THE DISCIPLINE LEARNING PACKET SYSTEM
Discipline Learning Packets are designed to provide constructive, positive learning experiences for students who have violated a school behavior standard. Although the primary purpose of our packets and lessons is to serve as the consequence for an unacceptable behavior, we have de-emphasized the punitive aspect and stressed the positive learning experience that comes from understanding and reflecting on one's actions. We want the student to think about WHY it is wrong to talk back to the teacher, or hit someone, and to understand how others feel when they are the subject of disrespect or have been knocked down by someone running or otherwise being careless.
By emphasizing the feelings and rights of others, we attempt to lead students to a more empathetic and social understanding of the effects of their actions and the fact that this behavior impacts on the whole school community.
Causes, consequences, prevention, and goal setting are topics that the student will consider while completing a discipline packet. Each lesson also contains several vignettes or stories about other students who have made similar mistakes. Through reading about how others have made bad decisions the student being disciplined is able to look at the misbehavior from an "outsiders" perspective, therefore, making it even more clear to the rule offender the faulty thought process behind the unacceptable behavior.
Finally, our approach stresses the setting of individual goals for bringing about behavior improvement. Each packet ends with a "Doing it Right" or similar section, in which we suggest some positive alternatives for each action, sharing instead of failing to share or, respecting other people's property instead of taking things that don't belong to us. We ask each student to write a personal goal that points to an alternative to the action that she or he took in the original situation. Thus, we prompt students to move from past mistakes to the "next time" and encourage them to re-think old habits and previous actions. Within this framework, the role of the educator is to discuss with the student the main ideas of the packet and to reinforce the behavior goals the student has set for himself.
We believe that yelling or threatening a rule violator results in little if any improvement, yet this is the discipline approach taken by many educators. The Discipline Learning Packet System brings educators and rule offenders together in a meaningful manner.
We therefore, believe that Discipline Learning Packets target undesirable behavior and allow educators to take positive steps in helping students correct their actions. Having worthwhile activities for rule offenders also help prevent future rule offenses.
A discipline curriculum gives a sense of importance to the rules and regulations that govern the students in your school. The Discipline Learning Packet System brings about improved student behavior while at the same time unifies the efforts of the staff to have a stronger and more purposeful student management program. The end result is an improved learning environment for all students.