3.1 Replace punishment with restitution and/or reparations

“Teach responsibility of choices and consequences ;

do not hope that learning will occur following punishments”

Rationale

Every principal and teacher can move from being seen as a punisher to being seen as a caring educator working to help students. Principals can change from the #1 Punisher to the #1 Problem Solver. To do this, however, you must quit using punishments and begin using consequences for actions. In this manner, the students begin to see how the consequences they face are due to their actions, not the actions of the principal or teacher. The blame begins to shift from that mean principal or that mean teacher to the student - where it rightfully belongs.

William Glasser (1986) saw the difference between punishments and consequences as where the control lies. A punishment leaves the student with no control, while a consequence leaves the student with some control. Thus, using punishments is a method for principals and teachers to keep control but leaves the students without the opportunity to learn and practice self-control.

A simple example of a punishment is to send the student home for three days or out of the room for 30 minutes. Either of these actions leaves the student with no control over getting back into school or the classroom. Conversely, a consequence would be to send the student home or out of the class until they are ready to come back and solve the problem. Either of these actions leaves the student with some control of getting back into school or the classroom.

The use of consequences instead of punishments has no effect on the level of expectations for students or degree of strictness of the principal or teachers. Teachers can be very strict and use consequences, while other teachers can be very lenient, yet use punishments. But as mentioned previously, some teachers become much stricter, or better stated, hold higher expectations with the use of consequences.

Several things happen following the change from punishments to consequences . First, as in the case above, students get back into school and the classroom faster and do not fall as far behind in their academic work. They are more likely to show the desired behavior because it is their choice to return, and they have made a commitment to solve the problem and behave appropriately. They also have a much more positive attitude about the principal or teacher after receiving an obvious natural consequence (you must act appropriately to remain in school and class) than the anger and resentment that follows a punishment.

We educators must realize that with the use of punishments, we are teaching. The fact of the matter is that students do learn from punishments but mostly not what we expect or want. They learn that punishments solve problems. They learn that it is okay to punish children. They learn that when people make mistakes, they deserve to be punished. They learn that schools are places to be punished. They learn that principals and teachers and students are in some kind of battle with each other. They learn that schools are about not getting caught instead of learning from mistakes.