Five Criteria for Positive Discipline With Parenting Expert Dr. Jane Nelsen

Needless to say that this is not the way in which most people pictured themselves spending April 1st before the pandemic. Nevertheless, circumstances outside of our control made it happen. Thus, for now, we must focus on what we can do to make progress. For this particular post, I feel compelled to share with you the concept of "Positive Discipline". A principle that has proven to be useful not only in teaching settings, but also in parenting.

 

When it comes to disciplining students, most teachers resort to the behaviorist approach. In other words, the idea that all behaviors are learned through conditioning. Consequently, for every stimulus, there must be a response. Case in point, if we train our students to stand up every time we come into the classroom, chances are they will fulfil this simple task without any difficulty. This concept has yielded results and been improved upon over the years since its formal inception in 1913 (even before then since Pavlov introduced the idea of conditioning). Be that as it may, behaviorism has only proven to produce short term results. For longer periods of time, a different approach is needed.

 

Given that rewards and punishments only provide temporary solutions, positive discipline can fill that void. The aforesaid principle endorses the idea that educators must be "firm and kind" at the same time. In fact, being more understanding of students' feelings, interests and circumstances has resulted in a stronger rapport between them and the teacher. Without showing weakness that is. Being kind does not necessarily mean being lenient. Fairness would be what most educators aim for when utilizing positive discipline. In fact, teachers who employ this concept, constantly hold teacher-student meetings. Where constant discussions take place regarding matters that will benefit both sides in the long run. The book by the same name "Positive Discipline", proposes a wide variety of techniques and strategies to make learners feel more at easy and willing to actively participate in the classroom. For instance, "The mistaken goals chart". A chart that contains four different behaviors students display when their needs are not met. Such as undue attention (to keep others busy or to get special service), misguided power (to be boss), and so on. It also provides avenues of action teachers can take so as to effectively deal with each particular behavior.

 

In summary, this relatively new method of disciplining students has become an indispensable guide for most educators worldwide. I believe that behaviorism and positive discipline can complement each other so as to promote a healthy learning environment in each classroom or household. Nonetheless, long term results should be what we all aspire to for our learners.

Sources:
- Positive Discipline in the Classroom (Jane Nelsen, Lynn Lott, H. Stephen Glenn).
- https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Cognitive-Development-in-Children-from-Watson-to-Kohlberg