ERIC ED405536: Beyond Contemporary Confusion: Away from Punitive Practice.

9 Pages·1996·0.23 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CG 027 566
ED 405 536
Richmond, Christine
AUTHOR
Beyond Contemporary Confusion: Away from Punitive
TITLE
Practice.
PUB DATE
[96]
NOTE
7p
Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.)
PUB TYPE
Information Analyses (070)
(120)
EDRS PRICE
MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
*Behavior Modification; Counseling Techniques;
*Counseling Theories; Counselor Attitudes; *Counselor
Teacher Cooperation; Elementary School Students;
Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries;
Intervention; Models; Secondary School Students;
*Teacher Administrator Relationship
ABSTRACT
Behavior management presents an ongoing challenge
that requires complex intervention skills on the part of guidance
personnel. This paper presents strategies for helping school-based
personnel move away from traditional punitive behavior management
practices that are derived from a time when public humiliation of
someone for social-rule-breaking behavior was acceptable classroom
practice. The following keys have the potential to unlock the
complexities of behavior management and assist counselors in
promoting the shift from the paradigm of "punish disruption" to
(1) use descriptive models;
"support social skilling":
(2)
intentionally avoid playing games; and (3) recognize the strength of
small and incremental changes. The shift to a paradigm of support
through social training has not yet gained universal appeal in
schools, and it is certainly misunderstood by the general community.
In order to facilitate productive and enduring change, helping
professionals need to provide enough framework for teachers to
participate in risk-taking behavior and trust this process to remain
committed to intervention plans when the support person is no longer
there. An example of this minimalist approach to behavior management
is found in the Behaviour Management Skills Training Package in which
a small number of useful microskills have been described in practical
terms. (LSR)
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Beyond contemporary confusion : Away from punitive practice.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Christine Richmond
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Behaviour management from a guidance perspective is a complex and potentially
fraught situation. We are invited, on the one hand, to witness the daily practical
struggle of the teacher working at a point of need with finite emotional resources and
limited options, a situation that has the potential to become in any moment
overwhelming. On the other hand, we as guidance personnel are bound to keep the big
picture in perspective. What is the vision of the school? What is the intent and the
direction of the intervention called behaviour management, generally, or management
of this particular student's behaviour in the context in which we are invited to work?
The problem for effective guidance practice is one that requires a special combination
of forthrightness and sensitivity that can take years of training and practice in
fieldwork to refine.
r
My personal struggle to achieve this balance derives from a central belief (not an
i it
original idea) around which I organise my professional behaviour, and a particular
focus. I behave as if I live in a democracy all of the time. This has impact on the daily
choices that derive from the dilemmas hidden in each of the complex, multi-layered
situations that confront people like ourselves particularly in situations that are redolent
with power and control issues, people who choose to work as helpers and change
a,
have
agents. My sister, an Anglican priest and PhD would say we are not the ones that
done the choosing, but then again, with god as your employer you'd feel quite
confident about debating this point. Our work, whether we do it because of driving
ambition, or sense of vocation, or an inextricable mix of the two, lies at the critical
interface of change.
Guidance work is often misunderstood, devalued and even debunked by the client
it
temptation to which all
group itself. The invitation to take this personally is a constant
of us have probably succumbed, at least to some extent, at times. On the other hand,
HIRST COPY AV/11111 API
there is always the seduction of the role of expert with all the trappings of secret
knowledge and clinical remoteness extrapolated in the ruthlessness of certain,
ritualised therapies. This sometimes begins with a seduction down the honey-sweet
and hopeless path of 'you are the one who will save my son (my class, my family, my
marriage, my sanity). The child that no one but you understands'.
Guidance has the opportunity to rise like the phoenix from the frozen ashes left as
a legacy of the economic rationalism of right-wing decision-makers. Keeping
focussed on the big picture is far more important than spending energy on worrying
about the impact of daily fieldwork frustrations. Those of us who struggle with the
pressure of not only the consequences of rationalist decision-making on the support
available for fragile, and marginalised groups, but also misunderstanding from those
for whom we are attempting to advocate, have a clear understanding of this point.
Becoming consumed by coal-face frustrations is pointless and emotionally expensive.
The sad comfort is that the need for helping professionals with guidance expertise has
never been more evident. This paper describes a number of keys that have the
potential for helping our clients move beyond contemporary confusion and away from
punitive practice in behaviour management, in other words to make the shift from the
paradigm of 'punish disruption' to `support social skilling'.
Key #1: Use descriptive models.
The following model, for example, describes the difference between the focus of
guidance work with administrators and teachers in behaviour management. Teachers,
as coal face workers have a fine and constantly updated understanding of the details of
behavioural difficulties with students and are able to comprehensively articulate their
own wants as far as classroom work and curriculum engagement is concerned.
Administrators, on the other hand, have a clear idea of the need to simultaneously
provide support for efficient classroom work which, as a central activity, lies at the
heart of the organisation and to provide leadership in the development of a set of plans
that operationalise the vision of the school.
When guidance is called to facilitate the work of personnel on one or both sides
of the organisation, it is useful to consider that coal face workers and big picture
workers do not typically share a similar perspective on the task of, in this case,
managing student behaviour. They do not necessarily share a common language and
3
about administrators in the
set of concepts. Indeed, attributions made by teachers
the theme of 'you
context of problematic behaviour management are variations on
communication with
don't support me'. Administrators contribute to this unproductive
attributions about teachers not being willing, or failing to show commitment or
demonstrating inability to follow the established plans.
Guidance officers can use this model to help school-based personnel to come to
in order to move the key
grips with the idea of the reality of difference in perspective
problem solving that
players beyond counterproductive communication towards
valuing that very
incorporates the idea of acknowledging the practical necessity of
articulating the
difference. The change agent has responsibility for facilitating and
intersection of the two disparate perspectives.
particularly one experiencing the
In my experience it is less likely that a teacher,
make the imaginative leap
pain of working in 'survive the day' mode has the energy to
what they have
of understanding to comprehend, and appreciate in pragmatic terms,
perspective. There may be superficial
never experienced, the administrator's
kinds of skills and
understanding of the nature of the job, but little appreciation for the
job done successfully. For
the time that is needed for the administrator to get the
vision, and then must
example, to be an effective leader the administrator must have a
necessarily appreciate the
work out ways to engage the staff in fulfilling it. Staff don't
for the task, partly
engagement with this process and can openly express resentment
because the relevance to their daily work is not immediately apparent.
that they are
Administrators have all been coal-face workers and demonstrate
day to day classroom
located on a continuum of knowledge of the complexities of
the other is 'out-of-
work. One end of the continuum is labelled 'up-to-date' and
of his/her location
touch'. The administrator does not always have the same picture
the organisation share. Credibility and communication
on the continuum that others in
issues can be confounded by this factor.
in acknowledging
The role of guidance here can be to engage the administrator
that they, as leaders and
the different expertise of the teacher's role and to recognise
that include gains in perspective and
managers have moved on, with consequences
will facilitate responsible
losses in immediacy of experience. The wider perspective
tend to allow a
systems-level decision-making, but losses in immediacy of experience
4
hard-
certain romantic gloss to build over time. Layer after layer inexorably blur the
effects of change.
edged realities of daily classroom stressors and obscure the subtle
Key #2: Intentionally avoiding playing games.
invitation to contribute to
In difficult situations there is usually an ever-present
perspective.
conversations that articulate divergent perspectives from a power-game
alienating the other sets of
By participating, even tacitly, the guidance officer risks
and outcome, of this
stakeholders. Since an underlying objective, for both process
the success of the
specialised type of work is for the players to work cooperatively,
is played
intervention is under threat if the invitation to play is taken. A power game
from any of three positions:
demanding and
Persecutor position, where the change agent is drawn into
1.
where they are
pushing for change in the best attempt to make it happen or
punitive 'management'
tempted to participate in constructing more and more
of the perceived disruptor.
in acknowledging the
Victim position, where the change agent participates
2.
stakeholder or
legitimacy of the miserable controlling behaviour of the
raises rather than
contributes to complaining interactions and inadvertently
relieves anxiety.
responsibility for doing
Rescuer position, where the change agent takes over
3.
the tasks of the stakeholders.
people working at the interface
The seduction of power games is a real danger for
conflict. It can feel 'right' to
of change which is,at any moment, at the heart of
short term at least, a popular
persecute, complain or rescue, and it is, in the
self-perpetuating
intervention choice. The problem, though, is that power games are
different about how people
and, by playing, nothing is achieved that is substantially
are managing.
Alternate positions that are more useful:
information. This can
Instead of persecuting increase the others' access to
1.
that are incorporated in
be achieved through teaching, and all the processes
task analysing and giving
the act of teaching including: coaching, instructing,
of these different types
feedback. There are best practice ways to perform all
of skills.
5
in self-
through structured inquiry
reflect on practice
Instead of complaining,
2.
critical action research.
processes called
reflective processes or in group
Useful questions include:
helped?
What happened that
-
stuck?
the situation to remain
What was it that encouraged
-
difference?
differences that made a
What were the
-
things differently?
How could I/we do
-
wanted?
Are we getting what we
-
decisions?
How outcome driven are our
-
process?
How respectful is the
-
that can
holding environment
'doing for' create a
Instead of rescuing and
3.
intervention position include
Microskills in this
facilitate change processes.
listening, for example:
the process of active
have as their base
all of those that
and gentle confronting.
educational counselling
mediating, negotiating,
the difference
intervention that makes
of the chosen
It is the intentionality
will arbitrate the consequences.
responsive modes, and
between reactive and
changes.
small and incremental
the strength of
Key #3: Recognise
classrooms,
issues in their
with behaviour management
Teachers, when grappling
is survival. The
the overriding agenda
point of need where
are commonly at a
includes:
helping professional
this context for the
consequences of
diminished
information may be
for accessing more
the teacher's capacity
emotionally expensive
agenda tends to imply an
because a survival
environment
they may not be able to
stressed and/or depressed
the teacher may be so
strategies
the trying out of new
of failure through
entertain the possibility
practices that there is no
defensive about current
the teacher may be so
will be movement
possibility that there
level of
plans at a very low
committed to change
the teacher may be
direct
the change agent's
follow through when
commitment and fail to
support is removed
professionals need
change, helping
productive and enduring
In order to facilitate
participate in risk-taking
teachers to be able to
enough scaffolding for
to provide just
6
behaviour and trust the process enough to remain committed to intervention plans
example
when the support person is no longer there. In behaviour management, one
Skills Training
of this minimalist, no-frills approach is the Behaviour Management
described in practical
Package where a small number of useful microskills have been
do not pretend to
how and why terms. These self-help or collegial support materials
help teachers increase
be comprehensive but do provide enough scaffolding in order to
confidence increases, the
their confidence and poise in behaviour management. Once
substantially shifted away
teacher is no longer at a point of need and the agenda has
able to make
from survival to one of experimentation where he/she becomes more
sense of the work.
complexities that
These three keys have the potential for unlocking some of the
personnel move away from traditional
present in the work of helping school-based
time when to publicly
punitive behaviour management practices that derived from a
acceptable classroom
humiliate someone for social rule breaking behaviour was
training has not yet gained
practice. The shift to a paradigm of support through social
by the general
universal appeal in our schools, and is certainly misunderstood
of choice when the chips
community. Punishment still appears to be the intervention
We, as helping professionals, need to keep this
are down and people are under stress.
to stimulate
big picture shift firmly in mind and work in resolute and courageous ways
difference in the way that
the small difference that will make a big and enduring
the coalface.
teachers, individually and in groups, manage students at
7
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Title:
Beyond Contemporary Confusion: Away From Punitive Practice.
Author(s):
Christine Richmond
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Publication Date:
Queensland Guidance and Counselling Association
September, 1996
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