Hi, I' m currently preparing for a seminar on the Glasser Model for classroom management in the primary years of education and have stumbled over the following issues. 1. if the students are selecting their own rules, is it correct that there are no consequences for breaking them and their behaviour is addressed by reality therapy? Are there no consequences for any form of misbehaviour. If there are no quick consequences doesn't this take up too much time for both the teacher and the whole of the class. 2. does the teacher also have their own set of "rules"? These would be more common sense rules as no talking or stop work when told. If so what happens when a student doesn't conform and has no respect for the group rules? Under the choice theory what actually happens when a student is constantly disruptive to the learning process. doesn't it become very frustrating to a teacher?

3. is it difficult for the choice theory to be implemented in early years of education. How do young children make their own rules if boundaries are not set?

4. is there a conflicit of behaviour management if this theory is implemented in the classroom and SR is used at home? Or for that matter is used in the classroom and on the playground or in the following year a different method of behaviour management is being used?

5. if a school is accrediated - do all the staff also have to be?

If anyone can assist me clarify these points I would be greatly appreciative.

Thanks, Julie.

-- Julie Morrell (sdjmar@ozemail.com.au), July 25, 2000

Answers

The questions you ask are so wide ranging that I don't think they can be answered in a simple reply. You are dealing with introducing a completely new ethos but there is a completely normal tendency to see it in terms of the old. It is best,I think,to observe the way others have gone about the task. Kay Mentley and Sally Ludwig have shown how a Q.School functions in their book "Quality is the key" stories from Huntington Woods School. Robert A. Sullo's book "Inspiring Quality in your school", follows the same path.You might also consider "The School for Quality Learning" Crawford Bodine and Hoglund "Crisis counselling for a Quality School Community" Larry L.Palmatier PH.D.and "New Paradigms for creating quality schools" Brad Green Ed.D.

-- ken lyons (kenlyon@gofree.indigo.ie), August 13, 2000.

Julie, I have some down-time and I realize this is way beyond the fact. In fact, you may or not read this. However, I do have some thoughts. If I were to ever have a class determine a code of conduct (aka "rules"), I might first preface the discussion by saying something like, "Class we will be spending much of the coming year together. And I think it very important that we have the very best year we can. So now, I would like you to visualize behaviors you could choose to show respect for yourself, respect for others, and respect for property. They might visualize opening doors for others, carrying heavy objects for others, walking in a crowded hallway, etc. After a good list is established, I might pose,"How many of you would consider choosing some of these behaviors?" MOST HANDS WOULD RAISE. "Oh, so many of you would choose these behaviors. Recall that Dr. Glasser indicates that whatever we do, we do for Survival, Fun, Power, Freedom, and Love and Belonging. Let's find out why we might choose to (open doors for others)." Have the group catagorize the behaviors as meeting Fun, Power, Freedom, and/or Love & Belonging. Ideally, the "pay-off" for the performance of an act would be the positive feeling state and this (feeling state) would far outweigh the consequence of choosing contrary to an expectation, regarding whether or not a behavior is chosen. For example, I will share because I am able to show care and concern for someone else, not because my teacher and other adults frown on stinginess.

Some need rules and consequences to make good choices. Some choose to use the guidelines of respect for self, others, and property to guide their behaviors.

-- Ted Donato (tdonato@toppenish.wednet.edu), September 13, 2002.