FREDRIC JONES: POSITIVE DISCIPLINE MODEL By Lacey Head and Brittany Vance

DEFINITION  According to Fredric Jones, classroom discipline is “the business of enforcing classroom standards and building patterns of cooperation to maximize learning and minimize disruptions.”  In order to make Positive Discipline successful, these four components are needed: limit setting, omission training, positive training, and backup system.

TEACHER’S RESPONSIBILITY  Teachers must model appropriate behavior and use proper classroom management techniques. Teachers must respect students in order to get respect from them in return. If a teacher acts mature then the student will more than likely model the teacher’s behavior.  Teachers need to organize classroom furniture to maximize mobility and accessibility to students.  Teachers need to establish control in the classroom by using body language such as eye contact, physical proximity, facial expression, and body carriage.

CONTINUED…  Teachers should provide incentives for students so that they have motivation to get work completed.  A teacher needs to provide a back up system. In Jones’s words, “a back-up system is a series of responses designed to meet force with force so that the uglier the student’s behavior becomes, the deeper he or she digs his or her hole with no escape.” Some examples are: warning, conference with student, time-out, loss of privileges, being sent to the office, detention, conference with parent, in school/out of school suspension (three days), expulsion.

CONTINUED…  Not only do good teachers tell students how they should act, but they demonstrate appropriate behavior in all of their interactions and daily routines. Be the example.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY  If the teacher is doing his or her job by setting an appropriate example for students, then the students will duplicate that behavior in their own lives.

KEY TERMS  Limit Setting- Actions that the teacher takes to stop a student’s inappropriate behavior and to prompt the student to on-task behavior through the use of body language.  Responsibility Training- A system for ensuring positive cooperation in the classroom.  Omission Training- The individualized incentive program that encourages defiant students through the omission of unwanted behavior.  Backup system- System of consequences that we explained before.

PROS AND CONS OF MODEL  We were trying to think of a con to this model, but we feel that every teacher should act this way naturally.  If a student refuses to follow the teacher’s lead in setting an example then the backup plan will come into effect.  We feel that even though this plan may have flaws, it is a great plan to enforce in the classroom because it covers such a wide array of issues.

RANDOM FACTS:  Jones found that 50% of classroom time is lost due to student misbehavior and being off task. 80% of lost time is due to talking without permission. 19% is lost to daydreaming, students being out of their seats, making noise, etc. 1% is lost due to more serious behaviors such as fighting.