Central Ideas of Rudolph Dreikurs model of Logical Consequences: o Students misbehave because their needs are not met

o The needs to gain attention, exercise power, exact revenge, and display inadequacy form a hierarchy: if one need is unmet, the next need becomes dominant o To avoid having to deal with a variety of misbehaviors, teachers should make sure that their students' need for attention and acceptance is met o Discipline problems can be prevented through the use of class discussions and the application of logical consequences Motives for Behavior o Gaining Attention Different manifestations- Can be active or passive, and constructive or destructive Goal of Active Constructive o To receive constant praise and maintain superiority Goal of Active Destructive o Immediate and continuous attention Goal of Passive Constructive o To get others to serve them Goal of Passive Destructive o Force others' concern; get help from others o Exercising Power Power struggles- hard for adults to win because adults are expected to be composed, trusting, loving, honest, and helpful- while children can throw tantrums, argue, cry, etc. o Exacting Revenge Getting back at someone they feel has wronged them o Displaying Inadequacy Last stage- when children fail to achieve a sense of self worth with the first three motives, they will withdraw Assumptions of Logical Consequences o Inappropriate behavior is motivated by a need to gain attention, exercise power, exact revenge, or display inadequacy o If the motive for attention is satisfied, inappropriate behavior associated with other motives will not be manifested o Inappropriate behavior can be terminated by helping students find legitimate ways to satisfy their needs o Children can learn to understand their own motives and consequently eliminate misbehavior by having teachers help them explore why they behave as they do o Students behave more appropriately in the classroom when they suffer the logical consequences of their behavior

o Presenting students with a choice between two alternative behaviors offers a sufficient basis on which they can learn to be responsible

Helping students correct their misbehavior o The teacher must have already established a good relationship with the student- a relationship of trust is essential Teachers attempt to ascertain students' motives Students are helped to understand their motives Students are helped to exchange their mistaken goals for useful ones Students are encouraged to become committed to their new goal orientation Students are taught to apply logical consequences Group discussions regarding class rules and problems are held o Dreikurs stresses the importance of teaching styles Democratic Teachers provide firm guidance, but do not promote rebellion Students allowed to participate in making decisions- students allowed freedom, but expected to assume responsibility Autocratic Teachers take firm control- force rather than motivate students to work- and punish students who refuse to conform No warmth or humor Students usually respond with hostility Permissive Teachers do not follow through on consequences Results in a chaotic classroom and poor learning environment o Encouragement vs. Praise Praise Focuses on level of accomplishment or achievement Encourages children to focus on extrinsic rather than intrinsic rewards Encourages students to be competitive and selfish Encouragement Useful in preventing discipline problems--> it corresponds to childrens goals for approval and attention Focuses on effort and stimulates students to keep trying Fosters cooperation and focus on quality Your artwork is excellent vs. You seem to really enjoy art You got the highest mark on your exam vs. I can tell that you worked hard to prepare for your exam

o Logical Consequences Consequence relates to misbehavior rather than punishment or natural consequences Natural consequences occur without the intervention of the teacher Punishment does not have a logical connection to the misbehavior (ie- deducting points from a grade for talking in class) Examples: o If students disturb others, they may be isolated from the group only until they agree to disturb the class no longer o If students write on the walls, they can either clean them or pay the janitor to clean them Strengths and Weaknesses of Logical Consequences Model o Strengths It promotes a degree of autonomy for students It incorporates a preventive approach to discipline It helps students understand shy they behave as they do It helps students learn correct behavior It promotes mutual respect between teachers and students It relies on logical consequences instead of arbitrary punishment and systematic reinforcement It helps teachers focus on causes for behavior before they take action o Weaknesses Teachers have trouble determining the actual motives of their students Students may not admit their real motives, either because they believe that their motives are unacceptable or because they do not know what they are Teachers may find it difficult to respond to students in a noncontrolling way Teachers may have a problem dealing with the complexity of engaging in a dialogue with their students