Natural Consequences
Why should I do it:
Provides powerful instances to teach alternative behaviors and expectations
Does not involve adults imposing rules on a child to make a point
The child generates the consequence themselves
The child sees a direct relationship between their behaviors and actions and the effects of them
The child learns by doing
When should I do it:
There are numerous reasons and times you may use natural consequences, for example:
When a child is running in the hall and bumps another student, falling and hurting their elbow
When a child fails to put something away and loses it
When a child procrastinates and does not get an assignment or task completed in the time allowed
When a student says or does something to another student and that student does not want to be around or play with them
Etc…
How do I do it:
Use a calm and neutral tone when speaking with the child
Ask the student about what they did and the result
Have the student explain the connection between their actions and the outcome, cause/effect
Ask the student what they will do differently next time
Emphasize what happened when they did the behavior and why the rule about the behavior is in place because of this
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