Shocker, kids actually respond well to strict rules

[Bro. Curtis]

....but schools like Halls Ferry have rules nailed down to a science. Administrators say they are using rules not just to keep order, but also to set kids up to succeed.

The schools practice PBS, or Positive Behavior Support. It's sometimes called PBIS, or Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

Ask any of these schools to show you their rules and regulations binder, and you'll see procedures and lesson plans for everything.

Everything. How to line up in the cafeteria. How to use "nice hands and feet" on the bus. How to be kind to classmates.

But the program isn't about creating endless lists of rules and cracking down on violators. Instead, the focus is on setting expectations and catching students being good. In other words, schools are offering more carrots and fewer sticks....

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...24CAA54BE56254C986257523000F7CFA?OpenDocument

 

[mcdirector]

YES!
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[Revmitchell]

....but schools like Halls Ferry have rules nailed down to a science. Administrators say they are using rules not just to keep order, but also to set kids up to succeed.

The schools practice PBS, or Positive Behavior Support. It's sometimes called PBIS, or Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

Ask any of these schools to show you their rules and regulations binder, and you'll see procedures and lesson plans for everything.

Everything. How to line up in the cafeteria. How to use "nice hands and feet" on the bus. How to be kind to classmates.

But the program isn't about creating endless lists of rules and cracking down on violators. Instead, the focus is on setting expectations and catching students being good. In other words, schools are offering more carrots and fewer sticks....

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...24CAA54BE56254C986257523000F7CFA?OpenDocument

It could only shock libs.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

Kids tend to live up to or down to the expectations we set for them.

 

[windcatcher]

Kids tend to live up to or down to the expectations we set for them.

Its not just expectations:

Its communicating those expectations and rewarding good behavior until it becomes habitual. Kids also love recognition; if its only given when bad behavior occurs then it encourages bad behavior.

But, what we expect from others, we also look for in others... as it confirms our impression or 'feeling smart'. Some people expect good things of others and are more apt to see those good things in others.

That one reason why a haste to label or characterize a person or a group of people is prejudicial...... For those who hear the label or characterization, their own viewpoint is immediately colored by their own impression .....either of you or the label you've given others, and it is more difficult for them to see characteristics which differ or would contrast with their prejudice.

 

[annsni]

I took my 8 and almost 6 year old to a high school concert. We didn't get there until after 8:30. We JUST got home. My kids were really tired. They sat quietly and listened then put their heads down and one fell asleep. Someone came to me and said "I can't imagine my child sitting quietly like that. They were VERY good." My kids really aren't special - they just know what's expected of them and it's made for a much easier time for all of us!

 

[Crabtownboy]

Many years ago, in fact more years ago than I care to think about, I was an elementary school librarian. One thing I noticed, the happiest kids were those who had strict treachers who kept the rules constant. The kids always knew what the boundaries were. Sure, they would test them, but they knew.

The unhappiest kids were those in rooms where the teachers were not consistant with the rules. Thus, the kids never knew when they were crossing the boundary that particular day. It made for quite unhappy kids.

I believe the same is true in families. Consistant non-changing, but fair rules make for happy kids. Constantly changing rules make for unhappy kids. And parents who set no rules are courting disaster.

 

[windcatcher]

CTB, you are so right on!
When kids know the boundaries and what is expected from them, they have a feeling of security that staying within those boundaries gives them protections, and they have a feeling of accomplishment in self disciplining themselves to conform to what is expected. Its a win/win for both parents (or those in authority) and the kids.