Discipline with Dignity for Challenging Youth

Allen N. Mendler and Richard L.Curwin have written an effective "how to" book dealing dealing with disciplining who they term "challenging youth." The book features specific methods to use with children who are beyond normal classroom management techniques. While presenting some of the theory behind their proposals, the authors focus intead on what the classroom teacher actually does to help these children become more productive members of the classroom. Mendler and Curwin state that all behavior serves a purpose for the student. However, that purpose is different for each student. Thus, educators must come up with different methods for dealing with different children in the same circumstances. They denounce "zero tolerance" methods as weak and ineffective. For discipline to become educational and not merely punishment, educators must develop strategies that work with individual students. Each teacher's actions must have meaning for the individual student. They state that educators need to ". . .do the right thing, not the same thing when students break rules" (p. 109).The authors also present a workable strategy for motivating difficult children and avoiding power struggles. By sharing power and giving it to the student, they understand that a "win-win" situation can be developed from what usually is a "lose-lose" situation.I found this book interesting and useful. I think other special educators would also.