Comments on: The Fourth Law of Behaviour Management http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/08/13/the-fourth-law-of-behaviour-management/ A Blog About Teaching in Tough Schools in the UK Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:04:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: oldandrew http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/08/13/the-fourth-law-of-behaviour-management/#comment-1031 oldandrew Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:18:18 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/08/13/the-fourth-law-of-behaviour-management-2/#comment-1031 Trouble is there is a form of "selective determinism" in schools these days, which says the darling children are merely the victims of circumstance, but teachers are still responsible for all their shortcomings. Trouble is there is a form of “selective determinism” in schools these days, which says the darling children are merely the victims of circumstance, but teachers are still responsible for all their shortcomings.

]]> By: Tracy W http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/08/13/the-fourth-law-of-behaviour-management/#comment-1030 Tracy W Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:12:18 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/08/13/the-fourth-law-of-behaviour-management-2/#comment-1030 <i>This is perhaps the most difficult to abide by when there are so many outside influences suggesting that nobody is responsible for their actions, that we are all machines programmed by our upbringing or material circumstances into performing certain actions and not others. </i> My response to arguments that we are all machines programmed by our upbringing or material circumstances is to reply that I am therefore a machine programmed to believe that we are all responsible for our actions, and as I have no control over that, I clearly have no choice but to continue to hold myself and others responsible for our actions. If a criminal can't be held responsible for his actions, then we can't hold the police responsible for theirs. If determinists really believed their own arguments, they'd never bother making them in the first place. This is perhaps the most difficult to abide by when there are so many outside influences suggesting that nobody is responsible for their actions, that we are all machines programmed by our upbringing or material circumstances into performing certain actions and not others.

My response to arguments that we are all machines programmed by our upbringing or material circumstances is to reply that I am therefore a machine programmed to believe that we are all responsible for our actions, and as I have no control over that, I clearly have no choice but to continue to hold myself and others responsible for our actions.

If a criminal can’t be held responsible for his actions, then we can’t hold the police responsible for theirs.

If determinists really believed their own arguments, they’d never bother making them in the first place.

]]> By: oldandrew http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/08/13/the-fourth-law-of-behaviour-management/#comment-601 oldandrew Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:00:47 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/08/13/the-fourth-law-of-behaviour-management-2/#comment-601 <blockquote>How, though, do I make sure that a student who has chosen to break the rules "acknowledges what he has done"?</blockquote>Depends on the school and the discipline system. The work in detention can be to write down what they did and why it was wrong. Punishments can be given for arguing. It can be discussed at parents' evenings. Unfortunately it often hinges on the whole school ethos, but at the very least classroom teachers can take failure to acknowledge that they have done something wrong as an indication that they intend to do it again.

How, though, do I make sure that a student who has chosen to break the rules “acknowledges what he has done”?

Depends on the school and the discipline system. The work in detention can be to write down what they did and why it was wrong. Punishments can be given for arguing. It can be discussed at parents’ evenings.

Unfortunately it often hinges on the whole school ethos, but at the very least classroom teachers can take failure to acknowledge that they have done something wrong as an indication that they intend to do it again.

]]> By: Kathryn http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/08/13/the-fourth-law-of-behaviour-management/#comment-600 Kathryn Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:56:54 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/08/13/the-fourth-law-of-behaviour-management-2/#comment-600 As a PGCE student starting her course in September, this blog is very useful! I do think I agree with you on this one. I think consistency is key. Certainly I've observed children being *very* frustrated because different "standards" were applied to them, e.g. child A who is normally well-behaved and attentive forgets homework, gets detention, yet sees child B being praised for actually putting pen to paper (and no chance of any form of homework being completed). This frustration seems only to cause further decline in their behaviour. I hope to take your advice and be fair and clear with my expectations for my students. How, though, do I make sure that a student who has chosen to break the rules "acknowledges what he has done"? As a PGCE student starting her course in September, this blog is very useful!

I do think I agree with you on this one. I think consistency is key. Certainly I’ve observed children being *very* frustrated because different “standards” were applied to them, e.g. child A who is normally well-behaved and attentive forgets homework, gets detention, yet sees child B being praised for actually putting pen to paper (and no chance of any form of homework being completed). This frustration seems only to cause further decline in their behaviour.

I hope to take your advice and be fair and clear with my expectations for my students. How, though, do I make sure that a student who has chosen to break the rules “acknowledges what he has done”?

]]> By: lilyofthefield http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/08/13/the-fourth-law-of-behaviour-management/#comment-599 lilyofthefield Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:41:28 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/08/13/the-fourth-law-of-behaviour-management-2/#comment-599 You are right. I have seen this put into operation and work. I suspect a major factor in its working was the fact that the school was reasonably decent to start with and the only alternative school for excluded pupils was a hellhole. The appearance of a sanctions poster for every misdemeanour was posted in every classroom, pupils' every good and bad action recorded in a planner that had to be carried with them at all time [just good stamp/bad stamp] and NO wiping clean of the slate of missed detentions at half term, as is the case in my present school because there aren't enough days in the term to fit them all in, made it much easier for new teachers especially to be automatic about discipline, no grey areas, no emotional blackmail, no special cases. You are right. I have seen this put into operation and work. I suspect a major factor in its working was the fact that the school was reasonably decent to start with and the only alternative school for excluded pupils was a hellhole. The appearance of a sanctions poster for every misdemeanour was posted in every classroom, pupils’ every good and bad action recorded in a planner that had to be carried with them at all time [just good stamp/bad stamp] and NO wiping clean of the slate of missed detentions at half term, as is the case in my present school because there aren’t enough days in the term to fit them all in, made it much easier for new teachers especially to be automatic about discipline, no grey areas, no emotional blackmail, no special cases.

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