Assertive Discipline Information
Dr. Bob Kizlik
Updated December 29, 2009
How teachers view their roles in helping to prepare students to be productive citizens
is in part a reflection of their values about behavior, and its rewards and consequences.
Without absolutely putting the reader to sleep with all the theoretical arguments and
opinions about how behavior is best managed in a classroom, this page will focus on one of
the most widely used, yet very controversial systems - assertive discipline. What follows
is a brief synopsis of assertive discipline, an opposing point of view, and then, of
course, some links to sites on the Internet where you can find more information. What more
could you ask for?
The name most associated with assertive discipline is Lee Canter. He maintains that the
key to this technique is catching students being "good," recognizing and
supporting them when they behave appropriately, and on a consistent basis letting them know you like what they
are doing. For Canter, students obey the rules because they get
something out of doing so, or conversely, understand the consequences of breaking the
rules. Assertive discipline in some form is likely the most widely used discipline plan in schools.
Teachers who use assertive discipline say they like it because it is easy to use and is
generally effective.
Assertive discipline is not without critics. One of the most interesting of these is
John Covaleskie. His ideas about discipline are quite different from Canter's. These
differences are important to understand, because they go to the heart of not just student
behavior, but also to what schooling is for in the first place. Covaleskie believes that
the very simplicity of assertive discipline is one of its biggest problems. He believes
that children should obey the rules because that is the right thing to do, not because
there is some reward associated with obeying, or some punishment for not
obeying. The long term implications of rewarding behavior
as suggested by the assertive discipline model are not yet well understood. To that end,
the following links will take you to sites that advocate assertive discipline, provide
examples of how it works and also to some sites that present contrarian points of view,
which I always find to be most interesting about education opinion.
Assertive
Discipline A very well written description of Assertive Discipline
with useful links to other informative sites.
Caswell School.
Some practical examples of assertive discipline in practice.
Southeastern
Louisiana State University. A paper on assertive discipline, self-esteem,
etc. This is filled with specific references that you might find helpful for further
study.
The Canter and Jones Models.
The Canter Model: Assertively Taking Charge and The Fred Jones Model:
Body Language, Incentive Systems, and Providing Efficient Help.
Discipline by Design: The
Honor Level System. A List of resources and information
for a time-tested system. Recommended by an ADPRIMA visitor.
Dewey,
Discipline, and Democracy by John Covaleskie. A serious, interesting
essay, grounded in philosophy. It is well worth reading.
Ferndale Woods Elementary
School . This is an online parent-student handbook. It will give you some
idea of how this particular elementary school uses assertive discipline in an effective
way.
Schoolwide and Classroom
Discipline. From the Northwest Regional Laboratory, an interesting essay on
this topic with many references to book and articles for the researcher.
Enough Already! The links above are enough to get you started. If you want to dig
further, use any major search engine and enter "assertive discipline," or
"Canter," or "Covaleskie." You'll find a wealth of information
out there. Your job is to figure out what is relevant, reliable, and useful for your
purposes. Good luck.
If you come upon a good resource on assertive discipline, or opposing views, please let
me know. I'm always interested in such things and will include them on this page.
"Anything not understood in more than one way is not understood at all."
Okay, now for something to read that might give you a chill or two....click here for my novel, What Waits Within
Online Education for Teachers - Advance Your Career
