Curwin and Mendler Megan Beck Nicole Swinford

Richard Curwin Born May 25, 1944 Received his B.A in English and Doctorate of Education at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Taught English at the junior high level Education professor at San Francisco State University, State University of New York at Geneseo, and National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Presented seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Japan, and Singapore. In 1995 received the Spirit of Crazy Horse Award, for courage in reaching discouraged youth.

Allen Mendler Born October 24, 1949 Earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology and Education from Queens College. Received his Doctorate in School Psychology from Union Institute. Is a school psychologist and psychoeducational consultant in Rochester, NY. Hosted training programs and workshops in schools throughout North America, Europe, Japan, and Israel.

Curwin and Mendler Have co- authored Discipline with Dignity As Tough as Necessary: Countering Violence, Aggression, and Hostility in our Schools Discipline with Dignity for Challenging Youth. Their Discipline With Dignity program was made the official program of the New York State Teachers and is used in 12 different countries. Their strategies are intended to enhance student self- esteem, to invest social problem solving and self- regulation as serious serious components of curriculum and instruction, and to cast teachers as professional educators- mediators of learning- rather than policemen.

Discipline with Dignity “Curwin and Mendler point out that students with chronic behavior problems see themselves as losers and have stopped trying to gain acceptance in normal ways. In order to maintain a sense of dignity, those students tell themselves it is better to stop trying than to continue failing, and that it is better to be recognized as a troublemaker then be seen as stupid.” The Discipline with Dignity program provides educators with classroom skills and techniques that enable them to spend less time dealing with behavioral problems and more time on positive interactions with students and on instruction.

Three Dimensional Discipline Three- Dimensional Discipline offers many ways to help the teacher take charge of conflict. This approach values maintaining student dignity and teaching responsible behavior. 1. Prevention- What can be done to prevent problems. 2. Action- What can be done when misbehavior occurs to solve the problem without making it worse. 3. Resolution- What can be done for the out of control student.

Prevention Dimension What can be done to prevent Discipline Problems: 1. Be aware of self (teacher) 2. Be aware of students 3. Express genuine feelings 4. Become knowledgeable of alternative theories 5. Motivate students to learn. 6. Establish social contracts 7. Implement social contracts 8. Reduce stress

Action Dimension What to do when Discipline Problems occur: 1. Choose best alternative consequence 2. Implement Consequence 3. Collect Data 4. Avoid Power Struggles

Resolution Dimension Resetting contracts negotiation with Individual Student: 1. Find what is needed to prevent another problem 2. Develop mutually agreeable plan 3. Implement plan 4. Monitor plan/revise if necessary 5. Use creative approaches when necessary

Consequences Curwin and Mendler believe the use of consequences and how they are used is extremely important. Consequences work best when they: 1. Are clear and Specific. 2. Have a range of alternatives. 3. Are NOT punishments. 4. Are natural and/or Logical. 5. Are related to the Rule.

7 Basic Principles of Teacher Behavior 1. Work toward long term behavior changes rather than short-term, quick fixes 2. Stop doing ineffective things 3. Be fair without treating everyone the same way 4. Make rules that make sense 5. Model what they expect 6. Believe that responsibility is more important than obedience 7. Treat students with dignity

The Classroom Curwin and Mendler’s Characteristics of a healthy environment: 1. Trust is established. 2. The learner perceives the benefits of changing their behavior. 3. The learner is aware of different options and is able to make a growth choice. 4. The evaluation of learning actively engages the learner. 5. Learning facts and concepts are important but incomplete goals for the learner. 6. Learning is meaningful. 7. Learning is growth producing and enjoyable. 8. Learning is process- and people-oriented rather than product- and subject-oriented. 9. Learning includes more than just the cognitive or affective domains.

Resources Dr. Allen Mendler::workshops, booking, seminars. (n.d.).Successful classroom management :: teacher training resources. Retrieved October 12, 2011,from mendler.aspx Curwin, R. L., & Mendler, A. N. (1988). Discipline with dignity. New York: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Dr. Richard Curwin. (n.d.). Teacher's workshop. Retrieved October 12, 2011, from bureau/curwin.html