You are starting to feel a little more confident with reducing the amount of punishment administered on your campus. But having only two punishment replacement options seem limiting. It is. So here is my favorite strategy. I implemented it when I was an assistant principal and it changed the culture of the campus almost overnight.
There are some offenses that don’t lend themselves to an Apology Strategy and don’t require the mentorship that is implicit in a Student Greeter Program. Think tardies, casual profanity, dress code violations, etc. For these infractions assign students, not to D-Hall, but to a lunch time homework / study lab.
For the lunch time homework / study lab, students grab their lunch in the cafeteria and bring their lunch, homework, study materials, and/or something to read to the auditorium (or gym or designated classroom). Students check in and sit down for a working lunch.
But here is the kicker, it’s not punishment. The assistant principal welcomes the student to the lab and works the room during the lunch, helping students and keeping them on task. Additionally, students are allowed to assist each other. Which means that not only are academic discussions allowed, they are encouraged.
What you are likely to find, as I did, that even after their assigned time was completed students would keep coming to the homework / study lab. They could get a little help or get in a little study / quiet time, without being hassled by their peers. Because as far as their friends knew, they had to attend.
Other posts in this series:
Student Punishment Alternatives – Option 1
Student Punishment Alternatives – Option 2
Student Punishment Alternatives – Option 4
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
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