Thomas Gordon Inner Self-Control
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Transcript Thomas Gordon Inner Self-Control
Whitney Whitehair
Allison Moore
October 14, 2009
EDUC 360
Thomas Gordon
About Thomas…
Clinical psychologist
Head of the Gordon Training International
Largest human relations training organization in the
world
www.gordontraining.com
Two million people have used his training program
Wrote a number of books
Received the American Psychological Foundation’s
Gold Metal Award for Enduring Contributions to
Psychology in the Public Interest
Gordon’s Plan for Discipline
There are six major elements:
Influence Rather than Control
Preventative Skills
Discipline and Who Owns the Problem
Confrontive Skills
Helping Skills
No-Lose Conflict Resolution
Influence Rather than Control
Control students coping mechanisms
Fighting (combating the person with whom they have
the conflict)
Taking flight (trying to escape the situation)
Submitting (giving into the other person)
Cut off communication and willingness to cooperate
Preventative Skills
Three things to prevent problems:
Use I-Messages
These influence students’ future actions.
Set rules together with students
Setting rules together with students allows time for discussion
and working together to collaborate an effective means.
Use participative management
Sharing power with students with different types of
assessment, rules, preferred activities, etc. This motivates
students and gives them confidence.
Discipline and Who Owns the
Problem
Gordon explains that misbehavior is behavior that
“..produces undesirable consequences for the adult”(p.
81).
When the class is uncontrolled, the teacher is said to
own the problem. But at times, the student may own
the problem.
With confrontive skills and helping skills, this will
solve the problem and who owns it.
Confrontive Skills
When the teacher owns the problem, one of these
discipline steps should be taken:
Modifying the physical environment (rather than the
student) Provide music or minimize distractions
Sending I-Messages regularly Instead of scolding,
work on I-Messages throughout the day to keep them
constant with everyday teaching
Shifting gears If this does not work, listen to the
student’s side of the story and continue with another IMessage (show sensitivity!)
Helping Skills
When students own the problem, teachers use two
main helping skills
Listening and avoiding communication roadblocks
Four kinds of listening
Passive Listening little more than attentive silence,
but is enough to encourage students to talk.
Acknowledgment responses verbal and nonverbal
cues that demonstrate teacher’s interest.
Door opens invitation for students to discuss their
problems.
Active Listening Mirroring back what students say.
Helping Skills Continued…
Avoiding communication roadblocks
Examples: giving orders, warning, preaching, advising,
lecturing, criticizing, name calling, analyzing, praising,
reassuring, questioning, withdrawing.
Turn your book to pages 82-83
No-Lose Conflict Resolution
Reach agreements and find a solution that satisfies
both parties
Egos are preserved and relations remain undamaged
Ex. “I wonder what we might do so you boys won’t feel
like fighting anymore.”
Prevents either boy from feeling that he has “lost” the
dispute.
What Every Teacher Should Know
How teachers can bring out the best in their students!
References
http://www.etia.org/uploadedImages/gordon.jpg