Conscious Discipline

Dr. Becky A. Bailey

Goal: Incorporate supplemental materials/picture books into the 1st grade Second Step
Curriculum and the COCOA Principles.

The Shubert series is a unique set of books designed to build character through conflict for
both children and adults. Shubert demonstrates helpful ways for children to solve problems,
while Mrs. Bookbinder models Conscious Discipline strategies for adults.

Conscious Discipline empowers teachers with the Seven Powers for Self Control. These
powers allow teachers to draw from within themselves to become proactive instead of
reactive in conflict moments.

1. Power of Perception: No one can make you mad without your permission.

2. Power of Unity: We are all in this together.

3. Power of Attention: What you focus on, you get more of.

4. Power of Free Will: The only person you can make change is yourself.

5. Power of Love: See the best in others.

6. Power of Acceptance: The moment is as it is.

7. Power of Intention: Conflict is an opportunity to teach.

From the Seven Powers for Self-Control emerge the Seven Basic Skills of Discipline. These are
skills a teacher needs to constructively respond to any conflict in the classroom.

1. Composure: Becoming the person you want children to be.

2. Encouragement: Building a school family.

3. Assertiveness: Saying "no" and being heard.

4. Choices: Building self esteem and willpower.

5. Positive Intent: Creating teaching moments.

6. Empathy: Handling the fussing and the fits.

7. Consequences: Helping children learn from their mistakes.

Shubert Sees the Best: Learn how to see the best in everyone!
Book Description: Name-calling is the focus in this helpful book. Join Shubert, Crenshaw and
Mrs. Bookbinder as they transform hurtful situations into helpful interactions. Watch Mrs.
Bookbinder creatively respond in a way that teachers empathy, critical thinking and
responsibility. This addition to the Shubert series helps children see hurtful behavior from a
different point of view, transforming hurtful situations –“He’s mean!”-into helpful interactions.

Objective: Given a “Sees the Best” reflection sheet students will use critical thinking skills to
understand and practice empathy and respect towards others.

Standards:
Civics and Government: 5.1.1.C: Define equality and the need to treat everyone equally.

Civics and Government: 5.3.1.F: Identify and explain behaviors for responsible classroom
citizens and possible consequences for inappropriate action.

Materials:
• Shubert Sees the Best by: Dr. Becky A. Bailey
• Heart glasses
• Shubert Sees the Best flipchart
• “Sees the Best” reflection sheet

Procedure
1. Activate Prior Knowledge: Review what students have learned about empathy in
Second Step.

2. Read Aloud: Shubert Sees the Best

• Page 2: Has anyone ever called you a hurtful name? If so, how did you feel?

• Page 5: Why does Mrs. Bookbinder give Shubert a cape, clipboard and pencil? (to
investigate why classmates are calling Crenshaw hurtful names)

• Page 6: What do you think the heart-shaped glasses are for?

• Page 8: Think aloud…So, at first, Etta thinks Crenshaw is mean because he yells out
answers and she can’t think. After putting on the heart glasses, Etta sees that
Crenshaw has trouble raising his hand because answers just pop into his head.

• Page 8: How is Etta going to help Crenshaw? (She is going to continue to raise her
hand to show Crenshaw the expected behavior.) Point out…”Wow! Etta is a great
community member for helping Crenshaw.”

• Page 9: Why does Big Benny call Crenshaw hurtful names? (Crenshaw grabs things
out of people’s hands and does not take turns.)

• Page 10: Think aloud…So, at first, Benny thinks Crenshaw is a bully because he grabs
things out of his hand and doesn’t take turns. After putting on the heart glasses, Benny
sees that maybe Crenshaw doesn’t know how to ask for what he wants?
 • Page 10: How will Benny help Crenshaw? (He will use his Big Voice to tell Benny that
he does not like it when he grabs things out of his hands. He will remind him to ask for
a turn.)

• Page 12: Why do the triplets call Crenshaw hurtful names? (Crenshaw does not sing
with the rest of the class at circle time.)

• Page 14: Thing aloud…So, at first, the triplets think Crenshaw is lazy because he sit like
a bump on a log during circle time instead of singing. After putting on the heart
glasses, the triplets see that maybe Crenshaw learns from watching and listening to
them.

• Page 14: How will the triplets help Crenshaw? (They will continue to sing and have fun
so that Crenshaw can learn from them.)

• Page 15: How does Crenshaw decide to help himself? (He will use his Big Voice to tell
his classmates that he does not like when they call him hurtful names. He will look and
watch his classmates to learn how to be helpful.)

• Page 18: What does Sophie learn from Shubert’s investigation? (She learns to see the
best in everyone.)

3. Heart Glasses:
• Pass out the heart-shaped glasses template.
• Students will make their own heart glasses.
• These will be kept in the classroom so that students can use them to help turn hurtful
situations into helpful interactions.

4. Sees the Best Reflection

• Explain to students that when they use their heart glasses, they can complete a
reflection sheet to show how they turned a hurtful situation into a helpful one!
• Using the Shubert Sees the Best flipchart, model how to complete the “Sees’ the Best”
reflection sheet.

Ongoing Learning: Continue to model “seeing the best in everyone” using the heart glasses
as real-life scenarios come up in the classroom.

Assessment: Informal observations of students using their heart glasses and reflection sheets.
Shubert is a S.T.A.R. Learn how to calm down.
Book Description: Shubert, a lightning bug, feels bug crazy mad because he can’t go out
and play. He refuses to do his homework at home and is hurtful to friends at school. Find out
how his teacher,

Mrs. Bookbinder models ways for adults to teach children how to change from feeling bug
crazy mad into feeling caterpillar calm. Find out how she uses upset in her classroom as a
way to introduce the Safe Place. The Safe Place is a non-punitive center in the classroom or
home that reinforces anger management strategies.

Objective: Given calming picture cards, students will be able to demonstrate one of the
three ways (drain, STAR, balloon) to calm down.

Standards:
Civics and Government: 5.3.1.F: Identify and explain behaviors for responsible classroom
citizens and possible consequences for inappropriate action.

Materials:
• Shubert is a STAR by: Dr. Becky A. Bailey
• Classroom safe place
• Shubert is a STAR flipchart
• Calming picture cards
• “When do you feel bug crazy?”
• “It Starts in the Heart” CD: S.T.A.R. Song

Procedure
1. Activate Prior Knowledge: Ask students to think about Second Step strategies for
calming down. (belly breathing, counting down, ask for help)

2. Read Aloud: Shubert is a S.T.A.R.

a. Page 1: What strong feeling are Shubert and his sister, Sophie, feeling? (mad)

b. Page 4: Wow! How do you think Crenshaw feels when Shubert does no say
good morning? (sad, upset, frustrated)

c. Page 4: How is Crenshaw feeling? (mad) Why?

d. Page 5: What clues show us how Shubert is feeling?

e. Page 7: Can you think of a time when you could have used some cranky
cream?

f. Page 13: When you think of the word drain…what do you think of?

g. Page 13: Demonstrate and practice “the drain”.

h. Page 15: Demonstrate and practice “the balloon”.

 i. Page 19: Demonstrate and practice “S.T.A.R.”. (*Play S.T.A.R. song)

3. Show Classroom Safe Place: Make sure students know where the safe place is located
in your classroom.

4. Brainstorm: When should we use these strategies?: Using the flipchart, brainstorm
times/feelings when using these strategies would be appropriate.

5. I feel bug crazy when…: Pass out a “When do you feel bug crazy?” worksheet to
each student to complete.

6. Practice: Using the bug crazy worksheet, students will share their examples and then
demonstrate how to use one of the calming strategies from today’s lesson.

7. Remember…we can use these calming strategies whenever we have any type of
“strong feeling”, not just mad or angry. We can use these strategies when we feel
excited, nervous, sad, etc.

Ongoing Learning: Continue to reinforce/encourage students to use strategies for calming

down.

Assessment: Informal observations of students using calming strategies.

Shubert’s Big Voice Learn how to be assertive.
Book Description: Shubert, a lightning bug, discovers his words have power when he uses his
assertive voice to disarm Benny, the class bully. Shubert glows with excitement as he
teachers all children to use their BIG Voice to handle the bullies in their lives.

Mrs. Bookbinder, the teacher, models ways for adults to empower victims to stand up to
bullies in respectful ways. She teachers positive ways for both bully and victim to interact
with each other. Mrs. Bookbinder seems to work magic in the classroom, but then shows that
the “magic” to use our Big Voice actually resides within each of us.

Objective: Given two problem scenarios, students will be able to practice using their “big
voice” to solve the problems.

Standards:
Civics and Government: 5.3.1.F: Identify and explain behaviors for responsible classroom
citizens and possible consequences for inappropriate action.

Civics and Government: 5.2.1.B: Identify a problem and attempt to solve with adult or peer
assistance.

Materials:
• Shubert’s Big Voice by: Dr. Becky A. Bailey
• Shubert’s Big Voice flipchart
• Practice Scenario 1 & 2

Procedure
1. Activating Strategy: Show the cover of the book. Ask students to make a prediction.

2. P. 10: How would you feel if you were Shubert?

3. P. 11: What could Shubert do to help himself feel better? (use STAR, drain, or balloon
calming strategy, go to the safe place)

4. P. 13: Wow! Mrs. Bookbinder really gets Shubert. She is making him feel better.

5. P. 17: How is Shubert feeling now? (scared, nervous, worried) How could you tell?
(eyebrows, eyes open wide, knees trembling)

6. P. 19 What Mrs. Bookbinder’s Big Voice loud? (no) What her Big Voice mean? (no)

7. P. 29 Have you ever had a situation where you could have used your Big Voice?

8. After Reading:

a. What does it mean to have a big voice?

i. Eyes…looking at the person you are talking to.
ii. Voice…firm, not too loud, not too soft.
iii. Show that you are confident and you believe in yourself.
 iv. Choose the right words.
v. Will using your big voice always work? What should you do if it does not
work?
vi. Why should we use our “big voice”? (to solve our own problem)
vii. What should you do if you are Benny and Shubert uses his “big voice” to
tell you to stop?

Ongoing Learning: Encourage students to use their “big voice” when a problem occurs.

Assessment: Informal observations of students using their Big Voices.

Shubert’s Choice The Power of Choice
Book Description: Shubert, a lightning bug, discovers the power of choices to help him stay
focused while getting ready for school. See how Shubert uses choices to help his classmates
clean up and ask for help instead of fighting.

Sara, Shubert’s mom, models ways for adults to offer two positive choices to help children
increase their attention space, follow through on a task, and improve their self-esteem.

Objective: Students will be able to define integrity and provide of examples of how/when to
use it.

Standards:
Civics and Government: 5.1.1. A: Explain the purposes of rules in the classroom and school
community.

Materials:
• Shubert’s Choice by: Dr. Becky A. Bailey
• Shubert’s Choice flipchart

Procedure
1. Introduce Integrity: Doing the right thing when no one is looking.

2. Activate Prior Knowledge: Ask: What do you do when you see Mr. Kramer in the hall?
(straighten up) Right! But you should be walking in the hallway like Mr. Kramer is
watching you ALL of the time. That is having integrity.

3. Introduce the Book: Today we will read Shubert’s Choice. Shubert is going to teach
us about choices and having integrity.

4. Read Shubert’s Choice.

a. Page 2: How is Shubert feeling?

b. Page 4: See how Shubert’s mom gives him 2 good choices.
c. Page 17: How do you think Big Benny is feeling?
d. Page 19: Shubert is taking what he learned from his mom and is now using it to
help Big Benny.
e. Page 21: What does successful mean?

5. After reading, ask students to think of examples of integrity from the classroom.

Ongoing Learning: Continue to point out examples of students having integrity and when
they should have used integrity in a situation.

Assessment: Students will draw a picture to illustrate a situation of integrity.

Shubert Rants and Raves Responsibility
Book Description: Shubert, a lightning bug, forgets his permission slip on field trip day. He
rants and raves in effort to avoid the consequences of his forgetfulness. He even call son the
president of the United States in hopes of bending the rules! See how Mrs. Bookbinder and
Shubert’s classmates join together to help him calm down, take responsibility and learning
from his mistakes.

Mrs. Bookbinder models fro adults how to effectively administer consequences. She models
how to set the limit, follow up with consequence and offer empathy-the one ingredient
needed to help Shubert take responsibility for his behavior.

Objective: Students will be able to identify a time when they made a mistake and how they
should have taken responsibility for their actions.

Standards:

Civics & Government:

5.1.1.A: Explain the purposes of rules in the classroom and school community.
5.1.1.B: Explain the importance of rules in the classroom.
5.2.1.A: Identify and explain the importance of responsibilities at school and at home.
5.2.1.B: Identify a problem and attempt to solve with adult or peer assistance.
5.2.1.D: Explain responsible school behavior.

Materials:
• Shubert Rants and Raves by: Dr. Becky A. Bailey
• Shubert Rants and Raves flipchart
• Shubert Rants and Raves response sheet

Procedure
1. Introduce: What does it mean to be responsible? (allow students to brainstorm ways
they are responsible at home and at school)
2. Set purpose for reading: Today we are going to read Shubert Rants and Raves. We
are going to learn how Shubert takes responsibility for his actions.
3. p. 3: What is Shubert so super excited? (going on a field trip)
4. p. 4: What clues tell you that Shubert is feeling excited? (body, face, etc.)
5. p. 9: Why do you think it is important for Mrs. Bookbinder to go over all of the rules and
expectations before leaving for the field trip? (safety)
6. p. 12: Shubert forgot his permission slip and now cannot go on the field trip. How do
you think he is feeling now? (mad, frustrated, sad)
7. p. 16: So far, has Shubert “rants and raves” helped him? (no)
8. p. 19: What lesson did Shubert learn? (Rules are rules. Ranting and raving is not
helpful. Next time, Shubert will tape the permission slip to the door.)

Ongoing Learning: The teacher will help students observe their own rants and raves and
take responsibility for their actions.

Assessment: Students will complete the Shubert Rants and Raves response sheet
independently.
 Shubert’s New Friend and
Shubert’s Helpful Day are still a
work in progress.