Comments on: Promoting good behaviour - a tipping point http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2006/12/10/classroom-misbehaviour-zero-tolerance/ "We learn from our experience.....if we reflect upon our experience" John Dewey Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:29:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Parent with Standards http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2006/12/10/classroom-misbehaviour-zero-tolerance/#comment-5477 Parent with Standards Sat, 06 Jan 2007 12:37:46 +0000 http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2006/12/10/classroom-misbehaviour-zero-tolerance/#comment-5477 A Very Happy New Year to you. I have been reading your blogs and clearly see your interest in the holistic approach to management. Gladwell’s, "The Tipping Point" to which you refer to is undoubtedly an excellent book about ideas spreading through generations. I am a parent who wholeheartedly agrees with your second sentence; “If pupils are being distracted by others in the class they can’t learn”. All pupils, as stakeholders in the educational system have a right to be taught without disruption, harassment and bullying. Equally, teachers must be allowed to teach and not spend their careers as quasi-social workers. The Dunbar Grammar School scenario seems to show management as “reactive” instead of “proactive”. You mention limited phased exclusion as a possible approach; this however seems more a short-term approach than a long-term solution. The Broken Window theory propounded by Wilson and Keeling argues that crime is the inevitable result of disorder. If a window is broken and left un-repaired, people rightly conclude that "no one cares and no one is in charge". Disruptive pupils affect the learning of many able pupils. In addition, these disruptive pupils tend to be school bullies and affect the health and psychological welfare of their peers. These bullies seem to be afforded every facility by East Lothian Education Department to offend and re-offend with impunity. Taking away minor privileges is a depressing indication of “no one cares and no one is in charge” management. The following tragic article is a poignant reflection of the growing mis-management of not dealing with discipline in our schools today. http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,1976489,00.html From my experience as a parent of a bullied child it is clear that the current Anti-Bullying policy is ineffective; it is limited in scope and not consistently applied. I would like to see a consistent and effective approach to managing all levels of disruptive behaviour and bullying in schools. Children would feel secure in the knowledge that there are clear and enforceable boundaries and penalties, boundaries which would be applied consistently by strong and reliable management. It is time for a zero tolerance approach! Parent with Standards A Very Happy New Year to you.

I have been reading your blogs and clearly see your interest in the holistic approach to management. Gladwell’s, “The Tipping Point” to which you refer to is undoubtedly an excellent book about ideas spreading through generations.

I am a parent who wholeheartedly agrees with your second sentence; “If pupils are being distracted by others in the class they can’t learn”. All pupils, as stakeholders in the educational system have a right to be taught without disruption, harassment and bullying. Equally, teachers must be allowed to teach and not spend their careers as quasi-social workers.

The Dunbar Grammar School scenario seems to show management as “reactive” instead of “proactive”. You mention limited phased exclusion as a possible approach; this however seems more a short-term approach than a long-term solution. The Broken Window theory propounded by Wilson and Keeling argues that crime is the inevitable result of disorder. If a window is broken and left un-repaired, people rightly conclude that “no one cares and no one is in charge”.

Disruptive pupils affect the learning of many able pupils. In addition, these disruptive pupils tend to be school bullies and affect the health and psychological welfare of their peers. These bullies seem to be afforded every facility by East Lothian Education Department to offend and re-offend with impunity. Taking away minor privileges is a depressing indication of “no one cares and no one is in charge” management. The following tragic article is a poignant reflection of the growing mis-management of not dealing with discipline in our schools today. http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,1976489,00.html

From my experience as a parent of a bullied child it is clear that the current Anti-Bullying policy is ineffective; it is limited in scope and not consistently applied. I would like to see a consistent and effective approach to managing all levels of disruptive behaviour and bullying in schools. Children would feel secure in the knowledge that there are clear and enforceable boundaries and penalties, boundaries which would be applied consistently by strong and reliable management. It is time for a zero tolerance approach!

Parent with Standards

]]> By: guineapigmum » and finally http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2006/12/10/classroom-misbehaviour-zero-tolerance/#comment-560 guineapigmum » and finally Thu, 14 Dec 2006 14:00:36 +0000 http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2006/12/10/classroom-misbehaviour-zero-tolerance/#comment-560 [...] Don’s blog about behaviour and the consistent application of expectations struck a chord as she left (pretty much walked out of) the school she had worked in for many years when some kids broke into her classroom cupboard one lunchtime and stole a laptop and projector.  The Head refused to get the police in or do anything about it and the subsequent classes, who all knew who the culprits were, were very mocking.  This was the sort of school where the nearby prison was lovingly referred to by the staff as their finishing school and they used to run sweepstakes at the start of the year on how many girls would be pregnant by Christmas.  East Lothian sounds very genteel by comparison. [...] [...] Don’s blog about behaviour and the consistent application of expectations struck a chord as she left (pretty much walked out of) the school she had worked in for many years when some kids broke into her classroom cupboard one lunchtime and stole a laptop and projector.  The Head refused to get the police in or do anything about it and the subsequent classes, who all knew who the culprits were, were very mocking.  This was the sort of school where the nearby prison was lovingly referred to by the staff as their finishing school and they used to run sweepstakes at the start of the year on how many girls would be pregnant by Christmas.  East Lothian sounds very genteel by comparison. [...]

]]> By: Jenni http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2006/12/10/classroom-misbehaviour-zero-tolerance/#comment-419 Jenni Mon, 11 Dec 2006 22:56:13 +0000 http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2006/12/10/classroom-misbehaviour-zero-tolerance/#comment-419 I can't agree with you more. I believe the consistent approach to this is the one which will make the difference. My PT has used these three words which I think emphasise this further "Consistent, Insistent and persistent". While this can work well in an individual classroom, if applied at whole school level it can be much more powerful. I can’t agree with you more. I believe the consistent approach to this is the one which will make the difference.

My PT has used these three words which I think emphasise this further

“Consistent, Insistent and persistent”.

While this can work well in an individual classroom, if applied at whole school level it can be much more powerful.

]]> By: Robin Strain http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2006/12/10/classroom-misbehaviour-zero-tolerance/#comment-414 Robin Strain Sun, 10 Dec 2006 23:41:28 +0000 http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2006/12/10/classroom-misbehaviour-zero-tolerance/#comment-414 Don An interesting post. I think that there is often a difficulty in achieving the required consistency among a large and diverse teaching staff. Don
An interesting post. I think that there is often a difficulty in achieving the required consistency among a large and diverse teaching staff.

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