Curwin+Mendler+Model

Richard Curwin and Allen Mendler created the model Discipline with Dignity which encourages teachers to prevent misbehavior. According to Curwin and Mendler, students who have felt personally attacked by teachers or have no drive academically or emotional will exert chronic misbehavior. While most misbehaving can be halted by simple corrections (such as talking, playing games, being tardy, etc.), more serious acts can cause students to be in danger of failing if it disrupts their ability to learn. Curwin and Mendler focus primarily on the later area, behaviorally at-risk students. According to these two experts, rather than trying to figure out what is causing the student to act out in such a way, we should be concentration on fixing the behavior.

Their model, Discipline with Dignity, works in a Three-Dimensional Discipline Approach: 1. Prevention: What can be done before hand in order to minimize the chance for problems 2. Action: What should be done immediately when the problem occurs 3. Resolution: What should be done if the problem persists (chronic misbehavior) Teachers should use instruction which shows positive results, make notice of acceptable behavior in the classroom (as well as what is unacceptable), and clear consequences for their actions. Teachers are also responsible for providing efficient instructional delivery, providing bell-to-bell schooling, and whole class interaction to minimize misbehavior (Curwin & Mendler, 1988). Lastly, educators should allow students to make minimal choices whenever possible, have a sense of humor, and be unacceptable to excuses made by students. Curwin and Mendler also add that teachers are by large in part responsible for students actions within the classroom.

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