School tries just talking to trouble making kids, shocked by results!

[Krynn72]

People are regarding this article like its a ****ing revelation and so ****ing inspiring. Its god damn depressing is what it is. It shows that American schools are run by ****ing idiots. Intelligent people have been saying this shit for decades, yet still the people in charge are "blown away" when they try it once after 25 years of being retarded and it works. God damn.

http://acestoohigh.com/2012/04/23/l...oach-to-school-discipline-expulsions-drop-85/

THE FIRST TIME THAT principal Jim Sporleder tried the New Approach to Student Discipline at Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, WA, he was blown away. Because it worked. In fact, it worked so well that he never went back to the Old Approach to Student Discipline. This is how it went down:

A student blows up at a teacher, drops the F-bomb. The usual approach at Lincoln – and, safe to say, at most high schools in this country – is automatic suspension. Instead, Sporleder sits the kid down and says quietly:

“Wow. Are you OK? This doesn’t sound like you. What’s going on?” He gets even more specific: “You really looked stressed. On a scale of 1-10, where are you with your anger?”

The kid was ready. Ready, man! For an anger blast to his face….”How could you do that?” “What’s wrong with you?”…and for the big boot out of school. But he was NOT ready for kindness. The armor-plated defenses melt like ice under a blowtorch and the words pour out: “My dad’s an alcoholic. He’s promised me things my whole life and never keeps those promises.” The waterfall of words that go deep into his home life, which is no piece of breeze, end with this sentence: “I shouldn’t have blown up at the teacher.”

And then he goes back to the teacher and apologizes. Without prompting from Sporleder.

2009-2010 (Before new approach)

798 suspensions (days students were out of school)
50 expulsions
600 written referrals
2010-2011 (After new approach)

135 suspensions (days students were out of school)
30 expulsions
320 written referrals
“It sounds simple,” says Sporleder about the new approach. “Just by asking kids what’s going on with them, they just started talking. It made a believer out of me right away.”

 

[DEATHMASTER]

I wonder how likely it is to become standardized. I feel like I've heard about this before, but are any school systems actually adopting the approach?

 

[JUL3]

Communicating with troubled students rather than kicking them out ACTUALLY WORKS? That's umpossible.

 

[Wanted Bob]

Better late than never I guess. Hopefully more people catch on to this "revolution".

 

[CptStern]

they should bring back the strap because clearly some of you needed a beating or two

 

[Krynn72]

I'd be into it if she didn't look like a man.

 

[CptStern]

that's part of the punishment

 

[Vegeta897]

I'd be into it if she didn't look like a man.

Hey, leave Stern's daughter alone.

 

[sixteenth]

Most schools nowadays have school social workers than impose similar methods to deescalate a child's behavior. Instant suspension/expulsion seems to be, increasingly, the old way misbehaving children have been dealt with; now, such punishment is a last resort. The methods mentioned in the article are certainly not new. Though, perhaps, they aren't as widely used as they should be.

 

[Vegeta897]

I've certainly never seen any teachers or staff try to deal with students like this. They're always too focused on maintaining their authoritative power over the student. "I'm in charge, I'm going to raise my voice and speak in harsh abrupt terms to assert my dominance over you, and not allow you to speak."

It will be difficult for older hardass teachers to use this strategy. And they have to do it well, because if they're just going through the motions and obviously not actually concerned for the student, it's not going to work at all.

I also wonder how other students may react knowing this is how they will be treated. I can see students "trolling" their teachers by acting inappropriately, and then giving some bullshit answers when they're given outreach.

 

[Stylo]

Heh. When I was at school, I was detained on several occasions for literally no reason other than the teacher had accused me of doing something that I wasn't even aware had happened. You weren't allowed to argue your case because that was "back chat" and you were punished further for questioning authority if you did that.

Not that there weren't times I did bend the rules a little but most teenagers do. I actually started skiving (I think Americans call it bunking off) toward the end of my final year due to being fed up with some of the teachers being dicks even though I was, in general, a good student. I achieved well, got into College and then Uni. I wasn't what was considered a "bad kid" really.

I guess the times they are still a-changing.

 

[CptStern]

Hey, leave Stern's daughter alone.

lol you're one to talk about looks quasimodo. have you looked in a mirror lately? SUUUUIIIII

 

[sixteenth]

I also wonder how other students may react knowing this is how they will be treated. I can see students "trolling" their teachers by acting inappropriately, and then giving some bullshit answers when they're given outreach.

Certainly. Many children act-out for attention seeking purposes. If they know how to work around a punishment, they'll do it. Hopefully the staff/teacher/social worker has the experience to know when they are doing that and address it appropriately.

 

[Vegeta897]

lol you're one to talk about looks quasimodo. have you looked in a mirror lately? SUUUUIIIII

Wow. Are you OK? This doesn’t sound like you. What’s going on?

You really looked stressed. On a scale of 1-10, where are you with your anger?

 

[CptStern]

you're right. I usually ignore the ugly little troll throwing shit from the corner but these new dentures are killing me and I need to kick some whippersnapper ass. get off my lawn!

 

[Krynn72]

you're right. I usually ignore the ugly little troll throwing shit from the corner but these new dentures are killing me and I need to kick some whippersnapper ass. get off my lawn!

Wow, these are some serious issues. Do you have anybody at home to talk to about these things? Have you tried discussing these things with your dentist or local fence-builder? For a kid your age, don't you think there could be a better outlet for your frustrations?

 

[JUL3]

I've certainly never seen any teachers or staff try to deal with students like this. They're always too focused on maintaining their authoritative power over the student. "I'm in charge, I'm going to raise my voice and speak in harsh abrupt terms to assert my dominance over you, and not allow you to speak."

It will be difficult for older hardass teachers to use this strategy. And they have to do it well, because if they're just going through the motions and obviously not actually concerned for the student, it's not going to work at all.

I also wonder how other students may react knowing this is how they will be treated. I can see students "trolling" their teachers by acting inappropriately, and then giving some bullshit answers when they're given outreach.

We had a Chaplain/Councillor at our school. Really lovely guy called Norm. Anytime there was conflict in the classroom it was straight to Norm with them. It was a great system; teacher's being an asshole? Go straight to Norm.

Mind you, my school had all of 300 students. Not sure how it'd work on a bigger scale.