Values Centred Behaviour Leadership

Why Values?

• To provide students with a philosophy of living, facilitating their overall growth, development, and choices so that they can integrate themselves into their community with respect, confidence, and purpose.

• To help individuals think about and reflect on different values and the practical implications of expressing them, in relation to themselves, others, the community, and the world at large.

Values Matter

Are We a Values School?

The Test...•Is Values Education an explicit element of our curriculum?•Do Staff model the school’s positive Values in their behaviour?•Is there a focus on creating and maintaining positive relationships?•Is the School environment happy, calm and purposeful?•Is “Reflection” utilized as a key tool in thinking and learning?•Is an emphasis on caring for self and others supporting high staff morale?•Above all can we say that a key focus of our curriculum and work is the formation of caring, civil and well educated people

Robot Clip

"The highest goal of education is to teach people to read and write the word so that they can read and write about the world." (Paolo Freire)

Justice, injustice, responsibility, equality, fairness, love

Moral Purpose

Ian Gilbert – Independent Thinking

If you must have a cake sale to raise money for some deserving charity then may I suggest a slightly different angle? Apart from spending time ensuring the children involved understand what their money is going to and how it is going to be used, you could also encourage them to ask why the situation is so bad that their baking skills are being called on in the first place.

For example, if you are ‘raising money for Africa’, as seems to be so often the case, why is it that a continent with such a wealth of natural resources is home to so many of the world’s poor? How is it that some of the very communities you are trying to help are not only sitting on vast reserves of oil, gas, diamonds and gold (not to mention various substances that go into making the mobile phone in your pocket), but that the individual children and families you are trying to support are actually involved in mining these minerals? Why are there repeated famines in certain countries? Why are people starving in countries where there is enough food to go round?

Ian Gilbert…

Don’t ride the bike for them’ as a teacher once told me. Don’t finish their sentences when they’re struggling to formulate an idea. Don’t rush them on when they need time to think (remember the ‘wait time’ rule – three seconds is all you need to give). Don’t underestimate their abilities. Don’t confuse memory with intelligence. Don’t confuse speaking and participating. Don’t assume if they’re not speaking out they’re not thinking hard. (Often those who speak most think least.) Don’t think you need to talk more to get them to think more. ‘Come on, think!’ is an exhortation as useful as ‘Come on, speak Polish!’ or ‘Come on, be thin!’

Ian Gilbert…Pepper your teaching with ‘In your opinion …’, ‘What do you think?’, ‘What does that mean to you?’, ‘What would you do if you were …?’, ‘What would happen if …?’, ‘Why do you say that?’, ‘Do you agree?’, ‘What does that mean?’, ‘I don’t know’, ‘What would that lead to?’, ‘Where did that thought come from?’, ‘Guess!’, ‘What could that mean?’, ‘What may happen next?’ ‘What could an answer be?’, ‘How would you solve the problem?’, ‘What do you think it means?’, ‘What do you feel is right?’, ‘Who do you feel is right?’, ‘Do you disagree?’, ‘Why do you think that?’, ‘Why did they think that?’, ‘How sure are you that is the right answer?’, ‘What is your solution to …?’,’ How might others see this?’, ‘Is that your best answer or your first answer?’, ‘How does this link with …?’, ‘When might that not be true?’, ‘Where might that not be true?’, ‘Have another guess?’, ‘What if the opposite were true?’, ‘Could the opposite be true?’, not to mention the powerful ‘I disagree with you, persuade me’.

A value-driven program develops children with a positive mental attitude who have determination and perseverance.

WHY: Determination and perseverance are the character traits which must be learned in order to achieve even moderate success in life. Giving up, and thinking that things are just too hard are just not part of what we do.

HOW: Those who persevere are people who will make a difference in the world. Children learn to never give up by putting a line through the word QUIT! They learn to aspire higher and persist longer! In an environment that focuses on positive energy, children learn that sustained energy enables you to set and reach high goals. "There is nothing greater than persistence!”

Cooperation and collaboration are priorities in a value-driven school!WHY: Cooperation is one of the super values which needs to be taught. There are many different examples of cooperation, such as "the moon doesn't shine without the sun!," or "one hand washes the other!”

HOW: Bees are one of the best examples of cooperation and team work. They serve as an outstanding symbol for children. One type of bee gathers pollen, another makes the honey, another type of bee fans the hive to keep it cool, while still another lays the eggs. The word team is another way of teaching cooperation. Together Everyone Achieves More. Children need to understand that while individuals are paramount a group of people can often outperform any individual. Active collaborative learning encourages children to put values into action.

Activity

• In your group discuss strategies and ways of modeling values in a school setting

• In your group discuss ways of rewarding/promoting values. Record on the post-its.

• Reflection (Take Just One Minute) – What could you do tomorrow/next week/this term to begin to promote positive values?

• Begin and end the day positively (no matter what may happen between).

• Remember at all times that you are the adult – remain as calm as possible, especially in the event of flying pencils and voiced unrest.

• Planning for the daily disruptions – with clear routines and reminding of rules without arguing. Acknowledge positive behaviour as much as possible.

• Use short term goals – 5 or 10 minutes at first moving to 20 or 30 minutes.

• Use contracts for more challenging children, these should give clear directed choices (‘we work now or we make up the time later’) and have a well rehearsed time out plan (include fall back planning for refusals or if a year group partner is out of class and cannot help with time outs).

We need to think carefully about why we are using rewards (reinforcers) Remember they are never an end in themselves and they are not a form of control. When used thoughtfully they should enable the class (or individual) to gain a sense of success and achievement. It is the relationship building and the positive atmosphere they help to create that is important.

Think of them as encouragers and celebrations rather than rewards.

Rules alone will not improve behaviour.

WHY: We expend great amounts of energy on rules and regulations and often miss what's behind them. Rules come from values, so it makes sense to emphasize the source of all rules -- values! While rules impact on parts of our life we encounter moral and ethical dilemmas everywhere we turn. Children are continually faced with the struggle between immediate vs long term gratification. Values are the foundation for children to manage their own behaviour.

HOW: We need to help our children understand that values are all about the way we work to improve ourselves and become better members of our community!

A values program develops an understanding, an appreciation, and an acceptance of diversities in children and in their cultures!

WHY: As violence, indifference, profanity, and abuse escalate, the need for compassion increases.

HOW: Schools with value based programs invite children to notice and praise when they see compassion demonstrated toward themselves or others. Care and concern are expressed everywhere! Home and the school work hard to build a bridge of compassion from themselves to others in the local and the wider community.

"We can do no great things in our lives only small things with great love" Mother Theresa

"Children need reminders more than they need to be informed!"

When children encounter problems, schools with a values program have clear performance and behavior reference points.

WHY: Getting along with others needs to be a natural human priority. Showing compassion and empathy toward those in need cannot be placed on the "When I have time” agenda.

HOW: A child fills out a behavior report which requires a parent's signature. The plan deals with improving behavior . A conference is held with the parent and the child. The child is asked to explain the plan, telling what will be done the next time that a similar situation arises. During the conference, adults state that it always takes two to fight! Anyone can choose to walk away from a fight! Adults model how to disarm anger. Adults always close a behaviour conference by talking about the child's responsible record, and by confirming a belief in the child's ability to be a compassionate person. "No one can make you angry with out your permission!"

Our Principles Our school values give us a sense of shared purpose and a framework

for behaviour leadership We model with each other and with our children the behaviours we

expect children to embody It involves everybody’s behaviour towards everybody We seek to develop in our children an acceptance of responsibility for

their behaviour We are an inclusive school – all children are entitled to feel safe in

school, be happy, be respected, to learn and have their successes celebrated

Good behaviour leadership begins by building positive relationships. These need to be visible and tangible for children

Our learning environment provides the model for our high expectations Engagement in high quality learning experiences is critical We all need to be consistent in our approach to behaviour leadership When poor behaviour is exhibited we remain calm and follow a

graduated approach

Which other metaphors?

Wright’s Law Clip

Our shared values are our compass. They centre us. They orientate and guide us in all we do. We live them; we show them; we speak them; we model them. They are present in our learning environment; they help us make the decisions we choose; they enable us to connect with others and form lasting relationships.

Consistency of approach

• Fairness• Routines• Rewards• Responsibility• Role Modelling• Values

Positive Practice

Prevention

Dealing with conflict

• Natural• Responsibility• Restorative approach

Tell me what happened?

What were you thinking? Now?

How did you feel? Who else has been

affected? What do you need to

do to fix it? Move on?• Behaviour log

Developing a response to behaviour

New Year New Start

Prevention

• Community• Rules

Respect Communication Movement Learning

• Routines• High expectations

The Power of Language

Prevention

Key Principles of language

• Least intrusive• Avoid confrontation• Keep a respectful and positive tone

of voice• Keep the language positive• Keep your directions brief• Focus on the behaviour and not the

childPrevention

A graduated responseTactical ignoringTactical pausingNon verbal cueingMove around the

roomPositive feedback Distraction/DiversionDirect questions Conditional directionBehavioural directionRule reminder

Corrective

Take up time

Blocking

Partial agreement

Choice

Consequences Questions to ask:

Is the consequence related to the behaviour?Is the consequence reasonable in terms of ‘degree of

seriousness’?What will the student learn from the consequence? When is appropriate to give the consequence?

There should always be a chance for children to think about what they did, what rules they may have broken, whose rights they may have affected and how they think they can fix it

Supportive

Time Outs

• Intrusive consequence • Should be a short consequence • Appropriate for:– Physical aggression– Verbal abuse– Persistent disturbing of learning