Transcript Applying William Glasser to the Classroom.

What is Choice Theory &
How it Compares to
External Control
by
Tawni Deike
Introduction to Choice Theory
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Introduced by William Glasser, 1965
All about relations & happiness.
Intended for use by counselors, managers,
administrators, & teachers to help people selfevaluate
Their environment
 The quality of their relationships
 The quality of the work in their life
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Making Choices
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Ability to make a choice is a freedom, a personal
freedom
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With choice comes responsibility and
accountability for those choices we choose to
make.
10 Axioms/Truths of Choice Theory
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The only person whose behavior we can control is our own.
All we can give another person is information.
All long-lasting psychological problems are relationship problems.
The problem relationship is always part of our present life.
What happened in the past has everything to do with what we are
today, but we can only satisfy our basic needs right now and plan to
continue satisfying them in the future.
We can only satisfy our needs by satisfying the pictures in our
Quality World.
All we do is behave.
All behavior is Total Behavior and is made up of four components:
acting, thinking, feeling and physiology.
All Total Behavior is chosen, but we only have direct control over the
acting and thinking components. We can only control our feeling and
physiology indirectly through how we choose to act and think.
All Total Behavior is designated by verbs and named by the part that
is the most recognizable.
Choice theory states that:
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all we do is behave,
that almost all behavior is chosen, and
that we are driven by our genes to satisfy five basic needs:
survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun.
Total Behavior: How do you drive
your behavioral car?
The Five Basic Needs:
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Survival
Power
Freedom
Love & Belonging
Fun
Survival Needs
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Comfort
Food
Warmth
Security
Safety
Power in the school environment.
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95% of all student discipline problems are a
result of a lack of power resulting from
someone not listening to them.
To feel power, students need
to believe that someone they respect will listen to
them.
 to have someone to listen and accept the validity of
their statement or concern.
 an adult who states that their idea may be worth
implementing.
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Freedom to express…
 Ideas
 Choices
 Creativity
Love & Belonging
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In practice, the most important need is love and
belonging, as closeness and connectedness with the
people we care about is a requisite for satisfying all of
the needs.
Fun
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Discovery
Using knowledge
Learning
Laughing
How do you perceive information?
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Many issues are a result of different perceptions of the
same situation.
The only thing we can give and receive from others is
information.
The only person’s behavior we can
control is our own.
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We chose everything we do including
Frustrating
 Depressing
 Angering
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External Control vs. Choice Theory
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External control language always harms and
often destroys relationships. It uses should, must,
and have to along with threats of punishments or
promises of reward..
Choice theory language is never bossy or
controlling. It is always an attempt to work out
differences between people in a way that satisfies
both parties.
The Difference Between…
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External Control
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You can motivate people
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You can control other’s behavior
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You know what’s right for others
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You evaluate others
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You punish
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You reward to control
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You threaten
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You criticize
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You blame
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You believe others can control you or make
you feel bad
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You say and do things that drive the
relationship apart
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You are threatened by allowing others to
have choices
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You inhibit the freedom of others and kill
their creativity
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You believe instilling fear in your authority is
a necessary component of leadership
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You only listen to yourself
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You believe you are locked in an external
control world and are defenseless against it
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Choice Theory
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People are internally motivated
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You can only control your own behavior
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You know what’s right for yourself
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You evaluate yourself
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You negotiate
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You reward for the good of the recipient
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You talk it over
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You say what you can do to help the
relationship
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You accept responsibility for your own
behavior
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You believe no one can make you do or feel
anything, it’s your choice
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You say or do only what will bring you
closer in the relationship
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You embrace the idea of empowering people
with choices
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You give people the encouragement to try
different ways to do things without judging
them
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You are approachable and always remove
from your demeanor anything that others
might fear
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You listen to others and try to understand
them
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You believe in the Choice
Theory process and live your life accordingly
Replace External Control and the
Seven Deadly Habits
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Seven Caring Habits
1.Supporting
2.Encouraging
3.Listening
4.Accepting
5.Trusting
6.Respecting
7.Negotiating differences
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Seven Deadly Habits
1.Criticizing
2.Blaming
3.Complaining
4.Nagging
5.Threatening
6.Punishing
7.Bribing, rewarding to control
Examples of this Comparison in …
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Love & Marriage
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Parent & Child
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Teacher & Student
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Manager to Employee
Love & Marriage
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External Control
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You can’t wear a sport
shirt to an affair like this!
You’ll look like a bum and
embarrass me. You’ve
got to wear a shirt and tie.
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Choice Theory
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Honey, I know you hate
being uncomfortable, but
this affair is pretty formal.
How about wearing that
new tie you picked out to
go with the navy suit?
You look great in it.
Parent & Child
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External Control
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Are you crazy? No
child of mine will ever
get her nose pierced.
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Choice Theory
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Get anything pierced
you want. My love
doesn’t depend on
what you look like,
But don’t do it until I
get a good picture of
you the way you are.
Teacher & Student
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External Control
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If you get any further behind,
you’re going to flunk.
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Choice Theory
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You’re way behind. Let’s
forget about what you’ve failed
so far and try to get you going
on what you’ll need to do for
promotion. Simply do the
work, show me you know it,
and you’ll make it . We’ve still
got three months; you have
time. I’m on your side, so use
my help.
Manager & Employee
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External Control
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I know you’re very
uncomfortable with the
quality school ideas. I’m
uncomfortable, too. But I
was told to do it, and this
is the way it’s going to be.
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Choice Theory
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We’re trying to become a
quality school, so everything
I’m trying to do is based on
one principle. If I do this or
do that, will you and I get
closer together or further
apart? I’m not going to change
anything unless you say it’s ok.
Lead Manager vs. Boss
Continuum Toward Lead-Management
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replace external control psychology with choice theory
Management Styles
Boss Management
Drives the workers
Depends on authority
Thinks “I” and “They”
Instills fear
Communicates resentment
Fixes blame
Makes work drudgery
Accepts poor or mediocre work
Tries to “make” people work
Strongly wants to be in charge
Is concerned about the “needs of the
business
Imposes work
Sets adversarial atmosphere
Uses coercion
Concerned about image as authority
Is abrupt and impersonal with people
Doesn’t want to get “involved”
Tell “how”
Sets tasks and standard: workers adjust to
them
Inspects work
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Lead Management
Leads the worker
Depends on cooperation
Thinks “we”
Instills confidence
Communicates enthusiasm and hope
Fixes problems
Makes work interesting
Accepts only high quality work
Realizes process is more important than
outcome
Allows workers to make some decisions
Is concerned about “needs” of workers
Discusses quality of work with the worker
Sets friendly atmosphere
Facilitates and shows
Concerned about genuine role-modeling
Is courteous, calm and consistent
Shows interest in personal lives of others
Shows “how”
Discusses quality and time with workers
Asks the workers to inspect work
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Sources
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Glasser Institute. The New Reality Therapy. Using new Concepts and Avoiding Traps.
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Glasser, William. Choice Theory: A New Psychology of Personal Freedom. New York:
Harper Collins, 1998.
Glasser, William. The Choice Theory Manager. New York: Harper Collins, 1994.
Glasser, William. The Quality School. New York: Harper Collins, 1990.
Glasser, William. Warning: Psychiatry Can Be Hazardous to your Mental Health.. New
York: Harper Collins, 2003.
McDaniel, Jeanette and Blauser, Susan. Choice Theory, Reality Therapy & Lead
Management. Unpublished manuscript.
Wright, Norman. Helping Those Who Hurt.Bloomington, MN: Bethany House,
2003.
Wubbolding, Robert. Reality Therapy For the 21st Century. Philadelphia, PA: BrunnerRoutledge, 2000.
A Diagram of the Brain as a Control System, Chart created by William Glasser. 1993,
updated 2003.
Sources
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Glasser Institute Website. 10 Axioms of Choice Theory, Choice Theory Statements (sited from
Glasser, William. Choice Theory: A New Psychology of Personal Freedom. New York: Harper
Collins, 1998.), Sevem Caring & Seven Deadly Habits, & Continuum Toward Lead
Management retreived on 7/13/2009 from www.wglasser.com
Glasser, William. Choice Theory: A New Psychology of Personal Freedom. New York: Harper
Collins, 1998. 3, 71-72.
Glasser, William. Unhappy Teenagers: A way for parents and teachers to reach them. New
York: Harper Collins, 2002. 20
Glasser, William and Carleen. The Language of Choice Theory. New York: Harper
Collins, 1999. ix, 18-19, 30-31, 76-77, 96-97
Glasser, Carleen. Teaching Choice Theory to High School Students in Class Meetings. 2003. 1
Glasser, Carleen. A Collection of Handouts, Masters, Photocopies, 2003. Total Behavior
Handout. How much of what you need do you already have? Handout. Management
Styles Handout.
Jones & Jones. Comprehensive classroom management, Creating communities of support and
solving problems (7th edition). Pearson. 2004. 104, 313