Conscious Discipline
Conscious Discipline
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Conscious discipline is an evidence-based, trauma-informed, neurodevelopmental model that focuses on regulating internal states first and behavior second. It provides an array of behavior management strategies and structures that teachers and parents can use to turn everyday situations into learning opportunities.
Conscious discipline is an evidence-based, trauma-informed, neurodevelopmental model that focuses on regulating internal states first and behavior second. It provides an array of behavior management strategies and structures that teachers and parents can use to turn everyday situations into learning opportunities.
Here at Northview, we are engaged in the practices of Conscious Discipline work. We are in the process of learning, observing, practicing, and reflecting on our implementation of different elements in the Conscious Discipline framework. Our Conscious Discipline Advanced Team, which includes our administration team, school psychologist, and school social worker, help support our teachers and learners along this journey.
Teaching What We Value
Teaching What We Value
Conscious Discipline offers solutions for social-emotional learning, discipline and self-regulation. The goal is to help parents and schools reach and teach every child. While traditional discipline is founded on rules that are upheld through reward and punishment, conscious discipline is built on three completely different premises:
Conscious Discipline offers solutions for social-emotional learning, discipline and self-regulation. The goal is to help parents and schools reach and teach every child. While traditional discipline is founded on rules that are upheld through reward and punishment, conscious discipline is built on three completely different premises:
Controlling and changing ourselves is possible and has a profound impact on others.
Connectedness governs behavior.
Conflict is an opportunity to teach.
We believe that we, as the adults, must change ourselves first and model our expectations for others, including our children, through self-regulation and non-judgmental, accepting self-reflection.
We believe that we, as the adults, must change ourselves first and model our expectations for others, including our children, through self-regulation and non-judgmental, accepting self-reflection.
Conscious Discipline Methodology
Conscious Discipline Methodology
Conscious Discipline encompasses these four powers:
Conscious Discipline encompasses these four powers:
Below are introductions to some of the elements in the Conscious Discipline framework we use in the Northview Community.
Brain State Model
Brain State Model
The Brain State Model utilizes a neurodevelopmental model to help us focus our attention on internal states first and behavior second. In doing so, we learn to self-regulate and develop strong executive skills for problem solving and goal achievement.
Watch this video for an introduction to the Brain State Model and get a foundation to understanding why this is important.
The three brain states:
The three brain states:
The Survival State
The Survival State
Am I safe?
My developmental need is safety.
The Emotional State
The Emotional State
Am I loved?
My developmental need is connection.
The Executive State
The Executive State
What can I learn?
My developmental need is problem solving.
We use the brain state model to help us understand and interpret behavior. We use that understanding as a foundation to teaching children how to self-regulate.
Safe Space Self-Regulation Learning Center
Safe Space Self-Regulation Learning Center
After children practice composing themselves after transitions and minor stressors, the goal is to help them practice composing themselves in more difficult life situations. The Safe Place is a physical location in the classroom and/or home that serves as a self-regulation learning center. It is equipped with tools for calming and self-regulation.
Before placing a Safe Place in your classroom and/or home, you must examine your core beliefs about children. Setting up a Safe Place would be appropriate if you agree and believe in the following statements:
We must teach children how to compose themselves and give them opportunities to practice.
All children can learn this skill.
Children can remove themselves as needed and return to learning successfully. We trust children to use the Safe Place as intended and needed.
Five Steps to Self-Regulation
Five Steps to Self-Regulation
Conscious Discipline outlines five steps for self-regulation. The five steps are:
- I Am
The child is triggered into a state of upset. Emotions biochemically overtake us and we become the emotion.
"I am angry."
- I Calm
Children need assistance turning off the stress response in their body and calming down their physiology.
Move from "I am angry." to "I feel angry."
- I Feel
Children need assistance in naming and taming the feelings that have overwhelmed them. Once you can name a feeling and become conscious of it, you are automatically better able to manage it.
- I Choose
Children need assistance in choosing strategies that will help them move from the lower centers of their brain to the higher centers of their brain in order to get back to learning.
- I Solve
Something triggered the child into a state of upset before entering the Safe Place. Whatever happened needs some sort of solution.
Examples of Self-Regulation Safe Place charts some of our Northview teams use:
Examples of Self-Regulation Safe Place charts some of our Northview teams use:
Seven Powers for Conscious Adults
Seven Powers for Conscious Adults
The Seven Powers of Conscious Adults promote mindful, conscious adults who possess the ability to self-regulate. "Conscious" is a state of active, open attention in the present moment. Without conscious awareness, our ability to change old conditioned discipline practices to effective new practices is impaired. The ability to self-regulate and perceive conflict as a teaching opportunity provides the foundation for safety.
The Foundation of Safety
The Foundation of Safety
Becoming conscious of hurtful patterns and the willingness to change those patterns is the greatest gift we can give children. Becoming conscious allows us to access our own wisdom and remain calm in the face of antagonism and disorder. It is the foundation of choice and change.
As such, the Seven Powers for Conscious Adults create long-term, lasting success by guiding us to become conscious, present, attuned and responsive to the needs of ourselves and children.
School Family
School Family
The school family provides an effective new metaphor for educational institutions. It is built on a healthy family model with the goal of providing optimal development for all its members. The School Family builds connections that foster the following:
Impulse control through co-regulation skills
Cooperation and willingness to learn through a sense of belonging
Executive skills through modeling, scaffolding, and direct teaching
Our teachers at Northview create a School Family through the use of routines, rituals, and classroom structures that provide the safety and connection needed for optimal development and learning. The majority of our classrooms, in-person and virtually, have a designated wall space for pictures of all of the families of their students. We practice morning and afternoon rituals and routines to help promote safety, equity, emotional intelligence, and connection.
For more information about your child's school family, please contact their classroom teacher. You can also learn more about the overall concept of a school family by clicking on the link below:
Seven Skills of Discipline
Seven Skills of Discipline
The Seven Skills of Discipline provide the problem solving tools we need to transform these everyday discipline issues into teaching moments. These moments are our opportunity to teach children the social-emotional and communication skills necessary to manage themselves, resolve conflict, and develop pro-social behaviors.
The seven skills emerge from the foundation of the Seven Powers for Conscious Adults. As we become more conscious of our reactions to conflict, we can choose a different response. The seven skills teach you to respond to conflict in a way that helps children move from the resistant, lower centers of their brain to the more cooperative, higher centers.
The chart below shows how each of the Seven Skills of Discipline, when utilized consciously, yields critical core values and life skills.
Further Your Learning: Readings
Further Your Learning: Readings
Further Your Learning: Videos
Further Your Learning: Videos
Composure and Breathing: Learn the basics of the skill of composure and learn four breathing techniques we practice and teach.
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