| Teachers often say that they worry that discipline will | | | | deep seated fears that had to be recognised and |
| result in children disliking them and being frightened of | | | | dealt with. Adults should have limitless understanding |
| them. In fact the opposite is true -- children don't react | | | | when any child has educational difficulties but there |
| negatively to being disciplined. How come? A recent | | | | should be no tolerance of bad behaviour. Adults should |
| example demonstrates the fact admirably... | | | | refuse to make excuses for bad behaviour and stop it |
| In town I encountered a group of young children. If you | | | | in its tracks before it has chance to take a hold in |
| were less charitable you may have described them as | | | | school - or anywhere else for that matter! |
| a gang, but they weren't threatening or intimidating so | | | | There's no magic to managing children's behaviour. It's |
| 'group' is a suitable description. The sun was bright so | | | | a matter of following the right behaviour management |
| they were hard to identify. | | | | strategies, at the right time and in the right way. So, is |
| As they came closer, one of them let out a cry and | | | | Jack an unintelligent child? Absolutely not -- but he was |
| ran towards me... Trouble in store? No, not at all! It was | | | | severely under educated and so typical of so many |
| a delighted 11 year old boy throwing his arms around | | | | children demonstrating severe behaviour problems. He |
| an adult he recognised and liked a lot. 'Mrs Marsden, I | | | | couldn't do the basic tasks, was frustrated and falling |
| haven't seen you for ages'... It was Jack, an ex pupil... | | | | behind with his learning every day he was in school. |
| He proudly said he's doing brilliantly at school and how | | | | Jack now found himself in classes where there was |
| he's looking forward to transferring to senior school | | | | no tolerance of any appalling behaviour -- a |
| later this year. Well, apart from having to wear a | | | | euphemism for being strict? But, he also realised that |
| jumper and a tie! Jack explained how many friends | | | | adults were willing to work with him to alleviate his |
| he's got - another thing that gives him great pleasure. | | | | many fears about learning. He was expected to work |
| The group he was with were obviously happy in his | | | | hard and independently but he soon began to see |
| company. | | | | good results. |
| How do I know Jack? | | | | What was Jack's response to this new experience? |
| Jack was a disaster a few years ago and he'd been | | | | He blossomed and began to enjoy learning. This |
| kicked out of Infant School because of his violence, | | | | wasn't transferred to his mainstream school at first as |
| confrontation and disruption. Teachers couldn't do a | | | | that could only happen when adults in mainstream |
| thing with him. He was only 6 years old and a virtual | | | | learned how to manage behaviour effectively. The |
| write off in school. The teachers were in despair -- | | | | adults there had to learn how to control and manage |
| whatever they did had no impact on his appalling | | | | his behaviour - something they'd failed to do before. |
| behaviour. | | | | So, Jack's welcome for 'a strict teacher' at today's |
| In came the 'Uncle Tom Cobley and all' brigade and | | | | encounter was a perfect example of a child's long |
| after they'd finished their numerous meetings and their | | | | term reaction to having boundaries and limits put on |
| behaviour management advice had failed, Jack was | | | | their behaviour. A totally positive reaction and a child |
| pointed in a different direction... A behaviour unit... | | | | who greets you with open arms -- and in front of his |
| Jack's first day was a problem for him... Asked where | | | | friends! What a potential risk to his group standing with |
| his reading book was, his reply would have been | | | | his friends! |
| anatomically impossible! The reaction to his answer told | | | | Children desperately need to have limits and |
| him, very clearly, that such language would not be | | | | boundaries put on their behaviour. Teachers could |
| allowed and if he wanted to get on well then he'd | | | | have prevented so much of Jack's misery by dealing |
| better modify his language and behaviour pretty | | | | with him properly long before his behaviour spiralled |
| quickly! It was pretty obvious that nobody had ever | | | | totally out of control. In fact they should have taken |
| confronted his behaviour before. He received a very | | | | action as soon as he started to behave badly. |
| clear message that he had better improve his attitude. | | | | Any teacher can learn to deal with the Jacks of this |
| But, once a problem had been dealt with Jack soon | | | | world -- or better still prevent them from becoming like |
| learned that it was done with. All the time he was | | | | Jack was in infant school. It's what being an adult is |
| doing the right thing he'd receive loads of | | | | about. It's an adult responsibility to protect children from |
| encouragement and reassurance. Follow the very | | | | growing up without the essential discipline that enables |
| simple rules and life would be good. | | | | them to mature with confidence and the right level of |
| Jack couldn't read very well at all and when you gave | | | | self assurance. All adults should be able to manage |
| him any maths work he would literally shake with fear | | | | children's behaviour confidently and effectively - it's |
| -- I've never seen a child react so negatively. He had | | | | really not difficult. |