Discipline with Dignity

Discipline

by Richard Curwin and Allen Mendler

Now more than ever we must take a good look at what we are teaching our children by the way we treat them. Controlling their behavior is simply not enough. We must help them become decision makers and critical thinkers. We must help them feel that they can contribute to society, and we must enhance their joy for learning. ''Discipline with Dignity'' was written to achieve these goals.

School is a battleground for many teachers and students. Why is there so much contention?

Much has been written about discipline over the years, and many programs and methods have been tried and retried with new names. The issue will always be an integral part of school because students will always learn more than the content of the curriculum. They will learn about their behavior, their choices, and their impact on others. Instead of trying to solve the discipline problem, it might be wiser to try to positively affect the lives of children. We strongly advocate a model of discipline based on a positive value system and suggest many practical methods to implement such a system in the classroom.

There are many factors that contribute to discipline problems in school, including family instability, violence in society, confused values, lack of positive self-concepts, powerlessness, boredom, and unclear limits.

Still, schools can and do influence student behavior and achievement.

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