Responsibility teaches young people that they need not be victims, he said. Let s keep the bed dry tonight, and Don t wet the bed, he said. Another strategy for positive discipline is to use standards instead of rules. According to Marshall, rules are counterproductive in relationships and it is better for students if there are expectations. You didn t go into teaching to be a cop, he said.
Choices empower students to make decisions for themselves.
Marshall advised the audience to allow students to decide their punishment by offering a list of choices. If students know the consequences ahead of time, it reduces their risk, he said. If they don t know the consequences and must choose the punishment, students are more likely to think about the consequences of their actions before they proceed. According to Marshall, the key to changing behavior is reflection. Students who are asked to think about why they acted a certain way, and what happened because of their actions, learn from their behavior.