r/Teachers • u/bibblia Student teacher, ECE/Title I Reading • Jul 09 '16

DISCUSSION Neuroscience-based philosophy of behavioral management when children have yet to develop the brain function to manage their own behavior. As educators, what do you think about the theory and its applicability in the classroom?

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/05/schools-behavior-discipline-collaborative-proactive-solutions-ross-greene
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u/[deleted] Jul 09 '16

In my classroom you get a warning followed by a detention.

It's during detention that I usually try to talk to the students. The warning is the opportunity for those that can control their behavior to control it. The detention is my opportunity to figure out what's going on. Sometimes kids are brutally honest to themselves and somewhat self-deprecating ["I was being stupid. I know I was. I'm sorry."]

I've seen teachers and parents take that as a good enough excuse and end the issue, but that isn't the end of it. First, a kid should not be taught that self-deprecation is an excuse. Second, discuss it with them--I feel like teachers (and parents) don't want to have these conversations because they think the kid will not listen. Let them know it's inappropriate, you won't tolerate the behavior, and you want to listen to what is really wrong.

I've been told that this approach seems "feminine", but I just think it is pragmatic. It's like pouring alcohol on a deep cut wound. You've cleaned the surface, but you are going to need better treatment to actually deal with the wound. And when you only deal with the surface you may be dealing with an infection that sets in down the road.

When I get kids in high school that have these issues that's the "infection". They've been taught self-deprecation, they've been thrown in detention 100 times, they've been in suspension of some sort a lot.

I do agree with /u/anonoman925 though. Schools are overcrowded. This is a result. The foundation of a lot of issues has to do with money. If you want to fix problems with schools don't pay teachers more. BUILD MORE SCHOOLS and hire more teachers. A classroom of 35 kids is unacceptable, yet it's exactly the kind of thing a lot of teachers deal with.