DISCIPLINE WITH DIGNITY

Richard Curwin and Allen Mendler

THEIR DISCIPLINE THEORY

Richard Curwin and Allen Mendler

proposed Discipline with Dignity, a
classroom management model that
emphasizes teachers conveying dignity upon
students and restoring their hope in
democratic, student-centered classrooms.
They are the first theorists to address
violence, hostility, and aggression in our
schools.

WHAT IS DIGNITY?

Dignity refers to respect for life and for oneself; it

has been at the center of Curwin and Mendlers
approach to discipline.
Discipline with dignity equips teachers and
administrators with classroom skills and techniques
that enable them to spend less time dealing with
behavioral problems and more time on positive
interactions with students and on instruction. This
model is a responsibility and empowerment-based
versus obedience-based discipline model, which
creates an atmosphere of democracy,
encouragement, hope and warmth where clearly
defined limits (with student input) and skills in
resolving conflicts are taught and applied.

THE BASICS (1)

The beliefs behind Discipline With Dignity rest on four basic

philosophical foundations:
o Teachers must convey a sense of warmth in the way that they interact
with their students to make their classroom a welcoming, and caring
environment.
Teachers can demonstrate a caring attitude by:
Sharing moments of appreciation
Using humor appropriately
Welcoming the students feedback
Embracing their interests and concerns
The classroom can also be made into a welcoming place by adding basic
human touches that encourage acceptable behavior and set the tone for
responsible learning.

CREATING A WELCOMING
ENVIRONMENT

Have the room neat and clean

Be organized! Clutter does not set the stage for responsible learning.
Do not over decorate
Make sure the isles in the room are free for movement so that you can access
any part of the room quickly

THE BASICS (2)

o The emphasis on a democratic atmosphere

Curwin and Mendler have long advocated involving students in the process
of making classroom rules and guidelines for their behavior and proposing
consequences to correct their actions if those rules have been violated.
The Basic Principles of Teacher Behavior should include
Working toward long-term behavior changes rather than short-term quick
fixes.
Treat every student fairly, not equally.
Make reasonable rules
Model what they expect
Believe that responsibility is just as important as obedience
Treat students with dignity

THE BASICS (3) & (4)

o Avoid dictatorship
Some teachers demand obedience and
believe that because they are adults and
teachers , students owe them
obedience.
o Finally, Discipline with Dignity
reflects a responsibility model rather
than an obedience model.
Emphasis is placed on students
accepting responsibility for appropriate
behavior rather than adults demanding
and receiving obedience.

DISCIPLINE WITH DIGNITY

Curwin and Mendler's most well known philosophy is based on the belief that
students should be disciplined in such a way that it does not have a negative
impact on their dignity or destroy their motivation to learn. This educational
theory is designed to help teachers maintain a positive classroom learning
environment by emphasizing student dignity and providing a genuine sense of
hope to students who are otherwise likely to drop out of school (Charles,
2008, p. 168).
In Curwin and Mendler's view, students can usually be broken down into the
following three percentages:

70% of students rarely break any rules

20% of students break rules on a semi-regular basis
10% of students are chronic rule breakers

DISCIPLINE WITH DIGNITY

Modeling Appropriate Behavior

Speak to students the same way you expect students to speak to you
Do not use critical or harsh remarks to correct student behavior
Obey the same classroom rules you expect students to obey
Meet all deadlines and due dates
Be ready to begin class on time

WORKS CITED

Manning, M. Lee., and Katherine Toth Bucher. "Chapter 7 Exploring the

Theories of Discipline with Dignity: Richard Curwin and Alan
Mendler." Classroom Management: Models, Applications, and Cases. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson /Merrill Prentice Hall, 2007. 110-27. Print.