Monday, October 29, 2012

Education Ride 365: New Character Building Questionnaires Are Yet Another Progressive Tool To Improve Your School

A great feature of both sets of questionnaires is that they can be easily edited. Furthermore, completely new questionnaires can be easily be designed and added to the existing set.

I just finished production of the video below to introduce EdClick's new "Character Building Questionnaires."

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline, Teen Leadership, Character Education, In-School Suspension

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Education Ride 365: See One New Way To Promote Student Discipline!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline, Discipline Questionnaires

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Education Ride 365: Red, Swollen Heinies In The Schools And The News!

Back on May 11th, I wrote a blog post about the near elimination of corporal punishment in public schools and some of the practical considerations contributing to this decline.  Alas, I discover that quite a few districts across America still exercise this discipline option today.

 

News from Texas this week (as reported in the two videos below) illustrates practical concerns I wrote about in my first post on this topic.

 

What do you think? 

Does this form of punishment have a place
in our schools today?

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Education Ride 365: Another Tool In An Education Discipline Toolbox Desperately In Need

Once students log in, they are asked to respond to a collection of questions targeted to their particular offense. These are called "Incident Evaluations."  These question sets are presented in "accordion" style, organized into three main sections: Past & Perspective, Present & Aftermath, Future & Resolution. Each of these main sections include a number of questions, most of which are open-ended and probing.  Furthermore, a more lengthy "Discipline Evaluation" can be used for more serious offenses or persistent misbehavior.

Advantages to using these questionnaires are many, for the school and the child.  They are more diagnostic than many traditional consequences.  They are written to encourage introspection by the young person, as well as to encourage them to look at the matter from perspectives beyond their own.  They can be completed in the comfort and privacy of the student's home, as their schedule permits.  In cases where the student can't access a computer at home, DQs can be completed on any computer with internet access or even printed off to be completed with pencil and paper.  

From my perspective as an administrator, one very compelling advantage to this discipline alternative beyond that I've previously introduced is the ability to sift out the less frequent offenders without overburdening the overall discipline system of the school so I could then really identify and hone in on those students I refer to as "frequent flyers," my more persistent behavior cases.  This is a huge step towards establishing a healthier discipline climate in any school with a significant discipline case load.

These question sets were written by a professional educator and are powered by computer programming designed by Edclick.  The question sets are customizable by any school for their use.  Questions can be edited and new questionnaires can be easily developed and implemented.  

In an upcoming post I'll introduce "Character Building Questionnaires."  Each of these two types of question sets offer yet another tool in an education discipline toolbox desperately in need of expansion and specialization.

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Monday, September 17, 2012

Education Ride 365: From Mere Inconvenience & Discomfort To Opportunity

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Education Ride 365: The Challenge Of Building A Key Pillar Of Success For Continued Evolution

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Education Ride 365: The Challenge Of Scaling Up Student Discipline Towards A More Constructive Outcome

Many students get in trouble only once or twice a semester, if that. Only a relatively small percentage of students tend to be persistent misbehavior problems. Yet, seats and supervision for discipline settings can be hard to come by, difficult to manage, and simply not very productive...much less constructive. 

As a school administrator, the importance of clear consequences for student misbehavior---applied consistently and with 100% follow-through---seem fundamental to establishing an exceptionally healthy school climate.  Young people need to know their boundaries and, as often as necessary, must have them reinforced.

Depending upon the level of student accountability in a school---both existing and envisioned---discipline is often a numbers game almost to a fault.  While it would be productive and perhaps ideal to have an in-depth discussion leading to a personalized consequence for each child referred to the office, this is rarely a luxury administrators have.  Particularly so if administration has raised the level of student expectations beyond merely addressing the most egregious infractions as matters the office is willing to tackle.  An assertive discipline initiative by administration can benefit teachers and overall instruction greatly, but it can also produce a volume of "cases" large enough to threaten its effectiveness.

Furthermore, absent the opportunity to discuss violations in depth with each student, administrators are missing what could be pivotal teachable moments in those young people's lives.  Beyond that, the young person is denied the opportunity to express themselves regarding the matter and possibly introspect in a manner that will forever embed a lesson otherwise lost.  In turn, the administrator is missing an opportunity to better understand this "discipline case" as an individual person who might be better reached and influenced given the context gained through a more personalized approach.

This background and thought process led to what I will further introduce in my next post on this blog.

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Education Ride 365: You Better Do This...Or I'm Going To Ignore That You Didn't!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Parent Involvement, Discipline

Monday, August 13, 2012

Education Ride 365: The Facade Of Reporting Versus Facilitating

Over the past few decades there has been an ever increasing attempt to collect data on schools in the areas of:

• school performance (example, is "adequate yearly progress" being achieved)

• matters of compliance (example, are the rules and regulations of grant programs and other funding mechanisms such as "average daily attendance" being adhered to)

• areas of perceived potential injustice (example, are particular/all minorities achieving and disciplined consistent with the same for other student groups in the school)

For years this was done on paper, then in more static spreadsheet and word processing apps, and now increasingly utilizing 21st century data-base management tools.  Still, we tend to collect a bunch of data to 'report out' (to the state, the feds, etc.) without really using the data much beyond that to analyze, inform, and effect decision-making. 

There are so many examples that we are in this stage of development which I intend to elaborate on in future posts.  In this post, though, introducing one of the facades at play in the discipline programs most of our schools are practicing, I would like to differentiate between 'software discipline tools' designed primarily to address the function of reporting out data to meet state and federal requirements for the reasons above versus a true discipline tool that make the actual labor of running a discipline program on a school campus more efficient, effective, and professional --->all the while less burdensome.

Most schools now use software to manage grades, attendance, and other such reporting aspects of running a school.  Commonly these are referred to as "student management systems" or "student information systems," the SMS or SIS, respectively.  Most of these software programs were adopted by schools for the primary purpose of collecting and reporting out data --->grades, attendance, discipline, student schedules, and other data that is input and reported out.  Where they go beyond the primary purpose of gathering and reporting data (and even often to this end), they tend to be rather thin in utility and clunky in execution.  Many are only now trying to add 'modules' to be able to tout doing it all in one mammoth piece of software, but they tend to do so superficially and often with the result of an even clunkier piece of software.

True discipline tools, such as EdClick's Discipline Manager, go way beyond what any of these primarily reporting tools do.  They actually facilitate the discipline process on a campus.  They streamline and inform referrals as well as resulting administrative actions (consequences), increase communication among all involved as well as others who can influence future behavior, improve follow-through and overall compliance, offer management solutions for more creative and appropriate consequences, offer diagnostic and proactive components, create increased deterrence in numerous ways, and so much more.

Rather than being primarily a data collection and reporting tool like the SIS and SMS systems tend to be, true discipline (software) tools go beyond that facade of effectiveness to being truly instrumental tools that can improve the discipline climate on any campus, regardless of their current relative effectiveness.

I will further develop this distinction in coming posts by elaborating on what discipline (software) tools that are not mere facades should do.  EdClick's Discipline Manager was developed from in the trenches, by school administrators, to make doing the job (not mere reporting) more effective and less burdensome with much improved outcomes. 

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Education Ride 365: All I Had To Do Was Look Closely To See The Ineffectiveness

Now that school is back in session through much of the country, with the rest soon to follow, the subject of discipline in the schools is ripe for discussion.  Accordingly, over the next few weeks I intend to pick up a discussion on the topic I started a couple of months ago on this blog as the last school year was coming to a conclusion.

Sometimes things aren't what they appear to be.  Discipline programs in our schools are an example, as are the 21st century tools used to facilitate those discipline programs.  The perception is that they are doing certain things that they often just are not doing. 

When I was riding in the Yukon Territory of Canada and came upon the police car pictured above sitting by the road, upon closer inspection I realized it was a facade---attempting to establish order---rather than the real deal.  Many of our schools have discipline programs and discipline tools that are in one way, shape, or form mere facades designed to give the appearance of established order that---upon closer inspection---fail the test of achieving, or at least maximizing, effectiveness.

We know that a proper discipline climate in the school is a pillar, if not the entire foundation, of a quality instructional program.  Is the discipline program in your school a mere facade of effectiveness....to one degree or another?  Could it be much more effective?

Much more on this topic in coming posts.

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Friday, June 22, 2012

Education Ride 365: Adult Bullying Victim Update...24 Hours Later

Yesterday I reported about an online effort to raise $5,000 to fund "a vacation" for the adult victim of a recent bullying incident on a school bus.  At 4:10pm pacific time yesterday the fund had raised $355,666.  Now, a mere 24 hours later, the amount is up to $570,566!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline, Bullying, Bus Behavior

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Education Ride 365: Witness The Best & Worst Of People... Schools--->Respond Accordingly!

On a positive note, an online fundraising campaign was initiated to raise $5,000 for the abused bus monitor in the above video to take "a vacation."  In only a few days this effort has raised $348,972.  I am writing this at 4:10 Thursday afternoon.  Earlier this morning the total was $202,000.  That was a mere six (or so) hours ago. 

Americans are tired of bullying.  Americans are tired of cruel, seemingly poorly-parented children.  Americans (in many cases) expect the schools to completely insulate students from these injustices. 

What is your school doing
---proactively and reactively---
to combat the menace of bullying? 

EdClick can help. 

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline, Bullying, Bus Behavior

Monday, June 18, 2012

Education Ride 365: Discipline Efforts In Schools Defined & Explained #6

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Friday, June 15, 2012

Education Ride 365: One Way To Address Bullying---Another Way Not To!

One discipline problem school administrators have been increasingly focused on is bullying.  We heard it quite frequently from Edclick's current and prospective customers---school administrators---at the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference this past week.  I also hear it often during my 'Education Ride 365' discussions with educators and non-educators alike.  Since Edclick is in the business of developing solutions for the full range of operational challenges school administrators encounter running a 21st century school, I'm proud to say we can help with the "bullying" challenge!

Needless to say, an example of how two teachers in a suburban San Antonio school (allegedly) recently addressed this discipline priority is not on our list of solutions!  The full story can be accessed by clicking here or on the excerpt below:

Contact Edclick for legal, prudent, pragmatic, and ethical
measures to address bullying in your school!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline, Bullying

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Education Ride 365: Smile, Your Bad Behavior Is On My Smart Phone!

My blog posts on April 17th and 20th covered aspects of student use of smart phones in the classroom.  Recently I came across another thought-provoking report about smart phone use in classrooms.

This time teachers are being urged to use their smart phones to record proceedings in class----> specifically, bad behavior by students.  A major teacher association is encouraging teachers to do what other teachers have been sanctioned for.  At the root of the issue is whether or not the classroom is a public forum, as many other parts of the school have been designated.

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Technology, Smart Phones, Discipline

Friday, May 25, 2012

Education Ride 365: Discipline Efforts In Schools Defined & Explained #5

• Parent Contact

• Coach and/or Activity Sponsor Contact

• Detentions: Lunch, Before- and After-School

• Extra School: Saturday School, Thursday School, Friday Night Reflections

• In-School Suspension

• Out-of-School Suspension

• Disciplinary Alternative School

• Restitution

• Behavior Contracts

• Suspension of Privilege

• Behavior Questionnaires

• Character Building Assignments

• Type of misbehavior.

• Context of the misbehavior.

• Discipline history of the offender.

• Focus priority of the misbehavior.

• Ability of the system to support follow-through on the consequence.

• What procedure does a staff member actually follow to report violations?

• Depending on the nature of the offense, what interventions were expected to be tried by the referring staff member prior to formal referral to the office?

• In what way should those interventions be documented?

• Where are the referrals and other related documentation collected and organized for review?

• How can missed instructional time be minimized when students must be called to the office?

• Must students be called to the office for every teacher referral?

• Are there ways to better manage high volumes of referrals that may occur at any given time?

• What procedure should be used for documenting or otherwise establishing the "student's side" of any given situation?

• In what way can the administrator determine if the student has a Special Education 'Behavior Intervention Plan' or other special consideration of this nature before assigning a consequence without referencing this important information?
  

• Under what circumstances and in what manner will parents be notified?

• How will the referring staff member be notified of administrative action taken in response to their referral?

• How will other staff members involved in the discipline process be notified of administrative actions taken?

• Which other staff members should be made aware of specific cases of inappropriate student behavior?  How will this be done?

• In what manner will lists be created?

• Which staff member(s) will maintain the lists, including who is credited as fulfilling an assigned consequence and who is overdue?

• How/where is this information logged for future reference, for instance when sharing a student's discipline history with a parent?

• How are corrections, postponements, and other such extraordinary adjustments communicated and represented on the master list?

• Which staff member(s) will be responsible for determining fulfillment of assigned discipline consequences?

• What is the "cost" when a student fails to fulfill a discipline consequence?

• How will that "cost" be communicated to the student and recorded to make sure the reassigned consequence is ultimately fulfilled?
  

• Do administrators have the benefit of reviewing each student's discipline history prior to addressing a new referral as context for making a more informed decision regarding the most current referral?

• In what way can a student's parents view a telling picture of their child's discipline history?
  

• How can data on any given student's previous discipline history be accessed and represented to support current and future disciplinary actions as needed?
  

• On what basis can a school or district determine the relative state of success of their discipline program?

• Is the school or district able to quantify and disaggregate data regarding the frequency, nature, location, and other relevant data points regarding discipline incidents occurring over time?

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Education Ride 365: Discipline Efforts In Schools Defined & Explained #4

In my attempt to establish a more precise nomenclature for discussing school discipline efforts, I have begun to distinguish the meaning in this context between tools, programs, systems, and implementation.  I am introducing each first, before later expounding on each as a distinct yet essential facet of promoting a healthy school discipline climate.

A school or district discipline program will guide the system that will be implemented with supporting tools.  Discipline programs largely reflect a school or district's philosophical approach to discipline.  For instance, to what degree is the approach intended to be:

• reactive versus proactive?
• instructive versus punitive?
• discretionary versus prescriptive?
• uniform versus ad-hock?
• mild versus harsh?

Often these broad questions of degree depend upon the school context in which they are applied.  For instance:

• what are the school's needs? 
• what has been done before?
• what level of parental and administrative support exist? 
• which grade levels are included?
  
• what are the personalities and beliefs of those creating the program?

The discipline program is, in a sense, the philosophy that will guide development of a system that can be implemented with appropriate tools.  As this series continues in future blog posts, best practices of each of these facets will be discussed.

---

This is blog entry #4 of an unknown number of coming blog posts providing information aimed at improving a school's efforts to promote appropriate student discipline.  Click a number to the right to view prior entries in this series: #1, #2, #3.

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Friday, May 11, 2012

Education Ride 365: 'Bored' Of Education A 20th Century Relic!

In my last post I mentioned the school paddle as an antiquated tool of school discipline.  A relic of the 20th---and earlier---centuries.  Interestingly, though, as I ride across the country on 'Education Ride 365' it is amazing how often I hear folks bemoan the demise of the paddle as a tool of compulsion.  If only we could bring the paddle back into use---many propose---we could instill discipline back into these kids!

I can say Mr. Phipps made an impression on me when he gave me three "licks" right outside of my eighth grade science classroom in response to my spitball attack on the space shuttle as it flew across the reel-to-reel projection screen that day in 1983.  No warning, no call to my parents, no administrative permission---> just three firm whacks on my fanny, a few repressed tears, and me limping back to my seat as amused classmates enjoyed the entertainment value of my pain over the educational value of the filmstrip.

I remember PE teachers in earlier grades who brandished their paddle daily as a means of intimidation proactively communicated.  They named them with such creative monikers as the "Hard Lesson" and the "Attitude Adjuster."  Some had holes drilled in them (using drill presses from our school's woodshop class).  These coaches bragged that the holes cut down on "wind resistance" for an even firmer whack!  Tough guys!

Setting aside the psychology-based objections to educators using paddles on children, in this post I thought I'd share a few of the very practical reasons schools for the most part don't engage in this practice any longer. 

The beginning of the end of this practice came when, responding to pressure from folks who consider paddling young people to be a form of child abuse, many districts began giving students a choice of punishment.  For instance, two "licks" or detention.  Interestingly enough, many students chose to 'get it over with' rather than take the alternate punishment.  You could no doubt guess, however, how this approach fell out of favor.  Imagine parents objecting that the student was bullied or otherwise compelled to choose the paddling because, for instance, the alternate punishment was disproportionally harsh or burdensome.  Or, that the child chose paddling before he/she knew of the 'dangers' or 'pain' involved.  On and on the recriminations from such a choice-option can go.

Another accommodation schools increasingly adopted was to get the parent's permission ahead of time.  What could go wrong then?  "Well I gave you permission to punish him, but not to abuse him.  Just look at this bruising!"  We all know some people bruise very easily.  As you can imagine, definitions of paddling versus child abuse can vary greatly when legal and other grievance processes are in place to tempt a second-guessing (or merely protective) parent.

Well, surely then, a school could have a policy allowing the parent to come up to the principal's office to administer the "licks" themselves.  Not so fast!  For one thing, (ironically) many parents who favor educators using the paddle on children would prefer not to do it themselves.  Beyond this, Child Protective Services may get involved.  Then, is the school complicit with the 'battering' parent?  This is a nightmare scenario schools simply don't need and almost universally steer away from in the 21st century.

ALL things considered, surely it is time to retire any romanticization of this practice as part of the solution to addressing bad behavior in school this century.  Rather, it is time to focus on 21st century solutions to timeless challenges!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline, Paddling

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Education Ride 365: Discipline Efforts In Schools Defined & Explained #3

Three-part forms, detention slips, file cabinets, paddles, and other tools of the 20th century used to implement discipline systems are largely antiquated...or at least they are antiquated in school systems that have fully moved into the 21st century.

Change is indeed inevitable, while growth in response to that change is optional.  The tool set schools use to support their discipline system is a perfect example.  Schools that still rely upon the 20th century tools listed above (and more) are missing the growth they can achieve for the same or even lessor cost by largely replacing all of that with a 21st century database-managed system that holds students accountable more effectively with less effort. 

I helped develop such a tool as part of a wildly successful effort to turn around a failing school in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.  This tool was instrumental in growing our school accountability in response to changing challenges AND capabilities.  Once we developed a program outlining our discipline philosophy we used this powerful tool to design a system for its implementation.  Any one without the other would not have achieved the growth we effected.

As this series of posts develops, I will further explain this tool in conjunction with careful attention to the other facets of achieving a healthy discipline climate as a means of helping schools grow in response to inevitable change.

---

This is blog entry #3 of an unknown number of coming blog posts providing information aimed at improving a school's efforts to promote appropriate student discipline.  Click a number to the right to view prior entries in this series: #1, #2.

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Education Ride 365: Discipline Efforts In Schools Defined & Explained #2

Tools of traditional school discipline often included three-part forms, detention slips, file cabinets, paddles, and other such 20th century mainstays.  These tools supported systems designed to fit the particular school or district they were used in.  Discipline programs tended to be reactive and punitive in nature.  Implementation of the program was often haphazard and incomplete, a characteristic still very common in schools today.

It is important to recognize the distinction I am suggesting above between these distinct facets of an overall strategy for optimizing a school discipline climate.  The tools are used to enable the system that support the program in its implementation.

Without explicit attention to each of these distinct facets, an optimized discipline climate can only be achieved by chance.  Who wants to rely upon chance with something as foundational to school success as an optimized discipline climate?

---

This is blog entry #2 of an unknown number of coming blog posts providing information aimed at improving a school's efforts to promote appropriate student discipline.  Click the number to the right to view the prior entry: #1.

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Education Ride 365: Discipline Efforts In Schools Defined & Explained #1

Words are powerful.  Using the correct words to communicate a message can make all the difference between mere reception and actual understanding.  I've been thinking about this a bunch as I travel around on Education Ride 365 speaking with folks about education and the purpose of my trip.

EdClick is the company making my travels possible.  I consult with EdClick on software development aimed at bringing operational aspects of schools into the 21st century.  I consider myself to be a systems thinker and, from its inception, I have consulted with EdClick on systems development for improving school operations.

For years my only payment for doing so was use of these tailor-made software tools we developed in the schools I was working to improve.  Recently it has occurred to me that, over the years, I have been incorrectly applying terms to this process that may be resulting in (primarily) mere reception of my message than in actual understanding of the principles, processes, and vision I have attempted to communicate.

Specifically, over the years I have used the words tool, implementation, system, and program almost interchangeably and certainly too loosely.  In particular, I have made this mistake when talking about discipline and the extremely powerful tool EdClick has developed for implementing a discipline system to solidify the very foundation of a healthy school---> an appropriate discipline climate.  Accordingly, I have decided to write a series of posts aimed at clarifying the distinction I am suggesting between these words and the implications for a school's discipline climate promoted by its discipline program.

This is blog entry #1 of an unknown number of coming blog posts that will better articulate what I have thus far only communicated in a manner more fit for reception than actual understanding.  Presented properly, this information can dramatically improve a school's efforts to promote appropriate student discipline.

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Education Ride 365: Make It To Class If You Want To Dance!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Monday, April 16, 2012

Education Ride 365: Squeaking About Humoring Rather Than Teaching!

After the snow melted in Denver, on Day 96 I began a two day project up the road at the University of Colorado at Boulder.  What a beautiful campus and city!

Before I left my hotel each morning I enjoyed an exceptionally tasty and quality continental breakfast.  One morning this breakfast was less enjoyable due to a seemingly incessant squeaky-squeaky sound like that from a child or pet toy squeezed over and over and over.  On and on it went.  Its source was soon evident, but the end was much slower coming.

The noise shot from a toddler's shoes.  The shoes were designed to make that noise.  Back and forth she paced, hand in hand with supervising family members.  The contrast between the peaceful breakfast setting and the squeaky noise-making shoes seemed to bother everyone in the place.

Had the toddler just been passing through, the noise would have been almost 'cute.'  Instead, the walking was a means of keeping the toddler occupied over quite a length of time.  Back and forth they went.

This event really got me thinking about a complaint I've heard throughout my travels talking with citizens about the state of education in America.  Specifically, too many adults are too busy humoring young people to the point that too often we are not teaching them valuable lessons central to being part of a larger community of citizens working together to live in harmony.  I hear this perception a lot.

At one point the toddler's grandpa was holding her hand as they squeaked and squeaked away for more than ten minutes before I overheard him acknowledge how "annoying" the sound is to a fellow hotel quest before he smiled and stated "I just can't stand it."

It was clear that very few people in the place could stand it, but only this grandpa and his family could do anything about it.  Instead, because they valued humoring the toddler more than respecting their fellow citizens eating breakfast, the noise continued.

More bothersome than the noise was the acknowledged lack of respect for fellow citizens as a concession to humoring the child.  Granted, this is an isolated and limited example of what many express to me in my travels as their perception of a widespread problem in America.  Are adults in America too readily humoring young people to the point of not teaching them valuable lessons about being complementary citizens, rather than an overly-independent nuisance?  Are too many of us raising young people with an over-entitled freedom to do most anything short of breaking the law, even at the expense of their fellow citizens?

Educational institutions teach young people academic lessons first and foremost.  To a lesser degree they teach citizenship.  Increasingly our schools must teach basic citizenship because many young people are not learning these lessons where they are most appropriately learned----> at home.  School should be a place to practice citizenship, not the place to re-mediate basic lessons of citizenship that were never taught at home.

I thought about this incident my whole ride to Boulder.  I was discussing school discipline that day at the University of Colorado.  As I rode, I remembered times I watched shows like "Nanny 911" and "Super Nanny" thinking about the difficult task my colleagues somewhere in the country would have educating children out of these homes.  They were not learning the basics of citizenship where they should be learning them, at home.

I will revisit this topic in later posts.  For now I'll reiterate: The University of Colorado at Boulder is an inspiring, beautiful institution!  May we forever send them students who are prepared with academic readiness AND a respectable level of citizenship!

---

Day 96---117.9 miles traveled, 2 hours and 55 minutes of moving time, 3 hours and 7 minutes of stopped time, 40.2 miles per hour average moving time, 19.5 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 80.3 miles per hour.  Day 97---49.27 miles traveled, 1 hour and 26 minutes of moving time, 34.2 miles per hour average moving time, and a max speed of 75.8 miles per hour.  Day 98---77.71 miles traveled, 1 hour and 47 minutes of moving time, and 43.4 miles per hour average moving time. 

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline, Citizenship

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Education Ride 365: Darn Bull For Students To Communicate Whatever They Can Plausibly Defend

When I was an assistant principal at a very wealthy high school in Dallas we had a healthy rivalry in most every competition against another wealthy school in a suburb of Dallas.  Generally speaking, our school was more "old wealth," while these crosstown rivals were more "new wealth."  One night during a home basketball game, our students began a chant that reverberated throughout the gym: "new money---new money---new money..."  It was my job as an assistant principal supervising the game to squelch this very unsportsmanlike banter, but my hands were somewhat tied.  It seemed to be coming from everywhere on our side of the gym.  I was at a loss for what to do beyond signal my displeasure in a futile attempt to silence these uncouth vocalizations of teen spirit.

My burden was somewhat lifted when a similarly inappropriate chant began shortly thereafter on their side.  It was as if their retort had been planned ahead of time.  It seemingly came from their entire side of the gym: "Inbred---Inbred---Inbred..." they shouted in unison.  This was a moment when my sense of enjoying humor was clashing uncomfortably with my professional duties!  It was funny!  It was also, in my opinion, equally inappropriate.

Young people love to push limits.  Adults often set bad examples in this regard.  Our society is full of innuendo and other forms of pretending less than innocent thoughts and actions can be explained away by finding gray area between what was communicated and what could have been intended to be communicated.  Much like when the female supporters of our Lacrosse team at the school mentioned above printed and wore shirts to school proudly proclaiming themselves as "Lacrosstitutes."  Is that school appropriate?

Here is a visual example of this dilemma school personnel face is deciding where to draw the line:

Where do we draw the line?  Is this acceptable behavior by teenagers in a school setting?  Many of you are no doubt thinking "heck no," but you might be surprised how many parents would classify this as more clever than it is inappropriate.  Is our society becoming so crass and crude that 'free speech' arguments and/or the 'graying of intended meaning boundaries' will defend examples of "spirit" such as these?

Posted at 10:11 PM (permalink) 1 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Education Ride 365: Student Accountability As A Component Of School Safety

I mentioned in my previous blog entry that issues of school safety came up throughout my travels from El Paso, through New Mexico, and into Arizona.  That prompted the following comment from a reader:

El Paso, so close to the Mexican drug wars, would certainly be an anxiety-producing place to live. But other than unusual situations like that, aren't schools actually very safe today compared with decades ago? We have a lot more media coverage of safety issues which affects perceptions, but what are the facts?

School safety is a complex question.  Are we talking about violent crimes occurring in school---including those involving firearms, knives, and other weapons?  Violence of any sort, even that only resulting in a black eye or a disrupted classroom?  School climates free of in-person bullying, cyber-bullying, and hazing?  The presence or absence of gangs?  Crisis planning, conflict resolution, and adequate safety drills?  Are we referring to incidents between students, student-adult issues, threats by outsiders to students inside or around the campus?  Sexual abuse and statutory rape issues? 

All of those examples, and more, are elements of school safety.  Any attempt to quantify them as a generalization of whether or not schools are safer now than they once were is bound by the limitations of methodology, definition, context, and perhaps most importantly, variance among the seemingly countless school campus cultures operating across this country.

I may try to further wrestle with this big picture in future blog posts.  For now, though, I will address the specific concerns I've heard over the past few weeks....even as recently as today when I arrived back in Arizona after a brief stay in Nevada.  In particular, I'd like to address student accountability as a component of school safety. 

Schools can be safe without heightened student accountability.  I don't believe they can reach their full potential without heightened student accountability, but they can be safe.  Having said that, schools with a challenging demographic, schools that lack a deliberate plan of relationship building, and/or schools where discipline consequences are threatened but not enforced, tend to have real or perceived school safety issues beyond the average.

In Arizona I heard the same concerns in four different cities from four distinct groups of people: 

I spoke with five high school girls who currently attend a Catholic private school.  They all wish they could attend the local public high school.  Were it not for one issue they all said they would do so.  As recently as this year, two of the five girls did attend the local public school before switching mid-year.  Two of the other three had attended a public school at one point in their lives.  Were it not for the single issue of perceived personal safety, all five of them indicated they would be attending public school.  They were scared for themselves; their parents were scared for them.

Their issue as they voiced it to me really boiled down to the lack of student accountability in the public schools they attended.  They claimed that many of the teachers were intimidated by certain individual students, groups and even gangs of misbehaving students, and even parents who will defend misbehavior by their son/daughter to the point that school personnel concede because enforcing certain rules is simply not worth the resulting hassle from enabling parents.  One cited as an example her teacher who refused to confront a student about wearing a hat because she was afraid of what he or his friends might do to her in retribution.  There were other more and less serious examples---> all suggesting a lack of student accountability on the front-end. 

A teacher I spoke with raised the issue of a lack of student accountability on the back-end.  Students at her school get in trouble, but consequences are not followed through.  Teachers at her school don't trust that their effort to enforce compliance will result in consequences with follow-through, thereby deterring future bad behavior.  Students are not held sufficiently accountable for reported misbehaviors, so why bother in the first place?

A college student I spoke with also recalled teachers intimidated or otherwise unwilling to enforce basic rules.  She wished they had.  Students need clear boundaries, she rightly exclaimed...and deep down they want clear boundaries.  She recalled the clear boundaries her cheerleading coach imposed.  As a high school student, she expressed a degree of resentment for them.  Deep down, though, she recalls respecting and even welcoming them.  I know, as an assistant principal, many of the students who respected me the most were ones I had to be the toughest with.  It is a counter-intuitive---yet very real---phenomenon!

Yet another adult I spoke with (who doesn't have children herself, but who has numerous friends who are teachers) suggested that the gang issue is very real in her city's public schools.  According to her, an educator who "messes with" the wrong gang member sometimes fears consequences beyond the school grounds.  She noted that her city has neighborhoods even the cops don't want to enter at night.  Can you imagine trying to enforce school rules consistently with a staff making this calculation?

This blog post was intended to further specify the complexion of school safety issues expressed to me over the past few weeks.  It was intended to characterize these as examples of student accountability matters.  Future posts will look into this aspect of school safety in more depth.

Posted at 12:33 AM (permalink) 4 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline, Student Accountability, School Climate

Friday, February 24, 2012

Education Ride 365: Developing & Exercising Patience With The Undeveloped Seemingly In Need Of Exorcism!

Posted at 5:51 PM (permalink) 1 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Day_45, Day_46, Discipline, Juvenile Justice

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Blocking The Hall In Respect Of The Lord...Lord Tebow That Is!

Here is yet another example of a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario for school administrators.  Two twin brothers in a Long Island, NY high school were "suspended" (actually In-School Suspension...though many media reports make it sound like out-of-school) for "Tebowing" in the middle of their school's hallway during a four-minute passing period.

According to the Global Language Monitor, "Tebowing" is now recognized as an official word---defined as “the act of taking a knee in prayer during an athletic contest.”  Here is the namesake demonstrating:

credit: bleacherreport.com

“They knelt down in the hallway in between periods and made it impossible to pass,” said Principal David Wicks. “They were causing a situation that could have been unsafe. God forbid there was an accident or a fire alarm.”

Why the principal justified intervening by pulling the disaster card I'm not sure.  The Superintendent was a bit more on target when she said, “This is not about religious discrimination. It is about being sure kids are able to get to class on time and keeping the kids safe and orderly.”

As you'll see in the video below, these students were blocking the path of students and, had other students taken exception or acted out, could have created a potentially volatile situation.  I've seen this type of resentment boil over at schools, resulting in a fight and/or bullying behavior.

As you might predict, the school administration caught flak over the decision to punish the boys...likely for insubordination since, they claim, the students had been warned.

The video below is a Fox 5 report.  Judge for yourself:

Finally: click here for a three-minute Fox interview with the boys that ends with the host exclaiming: "A day's suspension AIN'T all that bad." 

Posted at 12:17 AM (permalink) 2 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: EdClick, Discipline

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Should Professional Educators Be Trusted To Be Professional... Or Must We Protect Young People From Them?

Posted at 11:05 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: EdClick, Discipline, Discipline Histories, Teacher Professionalism

Monday, December 5, 2011

Breaking News: Reporting The Story Before The Story Is Known

The video below is proof of how easy it can be for potentially questionable decisions made in school to end up on national television.  The teacher---Ms. Terry--- is even named by the parent. 

Host: "Who is the victim, did they even tell you?"

Mom: "No, no, of course not."

This video story struck me as hasty, incomplete, and insufficient reporting for a nationally spotlit local school decision.  Kinda scary.

Good documentation is part of an educator's self-protection plan!

Posted at 10:11 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: EdClick, Discipline, Sexual Harassment

Monday, November 28, 2011

Student Office Referrals----->Who Gets Punished?! (Part One)

A significant percentage of students who get in trouble at school are not frequent flyers!  They may get in trouble once or twice a school year.  When they do get referred to the office, the dynamics can be rather sticky.

Over the decades, deference traditionally shown by the public to school administrators has waned.  Every action is open to careful scrutiny in the court of public (parent) opinion.  Parents have always been protective of their children, but it seems like there are many more "damned if you do; damned if you don't" scenarios playing out in discipline decisions these days.

When a referral is submitted at school, it is typically in response to either a pattern of behavior that has escalated to the point of warranting office intervention---or---an incident that was significant enough in and of itself to warrant the escalation. 

There are also occasions when the student body is made aware of a "point of emphasis"...a rule or policy that will be more aggressively enforced until improvement in that area is met.  So, for instance, if gum is not allowed in the auditorium it might be enforced less aggressively than it will be once chewed gum has been found on the seats and floor of that auditorium.  When it becomes a substantial problem, the student body is notified that this problem warrants more aggressive monitoring and the consequences for breaking the rule will be greater until further notice.  Then, the matter is considered "disobedience/disrespect" rather than merely "chewing gum in the Auditorium."  I've seen this applied to everything from fighting to not turning in homework... a full range of issues.

Once a discipline matter becomes an office matter, students are typically assigned a consequence for their misbehavior.  Sometimes consequences assigned are the same regardless of which particular student broke the rule.  At other times, students' overall discipline records are considered a factor warranting different consequences.  These matters get particularly sticky when some students receive consequences, but others in trouble for the same thing get no consequence.  Furthermore, educators get frustrated with the school office quickly when they feel like their referrals are in vain.

Accordingly, it is very common for students to receive consequences for being referred to the office in a properly run school.  Furthermore, many administrators feel that if any student receives a consequence for a particular behavior, so too should the others...even if there is some difference in exactly what the consequence is.  The proverbial "slap on the wrist" is considered appropriate for even our most angelic rule breakers.  They are young people and, as such, their development requires reminders of boundaries and limits.  Beyond that, it becomes a "for the good of the order" consideration.

We all know the traditional office consequences--- detentions, Saturday school, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and more.  Most of these are management headaches for schools.  There are many reasons why this is so.

I will expand on these facts in my next post as a way of introducing a new consequence option for school discipline.  This is a discipline consequence that is more of a "slap on the wrist."  It is both easy to manage and more progressive in design.  In particular, it is a more appropriate, tangible starting point for addressing both rare and more episodic misbehavior...like that many of our non-"frequent flyers" are referred to the office for.

Posted at 6:12 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: EdClick, Discipline

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Schools Are Expected To Eliminate All Animosity Between Students...Or Prove They Tried To!

• documenting their efforts to investigate reported incidents? 
  
• documenting interventions used to diffuse the situation? 
• documenting efforts to contact parents and guardians?
• documenting initiatives to prevent the behavior in the first place?

It sounds easy.  School personnel know it is not.  It may seem unnecessary.  It definitely is not.  Nonetheless, proper documentation is professional behavior.

We all know that students are often in conflict of one sort or another.  School personnel, especially in middle school, spend a significant chunk of time investigating and resolving all sorts of student disputes---including bullying. 

Consider a case like that below.  A student tries to kill herself.  She had reported bullying.  The family claims that nothing was done.  It goes on and on.  It is a we-said, they-said.

The school should have documentation to refute her claims.  It sounds like this case was prolonged enough that they may.  Often, there would be little to no documentation.  The story below is repeated often...across our country.  This headline isn't new and we are seeing it more frequently.  Is your school ready to prove your due diligence when students are being pushed to the edge like this?  Many schools are doing most everything they can to prevent incidents like it. They should do themselves the service of documenting their efforts!

See a video story here.

The full written story can be accessed from the South Florida Times by clicking the article below.

EdClick can facilitate your school's documentation efforts!

Posted at 8:27 PM (permalink) 1 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: EdClick, Discipline, Parent Communication, Documentation, Bullying, Lawsuit

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Is Your School Still Using The Computer Equivalent Of The Yellow Pages?

One significant challenge teachers and other educators face when attempting to contact parents is accessing the correct contact information to do so.  Phone numbers, emails, and other contact information change throughout each year.  In most school computer systems, teachers cannot edit or add contact information as they become aware of it.  They can only access a student management system that was populated with data at the beginning of the year and is rarely updated through the year.  On any given campus, typically only one (or at most a handful) of staff are authorized to update this information.  Consequently, the information is as often wrong, incomplete, or out-dated as it is correct.  What an inefficient system!

Imagine too that you are a teacher who has to address email to 20-100 students and/or parents per week.  What a pain!  Of course, a teacher could build a group in their email program, but then the challenge is keeping up with those groups and making sure the email addresses of group members stay up-to-date.  There are better ways to tackle this challenge!

Instead, if you use a web-based communication solution like EdClick's Collaboration Manager, all staff members are empowered to update student and parent contact information dynamically, as they become aware of changes.  At school, from home, or wherever else they are connected to the internet, staff members can access student contact information that is as fresh as the last communication any staff member had with that parent.  When they learn of new contact information, within a minute they can update it for the benefit of all.  It is a dynamic, decentralized process that is efficient, collaborative, and promotes enhanced communication and cooperation between home and school.

Consider this form:

This function is called "Flash Messages."  When teachers log on, they can view and edit their students by section or however they'd like them organized.  Above, you can see Mary Armey's Period 2 Biology section.  The students listed are in this section.  The teacher can easily add or drop students with a few clicks.  They don't even have to type the student's name! 

Beyond their sections, teachers and other staff members can create groups in any way they care to.  Science Club, Football Team, Tutoring Group, or whatever.  Again, it is a matter of clicking links and check boxes.  All of this can be done by teachers with a 30-second learning curve!!!

With this tool, educators in the school can more easily batch send emails out to select students, groups of students, whole grade levels, and even the whole school.  They simply use the form shown above.  Messages can be sent to student email addresses, parent email addresses, or both.  Where the student/parent doesn't have an email address, the symbol of a phone identifies them as requiring another method of contact.

Finally, the system archives all outgoing messages.  In so many ways, this tool tightens the communication loop and further professionalizes a school's parent involvement efforts.   It is a steady stepping stone on the path to continuous improvement in schools! 

You are a call or email away from a personalized demo
right from the comfort of your computer!

Posted at 10:14 PM (permalink) 2 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: EdClick, Collaboration Manager, Parent Involvement, Parent Communication, Continuous Improvement, Discipline, RTI, Special Education

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Education Is Full Of Contradictions!

Posted at 10:35 AM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: EdClick, Special Education, Discipline, Bi-Polar

Monday, November 7, 2011

Why Start All Over Each Communication?

Posted at 9:26 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: EdClick, Collaboration Manager, Discipline, Parent Communication, Documentation

Friday, November 4, 2011

If They Just Would Have Called Me! Now I'm Mad!

When I received a call today from a parent I know who was frustrated by the stack of failing papers she had just received from her daughter's teachers, I was reminded yet again how important it is for the teachers of struggling students to reach out to parents.  The earlier the better. 

Each attempt should be documented.  Beyond the C.Y.A. factor, this is valuable information.  Written communication to/from parents should be archived.  Verbal conversations should be documented in notes. Not merely that the conversation occurred, but the notes should also include a brief summary of some sort. 

When this type of documentation exists, professional staff members with a need to know can readily refer to a "file cabinet" (of sorts) where these notes are stored.  They can easily access these notes and other documents before making a call, so they gain insights that help them build on prior conversations colleagues have already had with the parent.  They should enter conversations with parents as informed and prepared as possible.  And, those conversations should be as focused and constructive as possible.

The file cabinet I am referring to is not two-drawer, nor is it four-drawer.  In fact, it is not really a cabinet at all...unless you're stuck in the 20th century.  Instead, it is a database on the internet that makes the process I outlined above a snap for all personnel.  Easy.  Accessible from anywhere.  A series of check boxes, pull-downs, and text-fields. 

EdClick's Collaboration Manager is the collaborative "file cabinet" your school can use to enhance and document parent communication--->cheaply, easily, and in a manner that improves your school's performance!  You can see it work in an online demo, right from the convenience of your computer!

In a coming post I'll share other ways Collaboration Manager
can improve communication between school and home.

Posted at 8:21 PM (permalink) 3 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: EdClick, Collaboration Manager, Discipline, Parent Communication, Documentation

Monday, October 24, 2011

Is Your School Properly Equipped For Discipline, Part III

Posted at 7:19 PM (permalink) 1 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, School Climate, Accountability, Special Education, Compliance, Documentation, Teachers, BIP, IEP, ISS, Assistant Principals, Principals, EdClick

Monday, October 17, 2011

Pass It On Education Tools: Character Ed Assignments Fill Missing Link For Schools

Posted at 11:35 PM (permalink) 2 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Pass It On Education Tools, EdClick, Character Education, Teen Leadership, In-School Suspension, ISS, Discipline, Counselors

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Is Your School Properly Equipped For Discipline, Part Duex!

In a healthy discipline program, the "radar screens" that keep personnel informed and actively participating in the school's discipline program extend out to parents too. 

One such radar screen is documentation:

*Does your school collect data over time, in a "electronic repository" that can be used by the school to, for instance, create discipline histories allowing parents to view patterns of behavior, interventions attempted, consequences assigned, consequence follow-through, and so much more?  This is a radar screen on their child that parents deserve to see readily.

The technology EdClick offers schools does this--->efficiently, easily, and inexpensively.

Another component of an effective discipline system that gives parents a radar screen on their child's overall behavior is regular communication pushed out by the school, especially when it relates to the child of that parent.

*Is a documented attempt at contacting the parent of each student involved in each discipline matter part of your school's discipline program?  If so, does it happen...even most of the time...really?

The technology that EdClick offers schools does this--->efficiently, easily, and inexpensively.

Bring a little automation to the task of running your data-dependent school!  In the process, create radar screens parents can use to get a truer picture of their child's contribution to the disciplinary climate of your school!

More "radar screens" to good discipline in upcoming posts!

Posted at 6:50 PM (permalink) 3 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, School Climate, Accountability, Special Education, Compliance, Documentation, Teachers, BIP, IEP, ISS, Assistant Principals, Special Education Diagnosticians, Special Education Psychologists, School Counselors, Parental Involvement, EdClick

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Is Your School Properly Equipped For Quality Discipline?

More "radar screens" to good discipline in upcoming posts!

Posted at 11:08 AM (permalink) 4 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, School Climate, Accountability, Special Education, Compliance, Documentation, Teachers, BIP, IEP, ISS, Assistant Principals, Special Education Diagnosticians, Special Education Psychologists, School Counselors, ISS Monitors, EdClick

Friday, October 7, 2011

When A Few Minutes Equals Countless Hours!

Posted at 10:20 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: EdClick, Video, Webinar, Discipline, Special Education, RTI, Detention

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The Annual Honeymoon That Was!

Posted at 7:11 PM (permalink) 1 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, School Climate, Accountability

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

In The News: Patriots, Nazis, Americans, & The Pledge Of Allegiance

• By standing and pledging allegiance to the American flag?

• By standing up for your right to not stand and recite the pledge?

What are your thoughts?  Leave a comment below!

Posted at 10:58 AM (permalink) 4 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: In The News, Pledge To Flag, Moment Of Silence, Freedoms, Discipline, Citizenship

Friday, April 22, 2011

Discipline: Not All Lessons Learned At Home Are Good For Children!

Click the image above to read the entire story at NPR.com

Posted at 8:56 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Bullying

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Discipline: Looking For Someone To Blame In Times Of Tragedy--->Will You Be Next?

Click the image above for the full story at WFAA.com

Posted at 12:31 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Bullying, Suicide, Documentation

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Discipline: Educators---->Documentation, Documentation, Documentation

Posted at 7:02 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Fighting, Documentation, Bullying

Monday, April 18, 2011

Discipline: 'I Love Boobies' Appropriate For A Middle School?

Will "I Love Dick" bracelets soon follow to promote prostate cancer awareness?  School administrators live on a slippery slope!

Posted at 8:38 PM (permalink) 2 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Dress Code

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Discipline: Teen Fist Fights Can Result In Death

Click the image above to access video of this unfortunate event from Fox 4 News

Posted at 9:46 AM (permalink) 2 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Fighting, Violence

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

In The News: Money Cut From Education May Ultimately Be Required For Ineffective Prisons And Their Return Customers

"Since the mid-’80s, annual state prison costs have risen from $10 billion to $52 billion, according to Pew."

Couple that huge expenditure with the apparent lack of effectiveness of our state prisons at reducing recidivism...and there is an argument to be made that if more of those billions were spent on the front end towards education, so much may not be required on the back end towards a system that has a record of failure.  Kids are hard to fix once they've become adults!

Click the image above to access this article at USA Today

I wonder how much we spend on our federal prison system?

Posted at 10:30 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: In The News, Prisons, Rehabilitation, School Finance, Discipline, Character Education

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Trends: Back In My Day....The Kids Were Worse?

Click the image above for the full CNN.com article

P.S., one notable exception to the progress of our youth:

"One serious problem, according to the CDC, is that more teens are getting fatter. A lot fatter. But aside from that, they appear to be taking better care of themselves than the generation that preceded them."

Posted at 3:45 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Trends, Discipline, Pregnancy, Teen Drinking, Teen Driving, Health, Nutrition

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Discipline: Student Violence Must Never Be Tolerated. For Good Reason.

Teen Fistfight Ends in Death: MyFoxDFW.com

Posted at 2:25 PM (permalink) 2 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Fighting, Violence, Student Death

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Discipline: You Just Earned Three Licks. Bet You'll Act Better Next Time!?

Posted at 10:17 AM (permalink) 2 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Corporal Punishment, Paddling

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Discipline: Student Rights Under IDEA 2004-->A Helpful Document Of Federal Statutes

Check It Out!  Pass It On!

Posted at 9:54 PM (permalink) 2 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Pass It On Education Resources, Discipline, Discipline Under IDEA 2004, IDEA 2004, Special Education

Monday, March 28, 2011

Discipline: 'Gamifying' The System To Create Better Behavior

Comments are encouraged!

Posted at 7:00 PM (permalink) 3 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Positive Discipline, Gaming Concept In Discipline, Merit/Demerit System

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Trends: Sexting Can Lead To A World Of Trouble For Young People

It would be wise for adults to discuss the dangers of this behavior proactively, before the damage is done.  After the fact, the implications of such behavior can change lives forever...for the worse.

Posted at 10:08 AM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Trends, Sexting, Discipline, Text Messaging, Electronic Devices

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Discipline: I Told Him To Stick Up For Himself. That Is All He Was Doing!

Posted at 10:51 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Fighting, Parenting, Violence, Play Fighting

Monday, March 21, 2011

Discipline: Who Could It Be Writing On My Door....Go Away, Don't Come Around Here No More!

To read the full story, click the image below!

Posted at 1:09 AM (permalink) 3 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Graffiti

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Parent Resources: Support For Parents Of A Child Struggling With Drugs And Alcohol

Check It Out!  Pass It On!

Posted at 5:12 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Parent Resources, Drugs & Alcohol, Counselors, Counseling, Parent Involvement, Student Health, Discipline

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Parent Resources: Provide Inquiring Parents With More Than Words

Posted at 6:17 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Parent Resources, Parents, Counselors, Discipline, Parent Education, Parental Involvement

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Discipline: Know What You Are Doing With Special Education Students (And Those Who May Qualify)

Check It Out!  Pass It On!

Posted at 10:15 AM (permalink) 2 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, Pass It On Education Tool

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Communication: More Supervision Needed...Or Maybe Another Sign?!

Photo credit: passiveaggressivenotes.com

Parents should "Just Say No" to places like this!

Posted at 2:16 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Communication, Discipline

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Discipline: Suspending The Education Of Students By Mandating Vacations

The report, compiled by the New York Civil Liberties Union and based on 10 years of previously undisclosed suspension statistics, echoed a nationwide trend toward mandatory suspensions for an increasing variety of infractions. In the city, at least, the suspensions have also kept students away from the classroom for longer periods."

Posted at 11:53 AM (permalink) 1 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Attendance, Student Suspensions, At-Risk Students

Friday, January 21, 2011

Discipline: Tips From American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

• Trust your child to do the right thing within the limits of your child's age and stage of development.

• Make sure what you ask for is reasonable.

• Speak to your child as you would want to be spoken to if someone were reprimanding you. Don't resort to name-calling, yelling, or disrespect.

• Be clear about what you mean. Be firm and specific.

• Model positive behavior. "Do as I say, not as I do" seldom works.

• Allow for negotiation and flexibility, which can help build your child's social skills.

• Let your child experience the consequences of his behavior.

• Whenever possible, consequences should be delivered immediately, should relate to the rule broken, and be short enough in duration that you can move on again to emphasize the positives.

• Consequences should be fair and appropriate to the situation and the child's age.

Posted at 11:46 AM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Parenting

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Communication: The Good, Bad, & Ugly Of Our Efforts To Communicate

Posted at 10:18 AM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Communication, Discipline

Friday, December 17, 2010

Discipline: What Matters And What Doesn't?

Posted at 12:58 PM (permalink) 3 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Dress Code, Hair

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Guest Post: The Student Whisperer

This is a re-post from November 11, 2010 to accompany the post on discipline directly below it here.  I am re-posting it to revisit Harry's comments and invite yours in response to this and to the discipline video below.

Do you ever watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic channel? That guy, Cesar Millan, is absolutely amazing with dogs (although it's not uncommon that he gets bitten or clothes ripped). What he stresses is that dogs should be in a calm-submissive state and the humans (the pack leaders) should maintain a calm-assertive state with respect to the dogs.

That seems to me to be the ideal for school discipline and classroom management, too. With Cesar, it's never a dog problem but a people problem, despite the fact that some dogs are bred to be vicious, etc. As he says in the show, he rehabilitates dogs, he trains people.

It strikes me that student discipline is probably much the same way, if only the faculty had the kind of near-magical powers with students that the Dog Whisperer has with dogs. And the data from Discipline Manager backs that up. Looking at the data from a typical middle school, half the faculty had fewer than 15 discipline referrals while the top four had over 100. Are those top four having difficulty maintaining a calm-assertive state?

At the same time, some faculty do have near-magical abilities with students.  At least they seem magical to the rest of the staff. In an ideal world, they could mentor the teachers needing the help, but those teachers have their own classes to teach. Where do they find the time?

So, some teachers have known classroom management problems. Principals want to improve their skills for the benefit of students, to make the principal's job easier and to possibly save the teacher's job.

What do you think of a Student Whisperer service? We send a Flip video recorder (cheap) to be set up in the teacher's classroom for a day, and then the teacher returns it in the provided mailer to the Student Whisperer, one of those really remarkable teachers. Just like Cesar Millan, the Student Whisperer can figure out what the teacher is doing wrong almost instantly, just by viewing the video. It would be inexpensive for schools because the Student Whisperer doesn't need to travel, just look at some video. The video could be private between the teacher and Student Whisperer so the teacher doesn't have to worry about being exposed to the principal and colleagues, and there would be no retained record of the students in class.

What do you think?

Posted at 11:40 AM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: by Harry Tennant, Student Whisperer, discipline

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Discipline: What Was True in 1947...

Posted at 11:34 AM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Classroom Management

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Discipline: Elliott, Phone Home

Posted at 10:01 AM (permalink) 2 Comments View/Leave Comment
Keywords: Discipline, Cell Phone Policy, Cell Phones