Running Heading: Interdisciplinary Team Discipline Plan

Interdisciplinary Team Discipline Plan:

Rules:

Everyone has the right to learn, which means no one has the right to interfere with the

learning of others. Having a set of expectations and procedures for behavior is the most

important way to make sure that no one is behaving in a way that prevents others from learning.

A consistent classroom with consistently enforced rules and procedures gives the students a

stable environment, allowing them to learn and become the best versions of themselves. Middle

school is a time of change and students might need a little extra support during this time. From a

social, emotional, and physical standpoint, these students’ lives are changing and shifting. A

classroom environment must be stable, consistent, fair, and respectful so that it will help students

look forward to learning and interacting with other peers. Here are five basic rules which uphold

the rights of the teacher and students:

 Arrive on time.

 Listen to others and participate in class discussions.

 No cell phones in class.

 Raise your hand before speaking.

 Do not interrupt other students’ learning.

Consequences:

Consequences are put in place because they are part of the structure that makes rules work.

As noted early, each child has the right to learn and no student has the right to interfere with

another student’s learning. A student needs to know, up front, what would happen if he or she

were to break a rule. They can then choose to follow the rules or to break the rules and incur the

negative consequences. Students must realize this cause and effect relationship and knowing that

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they have the power to choose the resulting “effect,” is one of the many ways students develop

self-discipline and self-efficacy. Students, teachers, and families must clearly understand what

actions appropriate and inappropriate in the classroom, and what the consequences are if a

student chooses to do or say something unacceptable. This is the first step towards helping

students in the classroom make choices in terms of behavior. The following are five

consequences ranging from less to more sever:

1. A warning is issued verbally.

2. The student will spend 10 minutes of their lunch in detention.

3. Parent/guardian is contacted via phone call or letter.

4. The student and his or her parents come in after school to devise up with a written plan

for improvement.

5. The student will be sent to the principal’s office.

Team Encouragement Strategies:

The Perceptual Control Theory, from which the Responsible Thinking Process is based

off of, teaches that that you cannot control another living control system except with physical

force. Therefore, the only alternative is to teach children to control their perceptions without

acting as disturbances to others. The more children are offered choices, the less angry they be-

come, and the more willing they are to cooperate with others. In school, respecting a child’s

internal decision-making process is critical. When students choose to disobey the rules, they will

be referred to the RTC and they are required to complete a plan, which helps them make choices

towards behaving more responsibly. When the student displays appropriate behavior, rewards

will be given that teach students how to search within themselves and decide the way they want

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to be. Teachers will build a sense of independence in their students by teaching students to self-

monitor. (The Responsible Thinking Process Pty Ltd.)

 Encourage peer assistance and partnering. Teach peers how to help, not enable.

 Utilize self-monitoring checklists for student.

 Students will have a check in with their teacher daily, or as needed, to see how the RTC

plan is working for them. Changes might need to be made.

 If the student succeeds in self-monitoring and his or her behavior improves, the student

will receive a five dollar gift card of their choice.

Team Procedures:

Procedure for Absence

1. Check the class website for any updates, notifications of tests or quizzes, etc.

2. Upon your return to school, retrieve your folder from the absent bin.

3. Date all assignments in your folder with the date you must have them in by. You will

have the number of days you were absent to make up the work.

4. Check with buddy to see what you missed.

5. For any questions your buddy cannot answer, you may see me.

6. All work should be turned into the homework tray in your absence folder.

7.

Procedure Upon Arrival

1. Greet Miss Berryt at the door.

2. Come into class and grab bellwork binder from crate.

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3. Put cell phone in Cell Phone Resort (as long as the “No Vacancy” sign isn’t posted)

4. Check calendar and record in your planner.

5. Do posted bell work [only one of the following will be posted]

□ Journal Prompt

□ Vocabulary Activity

6. When finished, look at agenda for today.

Procedure for Dismissal

1. Wait without packing up until I dismiss the class.

2. Pack homework folder, necessary books for homework, and clean the area.

3. If necessary, return seats to correct position.

4. Take your binder and place it in the correct crate for your period by the door.

5. Pick up your cell phone from the cell phone resort.

Parent Conference Format:

Parent-teacher conferences should be schedule regularly throughout the school year, so as

to keep the parents/guardians informed and involved in their child’s education. Conferences

should be scheduled at least bi-monthly and more frequently if needed. Aside from the bi-

monthly meetings, parent-teacher conferences should also be called in cases of students who are

struggling academically or behaviorally, as well as when a student deserves special praise and/or

recognition of their work or actions. Whether the meeting is to address a need or to commend the

child, the teacher should begin by discussing the positive aspects of the student rather than the

negative. Further, even if the conference is to praise the child, it should still be utilized as an

opportunity to increase the student’s academic growth and set higher goals for him/her. Always

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ensure the parents/guardian leaves a conference proud of some aspect of their child, as well as

with the knowledge that there is an area their child need to grow or improve in. Throughout the

meeting teachers must be courteous and should demonstrate their own respect for the student in

question. A productive and positive parent-teacher conference is beneficial to everyone involved,

especially the student. Therefore, such conferences are also the building blocks of forming a

supportive educational community.

School Community Plan:

Our goal is to link school, community, and family to help close the gaps to improve

student learning. Communication is key when it comes to making sure students succeed in and

outside the classroom. Every week, the teachers for each grade level will meet up for curriculum

planning. This will assure that everyone is on board for the upcoming week. It also gives

teachers the opportunity to discuss any behavioral issues that occurring in the classroom and

allows for these issues to be discussed between faculty members. To keep families involved, a

newsletter will be sent home every week regarding upcoming events that are happening in and

around the school such as socials, student performances, movie nights, fairs, and other activities.

Each teacher will also send their own classroom newsletter home with each student. The

newsletter will tell of any special classroom events coming up, upcoming tests/exams, homework

assigned for the week, and special announcements. Students will also be required to complete 10

hours of community serve a semester. They may serve as tutors, work in soup kitchens, visit

homeless shelters, visit the sick, etc. Families are also encouraged join their children on these

events. We will also promote student-of-the-month assemblies, bulletin boards, and luncheon

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with family partners to recognize students for good or improved behavior, character, and

citizenship.

Foundational Disciplinary Theory:

The Responsible Thinking Process (RTP), created and developed by Edward Ford is a

school wide discipline program that teaches students how to reflect on their existing perceptions.

RTP is based on Perceptual Control Theory (PCT), developed by William T. Powers and holds

that our behavior is best understood in terms of how we control our perceptions.

Fundamentally, the Responsible Thinking Process, properly used, provides opportunities for

educators and parents to teach students how to look within themselves, decide how they want to

be, and restructure their own lives so they can get what they want without infringing on the rights

of others (Rynberg, 2016). To foster autonomy in the classroom and help students make their

choices, teachers must help their students and guide them as they discover their interests.

Teachers must also help students recognize their capacities and strengths in various content or

skill areas. When teachers model these practices, they are showing students how they are able to

make their own learning choices. This will, in turn, allow them to make better choices regarding

their behavior. It can influence students’ self-efficacy which will boost their confidence in their

ability to be well-behaved students in the classroom.

Parent Teacher Conference Format

 Teacher will begin the conference with an opening conversation. Here are some

conversation starters…

o What did your child like about school last year?

o What does your child like to do at home?

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o What are some things you would like to see your child accomplish this

year?

 Report on academic strengths and concerns

o Invite parents to share their thoughts.

 Report on social progress, behavior, and concerns

o Invite parents to share their thoughts.

 Summing it up

o Assure parents that the line of communication is open and they are always

welcome to come in an talk.

 After each parent-teacher conference, send a note thanking parents for sharing
time with you. If you offered to find resources, gather information, and so forth,
make sure you do so—and share the results with parents.

Sources Cited:

1. RynBerg, A. (2016). Using RTP (Responsible Thinking Process) as a Lever For

Improving

a. School Culture: A Case Study of an Alternative Secondary School’ s

Implementation Of RTP. Dissertations. 1401.

2. http://responsiblethinking.com/