Dreikurs' Theory

According to Dreikurs all misbehaviour reflects children's decision about how they can most effectively belong to, or be recognised by the group. Students who are confident of their ability to find a place - to belong through constructive activity - will tend not to be a problem. Such individuals have developed feelings of equality and worth and are interested in cooperating with others and in participating usefully within a group. They face each school demand, be it intellectual, social, physical, or emotional, with confidence in their ability to cope with the demand. There is no need for them to misbehave because they know that they can function constructively and co-operatively in the class. In contrast, there are discouraged children who feel that they cannot cope with the various school demands and decide to adopt unacceptable ways of behaving which they believe will gain them status and a sense of group recognition. Teachers need constantly to remind themselves that they are the targets of disturbing classroom behaviour and that their reactions tend to sustain and strengthen undesirable behaviour. Before teachers can begin to assist individual children, they must stop giving undue attention, fighting, retaliating, or accepting students display of inability. That is the first and necessary step in any corrective program. Students who constantly disturb, disrupt, fail to learn, invite attention, rebel, or violate orders are discouraged individuals who feel that they cannot find a place in the class through constructive and co-operative behaviours and consequently turn to more destructive and inadequate behaviour in their attempt to find a sense of significance. There are a number of processes designed to help pupils to develop more adequate ways of behaving but, before these approaches can be used, teachers must stop responding to unacceptable behaviours. As a first step teachers should train themselves to go against their first impulse and, consequently, break the detrimental cycle whereby a student acts and teachers react.

IDENTIFYING THE GOALS OF CHILDRENS MISBEHAVIOUR USEFUL/SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR BEHAVIOUR ACTIVE PASSIVE ACTIVE PASSIVE CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION DESTRUCTIVE DESTRUCTIVE SUCCESS "CHARM" "NUISANCE" "LAZINESS" Performing for attention Cute remarks Industrious Reliable Especially good Self elevation or cooperation Excessively pleasant Model 'child Bright sayings Excess charm Princess/Prince charming Show off The Clown Enfant terrible Acts tough Minor mischief A 'REBEL' Argues Contradicts Temper Untruthful Dawdling "VICIOUS" Stealing Bed wetting Violent Brutal "HOPELESS" Indolence Inaptitude Complex Bashful Self -Indulgent Eating problems

GOALS GOAL I "ATTENTION GETTING" Seeks proof of status Will cease when reprimanded or given attention

Respects rights of others Tolerant of others Interested in others Encourages others Risk taker Genuine efforts 'We' rather than 'I' Sense of competence Sense of usefulness Sense of belonging

"STUBBORN" Lazy Disobedient Forgetful "VIOLENT" Passive Sullen Defiant

GOAL II "POWER" Similar to destructive all. More intense Reprimand/intensifies GOAL III "REVENGE" Retaliates Hurts others GOAL IV Inadequacy Imagine or real Deficiency

Consider each of the classroom incidents below: According to Dreikurs' theory what mistaken goal appears to be operating in each of the following scenarios. 1. You are in the middle of talking to the class when you realise that someone is clicking a biro. You see that it is Cleo. You are aware that she has often done it before and you have already commented on it twice this lesson. 2. You have to repeatedly interrupt a class discussion because of the need to stop Sue and Karly from chattering noisily about the weekend's activities. A student, Roma, is in the middle of a relevant point when the noise coming from Sue and Karly once again becomes quite loud. 3. You are in the middle of conducting some groupwork when Kerrin comes to you and complains that Barbara, a member of a different group, pushed her without justification. When you approach Barbara she says that Kerrin broke her ruler. In defense Kerrin argues that no one ever lets her join their group, in class, or in the yard. 4. One student, Sara, is consistently unable to comprehend instructions and directions. She nearly always asks for clarification before getting on with it. On this occasion you have just very slowly and carefully explained what students are to do. Sara, as usual, looks bewildered whereas all the other students get to it. 5. It is the second last period of the day. You are having considerable difficulty with the class which contains a few trouble-makers. Perhaps the most insolent member of the class is Kylie. Today when you attempt to get her to stop throwing things, you hear her mutter "Who the hell do you think you are!"

Encouragement Phrases that show acceptance of the student I like the way you..... It seems that you are satisfied with... Since you're not satisfied with..what do you think you can do about it? It seems that you enjoy.... How do you feel about what you've produced... Phrases that show confidence in the child Knowing you I'm sure that you will do it all right. That's the way, you'll be able to.......... I know you'll make a choice youll be happy with. That's hard but I'm sure you will figure it out. You'll figure out how to do it. Phrases that focus on contributions, assets and appreciation Thanks, you helped me a lot. It was good of you to help... Thanks, I really appreciate you,...it makes my job much easier. I need your help to..so that.... The way you..is really quite impressive. Phrases that recognise efforts and achievements It looks as if you have worked really hard on.... You've worked hard. It seems like you like to... That was difficult but I can see you figured it out. I see that you are making progress with... you're already able to...

Dreikurs' discussion Gain involvement I think I know why you..talked while I was talkingmade noises my class... stole money.lied.etc. Do you want me to tell you what I think? Confront motivation Could it be that you want special attention? Could it be that you want to be boss and get your own way? Could it be that you want to get even and hurt people as much as you feel they have hurt you? Deny "Rational" excuses That's not it. It's not that you're bored, confused, tired etc You just want to be noticed, show people that they can't make you do stuff. You can do want YOU want! get even with everyone. You figure they hurt you so why not They deserve it Defuse Motivation You're right If you act silly enough people can't help but notice you. Absolutely, no one can make you do anything. Encourage You are a terrific kid. I like you very much. Confront belief about not being "likable" I know you think I don't like you but I do. I think that you feel that no-one likes you but you are wrong, I like you a lot. I understand that you feel that no-one likes you and maybe you even think you're not likable, no matter how you well you try to behave. You're wrong! There's nothing you can do that will make me stop liking you. Give it your best shot. I even think that at times you think your parents don't like you, You're wrong. We do like you. You're a great kid. Provide choice Do you want to be noticed or do you want to be liked (to have friends), you can't have both. Do you want to be boss or do you want to be liked, you can't have both. Do you want to get even or do you want to be liked, you can't have both. Separate child and behaviour I think you want people to like you but you don't think they could. You're wrong! If you changed the way you behaved people would find it easier to like you. It's hard to like someone who steals, hits etc.... The only thing about you that is hard to like is the way you are choosing to behave. If you choose to behave differently the other kids would think differently about you. Continually expose motivation I know why you.and .Why your behaviour is getting worse. You're saying to me "Like me do you? I'll show you I'm not likable ". It wont work. I do like you. Apply Logical consequences Because you..we will now have to ......

Silly Shoes Eduardo could hardly wait to get to school. He was wearing his new shoes. He thought they were wonderful. The left shoe was half red and half blue. The right shoe was half yellow and half green. There were little triangles and squares and circles all over them. Best of all, they had shiny gold shoelaces. Josie saw the shoes first. She pointed at them and laughed. "Hey, everybody!" she said. "Look at Eduardo's silly shoes!" Eduardo's face got red. Soon everybody was saying it. "Look at those silly shoes'" Eduardo didn't know which way to look. He wished he could disappear. He began to get angry. "Josie started all this." he thought. "She didn't have to make fun of my new shoes. I'm going to get her for this" When the class went to gym, Eduardo saw his chance. He waited until everyone's shoes were lined up against the wall. He quickly grabbed Josie's shoes and threw them in an empty locker. As the class filed out of the gym, Eduardo saw Josie. She was hunting everywhere for her shoes. Eduardo smirked and kept on walking. 1. What do you think of Josie and Eduardo? 2. How did Eduardo feel when Josie made fun of his shoes? 3. Eduardo wanted to get back at Josie. What's another word that means getting back at someone? 4. How did Eduardo get revenge on Josie? 5. Would Eduardo have hidden Josie's shoes anyway or did he only do it because he felt hurt? Why do you think so? 6. Did you ever want to get even with someone? What was it like? 7. What do you think about Josie making fun of Eduardo? 8. Have people ever wanted to get revenge on you when you teased them? What happened? 9. Right after Josie teased Eduardo. What could he have said or done? What other things could he have done besides getting back at Josie? 10. Does it sound as though Eduardo thought of any of those things? Why, or why not? 11. What are some examples of being teased and no' taking revenge? Story for Group Discussion (K-3) Guidance topic: Power (passive) Purpose To help the class see how young people can defeat adults by resisting adults' efforts to make them do what they don't want to do. To help students see alternatives to this kind of behavior. Stubborn Stan Stan was very stubborn. When his mother told him to do something, he paid no attention to her. "Make your bed," Mother said, but Stan just did what he wanted and not what Mother wanted. "Clean your room," ordered Mother. Stan didn't listen. Mother couldn't make Stan do what she wanted him to do. Even if she stood over him, he wouldn't do it. Sometimes Mother gave up and threatened to tell Stan's father. But Father couldn't make Stan do things either. Nobody could make Stubborn Stan do what he didn't want to do! 1. What do you think of Stan's stubborn behavior? 2. Why does he refuse to do what his parents ask him to do? 3. Does this happen in school? What are some ways students try to prove no one can make them do anything in school? 4. If this happens in our class. What do you suggest I do?
From Systematic Training for Effective Teaching. Dinkmeyer at al A.G.S 1980 (from A.C.E.R)

3 Components influencing Self Esteem COMPETENCE The student believes that she is able to do something well USEFULNESS The student believes that some of the things that she can do are valued by the school community. BELONGING The student feels that she "has a place" in the school community KEY QUESTIONS 1. What goes on in the school that promotes difficult students' feelings of Competence, Usefulness and/or Belonging? 2. What goes on in the school that undermines difficult students' feelings of Competence, Usefulness and/or Belonging? In answering this question consider aspects of schooling such as curriculum content the process of instruction Assess-ment Co-curricular activities School Organisation Student Responsibility

*These notes were reproduced by the University of Ballarat with the permission of Dr. Ramon Lewis Associate Professor Latrobe University 2004