Assertive Discipline
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Theorists
Theoretical Basis
Overt Teacher Behaviors
Key Vocabulary Terms
Educational Insights/Instructional Implications
Perceived Strengths
Perceived Weaknesses
Resources
Roleplay
Overview of Assignment
Ideas
See more Classroom Management Models
THEORISTS
Lee and Marlene Canter developed the Assertive
Discipline model in 1976. Both of the Canters were products of the
social consciousness movement of the 1960ís, inspiring each to plan
a future in which they could make a difference in the lives of children.
Initially, Lee sought to make such a difference in the field of social
work, while Marlene completed her education at a teacherís college
in special education. Eventually, Lee also began to focus his attention
on teacher training and school consultation. The two of them worked
together to try to find new techniques of discipline to apply to a student
whose disruptive behavior was challenging Marlene. She knew that
this particular student had much more potential than he was exhibiting
and the conventional methods of discipline of the time were not helping
this student to succeed. It was through this research and the experiences
with this student that the Assertive Discipline method of behavior management
was born.
THEORETICAL BASIS
The Canters found that when expectations
were made clear and follow-through was consistent, that even typically
disruptive students were able to choose appropriate behaviors and therefore
increase opportunities for greater success in school. They based
their theory on three basic assumptions of ìrights and responsibilitiesî
in the classroom:
1. Teachers have the right and responsibility to establish rules and
directions that clearly define the limits of acceptable and unacceptable
student behavior.
2. Teachers have the right and responsibility to teach students to
consistently follow these rules and directions throughout the school day
and school year.
3. Teachers have the right and responsibility to ask for assistance
from parents and administrators when support is needed in handling the
behavior of students.
These assumptions are based upon the understanding that in order for
learning to take place, which is a basic right of the student, there must
be effective ways to deal with and to prevent disruptive behavior.
One way that the Assertive Discipline model
addresses behavior issues is in the acknowledgement of the importance of
motivation in learning and classroom management. The use of both
positive and negative recognition serves to extrinsically motivate the
student and to develop habits of good discipline, which will hopefully
evolve into intrinsically motivated behaviors. The Canters developed
this model understanding that students are not innately motivated to behave
in school. They also worked with the realization that a classroom
full of students with higher self-esteem will have fewer discipline problems.
The goal of Assertive Discipline is to teach students to choose responsible
behavior, thereby increasing their self-esteem and increasing their academic
success. This process is cyclical, enabling students to become successful
in school, thereby empowering them with the skills that will become the
foundation for their self-esteem and future success. A great deal
of this discipline model is characterized with praise and positive recognition.
Additionally, Assertive Discipline is based upon choices. Todayís
students must be taught how to choose responsible behavior. This
enables the student to develop ownership of what he or she does, as well
as owning the consequences based upon their actions. Such choices
help to develop intrinsic motivation, and move to internalizing the locus
of control. All of these factors have very significant effects on
a studentís motivation.
OVERT TEACHER BEHAVIORS
Teachers who employ the use of the Cantersí
Assertive Discipline model have positive expectations of their students.
These expectations are made clear to the students by posted classroom rules
and unambiguous directions for each activity. Classroom rules are
limited to four or five overarching and observable guidelines, and are
conspicuously posted, and apply at all times. Along with the posted
rules is a hierarchy of consequences that result from not following the
rules. Directions, which apply only to a specific activity, are also
clearly given. Teachers who effectively use Assertive Discipline
in their classroom teach the classroom discipline plan on the first days
of the school year, giving as much time and monitoring for understanding
from the students as they do when teaching any content area lesson.
This allows clarity, understanding, and consistency and minimizes the possibility
of students having varied interpretations of what is expected of them.
Teachers who utilize this behavior management
model are able to be consistent in their responses to studentsí
actions. In the use of Assertive Discipline, responses have already
been planned out, as opposed to those who use nonassertive or hostile responses.
Without predetermined consequences, teachers employing either a nonassertive
or a hostile response have the dilemma of taking valuable teaching time
to decide upon an appropriate consequence, and the response is at risk
of being emotionally motivated. Neither of these is fair to the imposing
student or the rest of the class.
Classrooms where Assertive Discipline is used
are also characterized by positive expectations of the students by the
teacher, and the use of positive recognition to encourage the students.
Students are often praised and the teacher is typically trusted and respected
by the students. There is a much greater degree of efficacy in the
classroom, both of the teacher and of the students, since all are given
the opportunity to make choices that lead to success. These classrooms
reflect a positive, caring, and productive climate.
KEY VOCABULARY TERMS
Classroom Rules ñ Four or five overarching, clear, and observable
guidelines that are conspicuously posted and apply at all times in the
classroom. Some examples may include ìFollow directions,î
ìNo swearing or teasing,î or ìBe in your seat when
the bell rings.î
Specific Directions ñ Expectations of how students should
behave in each individual activity or procedure, and apply only during
its duration. Some examples may include what is expected of students
when they first come into the class, when they are doing independent seat
work, when the teacher is giving a directed lesson, when the class is having
a group discussion, and how they line up to leave.
Positive Recognition ñ Praise given to students for behaving
as expected based upon the classroom rules and the directions given for
a particular activity. Positive recognition should be the most active part
of the classroom discipline plan. It is also used to motivate students
to choose appropriate behavior and to create a positive atmosphere in the
classroom
Consequence ñ The result of a studentís choice
to not follow the classroom rules or directions given based upon a discipline
hierarchy. Consequences must be something that the student does not
like, but must never be physically or psychologically harmful. They
are not meant to embarrass or humiliate the student.
EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS/INSTRUCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS
The use of Assertive Discipline makes it possible
for a teacher to teach and the students to learn. It removes any
question by the teacher and students of how behaviors are dealt with when
students choose not to follow the classroom rules or the specific directions
of an activity. It also enables students to be recognized when they
are following the rules or directions. This form of classroom management
is very different from what previous generations have experienced, and
there is a good reason for that. The students in todayís classroom
are very culturally different from those of the past. The Canters
point out in their explanation of the model that the teachers who were
once empowered by a value placed on them by parents and society do not
necessarily retain that same status in contemporary society. Students
often come from homes where the adults in their lives are unwilling or
unable to motivate them to succeed in school, which may be compounded by
poverty, broken homes, and emotional or physical abuse. In spite
of all of the problems in life that a student may be dealing with, teachers
must find ways to enable them to succeed in school. Academic success
may be the only opportunity a student has to develop a positive self-esteem.
The Assertive Discipline model of behavior management allows this to take
place by giving each student the same choices and consequences within the
classroom. A student may choose to follow the rules and therefore
receive praise and positive recognition, also enabling greater opportunities
to learn and succeed. He may also choose not to follow the rules,
however in doing so, he knows what his consequences will be.
Although, as mentioned above, not all parents
are supportive of their childís learning, the Assertive Discipline
model make the assumption that teachers have the right to call on parents
for support and involvement, as well as the school administration.
Because the plan incorporates the teacher, student, parents, and administration,
greater consistency and follow-through is allowed. A key component
of this plan, however, is positive recognition, and parents and administration
should be just as involved with consequences to positive behavior.
An example of this would be the teacher calling a studentís parents
or sending a note home to let them know how well a student is performing
or following directions in class. Developing a higher self-esteem
and motivating the students are two of the major driving forces in Assertive
Discipline, and should not be overshadowed by the consequences to negative
behavior. Positive recognition should be used often to encourage
students to behave appropriately, and to continue appropriate behavior.
Additionally, a positive classroom environment can also be reinforced with
classwide positive recognition. This strategy allows each person
to have a responsibility to the class as a whole in attaining a desired
reward.
In order for an Assertive Discipline plan
to be effective, several guidelines should be followed in developing classroom
rules. They should be kept to a minimum (no more than four or five),
should be clearly posted, and should only include expectations that apply
at all times. This would exclude rules such as, ìRaise your
hand and wait to be called upon before speaking,î since that is not
always enforceable. There will be times during the day, such as group
activities or cooperative learning situations where this simply does not
apply. The rules should also only include clear observable behaviors.
Vague rules such as ìShow respect to others,î or ìNo
unnecessary talkingî are difficult to enforce and can prevent consistency
in responses.
Another facet to Assertive Discipline is the
way teachers deal with students who are off-task or not attending, however
are also not disrupting the class. Because teachers have a
responsibility to teach each student, these behaviors must also be dealt
with, but in a different way than those who are disruptive. These
students must be redirected, and the Canters offer several techniques that
are often effective. One of these is ìthe look,î which
communicates to the student nonverbally that you are aware of and disapprove
of the behavior. Another is based upon physical proximity.
Simply walking over to the student and standing by him while continuing
to teach even more clearly and firmly communicates the teacherís
displeasure with the behavior. Teachers can also redirect off-task
students by mentioning the studentís name while, again, continuing
to teach the lesson. At times, however, these redirecting techniques
may not be effective or the student may need redirecting continuously.
In these situations, teachers may need to resort to the consequences hierarchy.
Although the techniques outlined in the Cantersí
Assertive Discipline model of behavior management proves to be effective
for most students, there will be situations when a ìSevere Clauseî
must be implemented. In cases of severe misbehavior such as fighting,
vandalism, defying a teacher, or some other behavior that causes instruction
to stop, the disruptive student should immediately be removed from the
classroom. This not only enables the teacher to continue with the
education process for the rest of the class, but it also gives the disruptive
student time to calm down before other consequences are implemented.
The use of Assertive Discipline is a proactive
approach to classroom management that enables a cooperative team to work
together to allow more effective teaching and learning to take place.
In the ideal model, each party takes a responsible role in ensuring the
most productive learning environment is established. Because society
and culture change over time, the methods used change as well. This
is apparent in the genesis of the Cantersí discipline model, but
has also been manifested since its inception. In 1976, the Canters
published their first book on Assertive Discipline. In 1992, a new
and revised edition was published, changing some of the philosophies and
methods of the original model. One case in point is the practice
of writing studentsí names on the blackboard when they misbehave.
Because of the fact that this can cause shame and embarrassment for students,
the Assertive Discipline model now recommends a more private method of
noting disruptive students in a record book. It is encouraging to
know that the Cantersí method of classroom management is evolving
with the rapid changes of our society.
PERCEIVED STRENGTHS OF THE MODEL
· It allows students choices, thereby placing responsibility on
each student for the choices he makes.
· It accentuates positive behavior instead of only focusing
on negative ones.
· Its goal is to promote self-esteem and academic success.
· Students begin each day with a clean slate.
· It incorporates a cooperative approach to discipline, including
the teacher, student, parents, and administration.
· It focuses on creating a positive learning environment.
PERCEIVED WEAKNESS OF THE MODEL
· It does not seek to find the causes behind negative behaviors.
· Its system of rewarding for behavior that is expected is not
authentic to real life experience.
RESOURCES
Allen, Thomas. (1996). Developing a discipline plan
for you. [Online]. Available
http://www.humboldt.edu/~tha1/canter.html
[April 22, 2000].
Canter, L., & Canter, M. (1984). Assertive discipline:
Resource materials
workbook elementary, K-6. Santa Monica, CA:
Lee Canter and Associates.
Canter, L., & Canter, M. (1992). Assertive discipline:
Positive behavior management for todayís classroom.
Canter, Lee. (1987). Lee Canter's assertive discipline.
Schoolwide positive
activities ideas for reinforcing positive schoolwide behavior.
Santa Monica, CA: Lee
Canter and Associates.
Canter, Lee. (1996). ìDiscipline Alternatives,
first, the rapport-then, the rules.î
Learning, 24(5), 12,14.
Ellis, W.D., & Kidwell, P.J. (1995). A study of
assertive discipline and
recommendations for effective classroom management methods.
(ERIC document
reproduction services No. ED 379 207)
Steere, F. (1988). Canter's assertive behavior.
Becoming and effective
classroom manager: A resource for teachers. (pp.46-50).
New York: State
University.
Wolfgang, Charles. (1995). 3rd Edition. Assertive
discipline: Solving discipline
problems. Methods and models for today's teachers.
(pp. 249-267). Neeham
Heights, Mass: Allyn & Bacon.
Role Play
Teacher: OK, 5th graders, you've been in school long enough to
know that in order
for me to teach and for you to learn, there have to be some rules in place.
So, if you look up on the wall behind me, you will see my classroom
expectations. Let's look at them together:
*Follow directions the first time they are given.
*Swearing, teasing, or using obscene gestures is
not
allowed at any time.
*Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourselves.
*Have pencils, paper, books at your desk and ready
to work
when the bell rings.
Teacher: Of course, if you cannot meet these expectations, you
know there are
consequences to follow:
*1st time- a warning
*2nd time- 10 minutes time-out
*3rd time- 15 minutes time-out
*4th time- Afterschool detention/call home
to parents
*5th time- Sent to principal
Teacher: Now from time to time, if I observe you individually
modeling appropriate behavior, you can receive
a sticker or extra computer/recess time. If, as a whole class, I
see you engaging in an activity and I think you did it well, for example,
if I give you a classroom assignment, and you get on task quickly, you
can earn a marble to be put in this jar. Once this jar is filled
up to the red line, then the class as a whole will have a Friday fun day
with popcorn and movies. But if one
person blows it, he/she blows it for the entire class--no marble.
O.K, are
there any questions on my expectations and the consequences?
Student 1: How many marbles do we get in a day? Do you ever remove
a marble for
misbehavior?
Teacher: All depends on the choices you make.
I never will remove marbles for
inappropriate behavior.
Student 2: If I get in trouble, will you write my name on the
board like my last year
teacher?
Teacher: I will never humiliate or embarrass you by
putting your name on the board. I will come to you personally and
document it on my clipboard.
Student 3: Do we get time-out if we don't do our homework?
Teacher: No. Homework is not a behavior.
That is separate and will be discussed
later.
Student 4: What if we don't have a way home, do we still have
to stay afterschool for
detention?
Teacher: Yes, getting home will be your responsibility.
Student 5: If one of us gets in real trouble, will you keep us
from going to P.E,
music, art, or on field trips?
Teacher: I would never keep you from special classes
or from going on field trips.
Teacher: Any more questions? O.K, we need to line
up to go to the computer lab.
My rules in the hall--you face the person directly in front of you, keep
your hands to your side, walk on the right side of the halls, and
absolutely no yelling or screaming. Any questions? O.K lets
line up.
The last person please cut off the lights.
(The class walks up the hall to another classroom. During this
time, Jane and Damon are in non-compliance. There is a class already in
the computer lab so we have to turn back around and go back to class)
Teacher: O.K, I apologize for that. We just had some
miscommunication but we're
not going to let that disrupt our day. There's plenty we still can
do during
this time. You did a great job in the hallway but because of two
people, no
marble; but I will give the rest of you stickers (teachers gives out stickers).
O.K,
class, please continue to work on your autobiography. Damon and Jane,
may I see both of you in the hall, please (teacher takes clipboard with
him in hall)
The End
OVERVIEW OF ASSIGNMENT
In this assignment, the three of us sought
to work together in order to explore the Cantersí Assertive Discipline
model of classroom management. To do so, we began by reviewing the
literature available about the subject individually and then came back
together with the information we had found. We then broke the information
down into manageable parts and each group member took responsibility for
specific components. As a group, each member made significant contributions.
Because we are fortunate enough to have such a diverse and well-rounded
group, we were able to capitalize on individual strengths and knowledge
in order to complete our project. One of the members is especially
gifted in drama and was therefore the perfect person to put together our
role play. Another is more proficient in working with graphics and
computer technology, and therefore is instrumental in developing our PowerPoint
presentation. The other group member feels most comfortable with
word processing and putting information into report format and was thus
given the assignment of compiling our information into a workable document.
This has been an ideal situation of group effort, where each member played
an active and significant role which has enabled each of us to have a much
clearer understanding and working knowledge of the use of Assertive Discipline.
We each feel that there are many features of this style of classroom management
that we intend to implement as teachers in order to provide optimal learning
opportunities with minimal interruptions due to discipline problems.
ASSERTIVE DISCIPLINE
Developed by Lee and Marlene Canter
CLASSROOM DISCIPLINE PLAN:
· RULES that students must follow at all times.
· POSITIVE RECOGNITION which students will receive for following
the rules.
· CONSEQUENCES that result when students choose not to follow
the rules.
RULES:
· No more than four or five.
· Must be observable.
· Must apply at all times throughout the day or period.
· Must apply to behavior only.
GOOD RULES:
Follow Directions.
Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
No swearing or teasing.
No yelling or screaming.
Be in your seat when the bell rings.
BAD RULES:
Raise your hand and wait to be called upon
before speaking.
(Always? What about group work?)
Stay in your seat unless you have permission
to get up.
(How much time do you want to spend each
day giving students permission to sharpen pencils?)
Use a 12-inch voice in the classroom.
(What if theyíre twelve feet away?)
Complete all homework assignments.
(Doesnít relate to behavior)
POSITIVE RECOGNITION:
· Motivates students to choose appropriate behavior and creates
a positive atmosphere in the classroom.
· Sincere and meaningful attention given to a student for behaving
according to teacherís expectations.
· Must become the most active part of the classroom discipline
plan.
EXAMPLES:
Praise
Positive notes and phone calls home
Tangible rewards
Behavior Awards
Special privileges
CONSEQUENCES:
· Must be something that students do not like, but they must
never be physically or psychologically harmful.
· Are a choice.
· Do not have to be severe to be effective.
IDEAS FOR POSITIVE RECOGNITION IN THE CLASSROOM
ELEMENTARY
First in line
Tutor younger children
Class monitor job
Read special book
Work on favorite activity
Correct papers
SECONDARY
Extra computer time
Excused from one pop quiz
Take one problem off a test
First out of class
Sit by a friend for one period
Certificate
IDEAS FOR CONSEQUENCES IN THE CLASSROOM
ELEMENTARY
First time a student breaks a rule: Warning
Second time: 5 minutes working away
from group
Third time: 10 minutes working away from group
Fourth time: Call parents
Fifth time: Send to principal
Severe Clause: Send to principal
SECONDARY
First time a student breaks a rule: Warning
Second time: Stay in class 1 minute
after bell
Third time: Stay in class 2 minutes after bell and
write in behavior journal
Fourth time: Call parents
Fifth time: Send to principal
Severe Clause: Send to principal