Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community

We don't like the idea of forgetting everything we've been told but that is precisely what Kohn asks us to do in this book. Forget what we've been taught about discipline. The first 1/3 of the book deals with why what we have been taught about discipline is wrong.

Teachers have long been taught that in order to have a productive classroom, they must have tight control over the classroom and impose consequences for every breach of the rules the teacher has imposed.

Tight control in a classroom can get students to behave, but only out of fear of the teacher or fear of punishment, not because students have learned to behave correctly or learned responsibility.

Many consequences invoked by teachers far outweighs the rule that has been broken. The single most important thing to remember is the effect the consequence has on the child. Are we seeking to help the child or to get justice for breaking a rule?

Many consequences rely on shaming the student. Writing their name on the board, sitting alone, losing out on group rewards, or similar punishments accomplish nothing more than embarrassing the child. How would we as adults react to many of the consequences we hand out to children?

In the second 1/3 of the book, Kohn points out that the idea of "logical consequences" is not as logical as it seems. Teachers try to force a logical link between an action and a consequence. Students do not make the link. They just understand that they are being punished.

Are we actually offering choices to students?

• Obey the rules or suffer a consequence
• You chose a consequence by not following the rules
• I'll let you "choose" that, so that I know you will fail and get a consequence
• You made me choose for you

Kohn gives an example of two students sharing their lunch with others in the lunchroom. If one student shares only to get praise from the teacher, while the other shares to be helpful, who is more likely to share again in the future? Instead of working to be praised, students should work to feel good about themselves.

It is important to teach our students to become the people we want them to be. If we want responsible adults, teach actual responsibility and self-reliance now.

Knowledge cannot be poured into students' heads, they need to have the opportunity to create, discover, experiment and even disagree.

More involvement by students is what actually makes students more responsible.

Kohn suggests having regular student led class meetings to make decisions in the classroom (that the teacher can live with). Students run the meetings, set the agenda and bring up issues.

Kohn is suggesting a total change in the way we think about classroom management. And he recognizes that it will not always be easy. We may get resistance from our peers, our administration, or even the students. But the end result is absolutely worth it.

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