mutual trust and respect between the teacher and the students.

• Using logical consequences rather than punishment empowers children to become decision making individuals

• Dreikurs’ model of discipline is designed as a continuum, whereas if one method of misbehavior is unsuccessful, they will often move on to the next one

• The teacher encourages students to learn from their mistakes.

Weaknesses of Dreikurs Theory

• Clear logical consequences cannot be arrived at for all behaviors for all students

• It takes a long time to build up students’ trust

• It may be overly simplistic to categorize all behaviors into the four classes of mistaken goals. Misbehavior may stem from deep emotional trouble or something else, such as a child’s living situation or a disability

• All students may not understand the goals, rules, and expectations in the same way that the teacher does

Dreikurs’ Techniques to Modify Student Motivation

• As teachers, we must be sensitive to our own reactions to the students’ behavior and make our own modifications prior to the child’s

• Confront the child based on your assessment of which of the four goals the child is seeking

• Use classroom meetings as a chance for children to brainstorm techniques to change their motivations from hostile to cooperative

• Always use logical consequences and encourage the children to be responsible for their actions, empowering them to be independent contributors to the community and to society

• Realize that encouragement is different than praise: praise recognizes the person, whereas encouragement recognizes the behavior

WORKS CITED

• http://www.ziplink.net/users/edboda/lisafinal/dreikurs.html

• http://www.ziplink.net/users/edboda/lisafinal/dreikurs.html

• http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jshindl/cm/Dreikurs%20abstract.htm

DREIKURS ROCKS!!