Cooperative Discipline

Educators and students work cooperatively to create:
  • a safe, orderly and inviting community
  • a sense of connectedness and belonging
  • opportunities to turn mistakes into learning experiences

The Three C's of Cooperative Discipline

  • Capable: Educators must foster an "I can" belief in students
  • Connection: Educators can connect with their students and help their students connect with each other through acceptance, attention, appreciation, affirmation, and affection (The 5 A's)
  • Contribution: Educators can foster student contribution by encouraging student input in class matters, school activities and community engagement as well as encouraging students to protect the environment and creating a circle of friends.

Developed by Linda Albert in 1989.

Based on the Belief

  • All actions are intentional ways to gain our underlying goals.
  • Educators and Students can work cooperatively to create positive community for teaching and learning.

Power Perceptions

  • Power is shared amongst students and educators.

Contributions to the Field of Education

  • Encouraged educators to look at motivation for behaviors.
  • Provides tangible steps for sharing power with students.

Discipline Books

Albert, Linda. (1989). A Teacher's Guide to Cooperative Discipline; How to Manage Your Classroom and Promote Self-Esteem. Philadelphia, PA: American Guidance Service.

Albert, Linda & Desisto, Pete. (1996). Cooperative Discipline. Philadelphia, PA: American Guidance Service.

Advantages

  1. Examines motivation behind behaviors and seeks interactions to help students reach their goal.
  2. Supports classroom community by supporting individual students.
  3. Provides step-by-step plan to respond to specific student behaviors and motivations.

Disadvantages

  1. Challenges educators to not respond in emotionally reactive ways. Takes practice.
  2. Takes an ongoing investment to look beyond the behavior an look at the motivation.

Examples of Cooperative Discipline

Cooperative Discipline Strategies for Students Seeking Attention

1. Catch them being good
2. Teach them to ask for attention (e.g. "Notice Me, Please" cards)
3. Give the "eye"
4. Stand close by
5. Send a general signal (established gestures to the whole class)
6. Send a secret signal (the above strategy, modified for an individual student)
7. Give written notice
8. Use an I-message (as in Ginott)
  •    Objective description of the disruptive behavior
  •    Relates to our feelings
  •    Identifies the effect of the misbehavior
  •    Finishes with a request
9. Target-Stop-Do (especially for ADD/ADHD)
  • Target the student by name
  • Identifies the behavior to be stopped
  • Tells the student what he is expected to do at that moment
  • Use a diminishing quota (Dreikurs).

This allows incidents of particular misbehavior to occur in a number agreed upon

10. Do the unexpected
  • Turn out the lights
  • Play a musical sound
  • Lower your voice
  • Change your voice
  • Talk to the wall
11. Distract the student
  • Ask a direct question
  • Ask a favor
  • Give choices
  • Change the activity
12. Notice appropriate behavior
  • Proximity praise
  • Standing ovation
13. Move the student (either to another seat or to the "thinking chair"-less appropriate for high school students)

Cooperative Discipline Strategies for Students Seeking Power

  • Allow voice and choice
  • Grant legitimate power (involve students in decision-making)
  • Delegate responsibility

Cooperative Discipline Strategies for Students Seeking Revenge

To prevent revenge seeking behavior we must apply two general principles:

  • Build caring relationships ("separate the deed from the doer"-Ginott)
  • Teach appropriate expressions of feelings

Cooperative Discipline Strategies for Avoidance-of-Failure Behavior

1. Use concrete leaning materials that students can see, feel, and manipulate to support success

2. Celebrate small success to help students acknowledge each step

3. Teach to the multiple Intelligences

Strategies for Defusing Confrontations

In order to avoid or defuse confrontations with a student an educator should:

  • Describe the behavior, not the student
  • Be firm and friendly
  • Control negative emotions
1. Focus on the behavior, not the student.

2. Educators must keep their emotions in check and not show frustration or anger. Educators need to employ relaxed body language, a quiet voice, humor (not directed at the student) can all prevent the situation from escalating. Other strategies are:

  • Remove the audience
  • Table the matter
  • Schedule a conference
  • Use a fogging technique (e.g. respond to inflammatory statements as if they are of no consequence)
  • Agree with the student
  • Change the subject
  • State both viewpoints
  • Refuse responsibility (if the goal is attention or power then say "I am sure that you can figure it out")
  • Call their bluff ("Let me get this straight. I asked you to ______ and you are refusing. Is this correct?")
  • Take a teacher time-out
3. Discuss the matter with the students later in private.

4. Allow the student to save face.

Implementation of Consequences
Educators can discuss the four different types of consequences
1. Loss or Delay of Privileges
2. Loss of Freedom
3. Restitution: Return, Repare, Replace &/or Service
4. Relearning Appropriate Behaviors - Discussions, Role-Play, Journaling ...

Linda Alpert emphasizes 4 R's of Consequences
1. Consequence is directly RELATED to the misbehavior
2. Consequence is REASONABLE and proportionate to the misbehavior
3. Consequence is invoked RESPECTFULLY in a friendly but firm manner
4. Consequences are RELIABLE, consistent and predictable

Cooperative Discipline 6 Step Conflict Resolution

1. Define the problem.

2. Declare the need.

3. Describe feelings.

4. Discuss pro and cons to possible solutions.

5. Decide on the best solution for all.

6. Follow up meeting to determine the effectiveness of the plan.

Below Attached Reading from:

Charles, C.M. (2007). Building Classroom Management, 9th ed., Pearson: New York, NY.
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