Discipline with Dignity

Theorists: Richard Curwin and Allen Mendler

Presented by:
Jessica Huffman

Biography

Richard Curwin

(1944 - )
Seventh grade Teacher
Doctorate in Education

Allen Mendler

(1949 - )
School psychologist
Psych Education Consultant

Books Published

Publications
1983 Taking Charge in the
Classroom
1988 Discipline with Dignity
1992 Rediscovering Hope: Our
greatest Teaching Strategy
(Curwin only)
1997 As Tough as Necessary:
Countering Violence, Aggression,
and Hostility
in our Schools
1999 Discipline with Dignity for
Challenging Youth

Publications

Contributions

Two Contributions
Contribution 1:
Ways to improve behavior
through student dignity and hope.
Contribution 2:
Ways to interact with students who
are hostile, aggressive, or violent.

Dignity

What is Dignity?

respect for life and oneself

worthy of honor and respect

Why the Misbehavior?

themselves as failing but
See
want to be accepted
Rather stop trying than fail
No hope, no care
Being removed from environment

Twelve Points

Discipline with Dignity

1. Let students know what you need
2. Provide instruction at levels that match students
abilities
3. Listen to what students are thinking and feeling
4. Use humor
5. Vary your style of presentation
6. Offer choices
7. Refuse to accept excuses
8. Legitimize behavior you cannot stop
9. Use hugs and pats to communicate with students
10. Be responsible for yourself and allow students to
responsible for themselves
11. Accept that you will not effectively help every
student
12. Start fresh everyday

Four Phase Plan

Four Phase Plan

1. Identify
2. Make
3.
Demonstrate/Model
4. Rid

Six Steps of Dealing with

Violence

Six Steps
1. Stop and collect
2. Think through the different options to
calm down the situation.
3. Decide what to do
4. Have a back-up plan in case the first
idea fails.
5. Aim for the best possible solution for
everyone involved in the violence.
6. Think back and evaluate the outcome

Conflict Solutions

Conflict

PEP

LAAD

Rules

Rule Making

Flag Rules
Negotiable Rules
Rules for the Teacher
Student Developed
Rules for Students

Our Class Contract

Consequences

Different Consequences

Logical
Conventional
Generic
Instructional

Negative Critiques

Not a Theory for me

Vague
Theoretical
Lace of
positive
reinforcement
Not
systematic
Takes too long

Watch and See

References
Bing Images. (2014). Retrieved from Bing.
Canter, L. (1988). Let the Educator Beware: A Response to
Curwin and Mendler. Educational Leadership, 46(2), 71.
Charles, C., & Senter, G. W. (2005). Richard Curwin and Allen
Mendler's Discipline with Dignity. In Building Classroom
Discipline (pp. 128-146). Pearson.
Craig, L. (2012, April 5). Discipline with dignity.wmv. Retrieved
from Youtube.
Curwin, R. L., & Mendler, A. N. (1984). High Standards for
Effective Discipline. Educational Leadership, 41(8), 75.
Dignity. (2014). Retrieved from Dictionary.com.