Ever wish your students were more motivated? If you’re like most of us, you have tried an array of rewards and punishments to motivate kids. There’s only one problem: it doesn’t work. At least it doesn't work well enough. People (yes, even students) aren’t motivated from the outside so rewards and punishments only work to a point. We are internally motivated. That’s why it's essential to engage and inspire students to be motivated to succeed in school (and life.)

If you’re ready to move beyond the reward/punishment model and embrace a whole new way to understand motivation, I encourage you to come back regularly. It’s time to challenge the status quo and create schools and classrooms based on what really motivates behavior.


Sunday, August 26, 2012

Dealing With Students Who Bully: Part II


Once I’ve reminded myself of my role and goal, I’m ready to deal with Jon, the student introduced in “Dealing With Students Who Bully: Part I (The Essential First Step)." 

The next few sentences are a challenge. I’d like to write something that my audience will like. And I know what many of you want: a recipe for dealing with kids who bully. The “right” thing to say. Some of you may be wondering, “What’s the choice theory formula when faced with this situation?”

Sorry to disappoint, but there is no magic bullet. Many “experts” will promise you success if you follow their lock-step program. If you’re naïve enough to settle for simplistic solutions to complex human issues, there are plenty of purveyors of 21st century snake oil. I’m just not one of them.

If you have conquered your disappointment and continued reading, I can share two things that I always do when dealing with kids like Jon. The first is to build and maintain a positive relationship with him. I have dealt with many teachers over the years who have asked me in politically incorrect language, “How do you connect positively with a jerk?” Apart from the insensitivity of their language, the answer is really quite easy for me: I do everything I can to build a positive relationship with Jon and every other kid, parent, teacher, etc because that’s my job! Whether it’s “natural” is irrelevant. Whether it's 'easy" is irrelevant. As a professional educator, my job includes working with all students, including those who “don’t deserve it” and who are more difficult to like.

Creating and maintaining a positive relationship with Jon is not a one-shot deal. It’s an ongoing series of interactions that begins the first time we meet. And it’s something so fundamentally important that it serves as a backdrop to every interaction we have, including when he has behaved poorly.

The other thing I do with a student like Jon in this situation is to try to create (or explore if we have) a shared quality world picture. Dr. Glasser has identified four primary patterns of interacting, including counseling and managing. This is a situation that calls for managing. As a manager, I have an agenda and my goal is to invite or enlist the other person to embrace that same goal.

I don’t begin by asking Jon, “What do you want?” That question is perfectly appropriate in other contexts, but his answer may take us far from where I want to go and, as a manager, I want to structure the conversation carefully. I begin by asking, “Jon, do you know what it is that I want?” I don’t threaten him. I don’t punish him. Sensing that he is probably emotionally charged up at the moment, I ask him a question that gets him thinking and less focused on himself.

This may sound strange, but it doesn’t especially matter to me what Jon says. I have had situations where the poorly behaving student correctly identified what I wanted. Other times, they have no clue. Sometimes they express indifference. Whatever they say gives me information about their current state of mind and willingness to engage with me. And whether they correctly guess what I want or not, I have structured the conversation so I can tell them.

“What I want is for this to be a safe environment. Does that sound reasonable to you?

I have had countless interactions like this and I have never had a student tell me that my goal is unreasonable.

“OK, so we agree that it’s reasonable to want a safe environment. That’s what I want. Let me ask you, is that something you want as well?”

More often than not, students tell me they want what I want – a safe environment. When they do – and it’s important to me that they overtly express their desire – I say something like, “It sounds like we want the same thing. Since we’re on the same side, this should be easy.” I have taken a student who might have entered my office seeing me as an adversary and we have become allies, working toward a common goal.

There are rare instances when kids have told me that they were not interested in a safe environment. I’m not there to argue. At that moment, I’m not even especially interested in convincing them to change their mind. I’m simply seeking clarity of intent. “Well, it looks as if you and I want different things. You need to know that I’ll do everything I can to ensure that our school is safe. You and I get along well, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to tolerate behavior that interferes with my goal of making this a safe school.”

Interestingly, the few times the conversation has taken this turn, kids typically shift position. Once they see that I am willing and able to both like them and hold them accountable for their actions, they usually decide to cooperate.

Finally, when dealing with a student who bullies others, I make sure I do two things. First, I enforce the rules of the school. It doesn’t make any sense in having rules if they aren’t going to be enforced. Second, I make sure I do everything in my power to teach the student a more responsible way to meet his needs. Imposing consequences without teaching a better way to behave is a waste of time. Punishment doesn’t magically equip kids with new, effective, responsible behaviors. That requires teaching. So while I enforce the rules and impose any consequences the school handbook includes, I also make sure to include a teaching component so the student learns how to get what he wants without taking unfair advantage of other students.

In summation, when dealing with kids who bully others, I suggest:

  • Beginning by remembering your role and goal (Part I) 
  • Building and maintaining a positive relationship with the offending student. (It’s part of our role as professional educators.)
  • Assessing if you have a shared want/goal/quality world picture: a safe environment.
  • Clearly articulating what you want.
  • Enforcing school rules.
  • Teaching the offending student a more responsible way to meet his needs.
 ***

As always, if you enjoyed this and found it useful, please send the link to your friends. Thanks.

Bob Sullo
PO Box 1336
Sandwich, MA 02563

For information about books by Bob Sullo and to schedule a keynote, workshop, or series for your school, agency, or parent group visit www.internalmotivation.net

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