Conscious Discipline Book Study

offering choices with kids helps with power strugglers although some take advantage and start a power struggle, yet giving choices makes most kids adhere faster. I give  choices all the time it makes life easier.

empathy is a huge part of conscious discipline in my class, if I don't feel what they do then I can't understand their brain level, and it helps calm them down. I use empathy daily to help with issues.

When I was reading the chapter on assertiveness and the Power of Attention there is a passage that compares attention with a flashlight that we use to light the sidewalk in the dark. When we use the flashlight our attention focus only in the part the flashlight is illuminating, and this part has to be the good side that will take as securely to the place we want to go  Assertiveness requires as to focus our attention in the things we want students to do. Because I am used to focus on what I do not want students to do, and the picture of seeing the students talking is clearly in my mind, the first thing I do is to tell students to "stop talking." For me is not being easy to switch from the "Don't" and focus on what "I want them to do". In this case, "Stay Quiet" and work in your papers. It takes conscious effort to shift and focus our attention in the positive action I want students to do. I am not very good at assertively conveying expectations without being aggressive. When I used the word "Stay Quiet" I am being aggressive, I will need to say Stay Silent and focus on your paper and then follow up with encouragement words.

One way that I have my students contribute, or be of service to our classroom community is by posting a job board. Although my job board might not be exactly how "Conscious Discipline" recommends, I see that kids  like to do their jobs, and every Monday they are eager to know which job they have to do. The jobs in my class are: door holder, table cleaners, breakfast helpers, trash helpers, teacher helpers, writing helpers, math helpers, line leader and Smart Board helper. I am convince that this jobs contribute to our classroom community and it helps students feel the benefits of being of service. I want to introduce the job of "Greeter" and a "Wish Well Leader."

One way I empathize with my kids is using the DNA script. Acknowledging their emotions and what they are going through really helps them. I also say things like "You really wanted to play with the legos right now." "It's really hard when we have to wait." "It's hard when we want something and don't get it." Saying things like that offer empathy but don't change our limits. Usually when I say something along these lines, it helps calm them down but they still don't get to do the poor choice.