The belief that all teachers should respond in a consistent manner to behavior, is the underpinning concept behind many traditional school-wide discipline plans. Interestingly, this is why many of them fail. Discipline policies that are built on shaky foundations, fail to materialize into viable behavior management systems. Research indicates that traditional management systems built on the foundations of punishments, or consequences for violations, are not successful. In many cases, teachers have a difficult time dealing with student behavior in a consistent manner. Often times, they place blame on other teachers for not enforcing the rules. Or, some simply ignore the violations because they do not agree with the prescribed discipline matrix. What it boils down to, is lack of consistency.
What Jim Fay preaches, is the development of a different type of discipline management system, built on consistency.
A school discipline plan must provide opportunities to do what is most effective and best for each unique situation, and for each unique child.Consequently, "consistency means that when there is a problem, it will be addressed; and that when there is misbehavior, it will be addressed. Consistency does not mean that everyone will react in the same way."
Schoolwide Discipline Plan Without the Loopholes is a rudimentary introduction into the concept of Love and Logic. Jim Fay is the co-founder of The Love and Logic Institute, Inc.
