When I encourage minimizing the use of punishment in school
(for those unwilling to give it up entirely), teachers frequently tell me, “I
don’t punish students. I use natural consequences.”
I then ask for examples of the “natural consequences” they
use.
“If a child disrupts my class and it ‘costs’ me 5 minutes of
instructional time, the natural consequence is that I take 5 minutes of the
student’s time. And since I make it clear that I value promptness and expect
the students to respect due dates and deadlines, the natural consequence is the
loss of one letter grade for each day an assignment is late.”
Precision in language matters if we want to communicate
effectively with each other. And the examples offered above of “natural
consequences,” well…they simply aren’t “natural.”
A “natural consequence” is something that occurs in nature.
If I fail to get enough sleep, the natural consequence is that I’m tired. The
natural consequence when I don’t take in enough fluids is dehydration. The
natural consequence of consuming too much of certain fluids is the pounding
headache commonly known as a hangover. The natural consequence of a student
being five minutes late to class is missing what was said and done during that
time.
But there’s no law of nature that requires late papers to be
penalized one letter grade every day. There’s no natural imperative that
students “pay back” time wasted in class.
If you choose to use “consequences,” I hope you’ll at least
identify them accurately. Maybe they are “logical” consequences or “fair”
consequences. (Maybe they aren’t, but that’s a separate discussion.)
The consequences we impose in a classroom are developed by
people - usually with a positive intent, even if the results are dismal. They
aren’t “natural.” When we take what we do (for example, deducting a letter
grade for a paper turned in late) and say it’s a “natural consequence,” we are
failing to take responsibility for our actions.
Students are responsible for their actions. Teachers are
responsible for theirs. Hiding behind the curtain of “natural consequences” is
dishonest. I encourage all of us to act in a transparent way when dealing with
students by owning our behavior.
***
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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