When considering the concept of "Do No Harm" my elementary school's motto of Courtesy, Consideration, and Care (the three C's), flashes before me. Having been exposed to it for 8 years through song and its corresponding dance, I can't help but reflect on how it had established a respectful and safe environment for the staff, students and guests; and while still engrained in my own practices today.
As a school leader, I would really want to encourage the same kind of thinking, the encouragement to be empathetic, kind, and polite amongst one another, especially through discipline policies and practices. Where each "rule" needs to be understood and communicated clearly as a standard that may vary between circumstances depending on the student's environmental and family influences. Consequences, will be focused on teaching, rather than punishment; teaching the students how to reflect on their behavior and being conscious of their decisions and how they might affect others. Teaching applies to teachers as well, and how they need to learn more about their students and how to address behavioral problems in a positive way rather than negative. Every person is different, so we can't treat them all the same. We can have high expectations and expect the best, but we also need to realize that everyone's best is limited to each individual.
As for program practices and initiatives, to apply the "Do No Harm" we must keep students' learning first and to then relay the message clearly to the rest of the school and its stakeholders to be able to summon a full body support. When an idea is presented, it is only as strong as the hands that hold it up; and to get enough hands in, they need to know what they are reaching for, what the goals are and what benefits will arise for the students. If there is reluctance for change and improvement, then the teachers' needs must also be considered. Staff are part of the learning community so it is only appropriate to provide proper training and sufficient time for them to enhance their skills and their learning. Again, it's about having a clear line of communication to build relationships, and to essentially grow comfortable in collaborating with one another.
When I think back to my past experiences; I've seen inconsistant ways teachers have dealt with disapproving behavior such as tardiness. Many that I know, would lock their students out if they are not inside by the time the bell goes, high school students tend to simply sleep in late because they stay up too late doing miscellaneous activities, some irrelevant to any positive development. However, we forget there are some who are late because they have other younger siblings to take care of, they have to pick up an after school shift of work, or they have community sport practices in the evening. How could we use the same "punishment" for both types of students?
I know through each of our own experiences, we've determined what works and what doesn't. Sometimes, teachers need to use their discretion to gauge, evaluate, and decide the effectiveness of their means of a resolution. However, it needs to be consistent with the overall school culture and expectations. Is there more damage than good? Therefore, I think that in some of the schools I've worked at, discussion around policies need to be reevaluated; the same way my last school had recently gone over the use of electronic devices policy.
For myself, I could do more to enforce the "Do No Harm" concept:
1. Let students cool down and take them to the side to discuss the inappropriate behavior
2. Talk to students who are tardy later on in class to explore better outcomes for next class
3. Find moments to talk to students about outside of class related topics that they are interested in sharing
4. Take more time to learn about each student through their work
5. Explain how an offense that occurs affect myself or possibly others so the whole class can understand the reasoning behind my expectations - "learning moments"
Reference:
From what I can remember,
The three C's song at Mount Pleasant Elementary (School Colours: Gold & Blue; School Mascot: Lion):
As a school leader, I would really want to encourage the same kind of thinking, the encouragement to be empathetic, kind, and polite amongst one another, especially through discipline policies and practices. Where each "rule" needs to be understood and communicated clearly as a standard that may vary between circumstances depending on the student's environmental and family influences. Consequences, will be focused on teaching, rather than punishment; teaching the students how to reflect on their behavior and being conscious of their decisions and how they might affect others. Teaching applies to teachers as well, and how they need to learn more about their students and how to address behavioral problems in a positive way rather than negative. Every person is different, so we can't treat them all the same. We can have high expectations and expect the best, but we also need to realize that everyone's best is limited to each individual.
As for program practices and initiatives, to apply the "Do No Harm" we must keep students' learning first and to then relay the message clearly to the rest of the school and its stakeholders to be able to summon a full body support. When an idea is presented, it is only as strong as the hands that hold it up; and to get enough hands in, they need to know what they are reaching for, what the goals are and what benefits will arise for the students. If there is reluctance for change and improvement, then the teachers' needs must also be considered. Staff are part of the learning community so it is only appropriate to provide proper training and sufficient time for them to enhance their skills and their learning. Again, it's about having a clear line of communication to build relationships, and to essentially grow comfortable in collaborating with one another.
When I think back to my past experiences; I've seen inconsistant ways teachers have dealt with disapproving behavior such as tardiness. Many that I know, would lock their students out if they are not inside by the time the bell goes, high school students tend to simply sleep in late because they stay up too late doing miscellaneous activities, some irrelevant to any positive development. However, we forget there are some who are late because they have other younger siblings to take care of, they have to pick up an after school shift of work, or they have community sport practices in the evening. How could we use the same "punishment" for both types of students?
I know through each of our own experiences, we've determined what works and what doesn't. Sometimes, teachers need to use their discretion to gauge, evaluate, and decide the effectiveness of their means of a resolution. However, it needs to be consistent with the overall school culture and expectations. Is there more damage than good? Therefore, I think that in some of the schools I've worked at, discussion around policies need to be reevaluated; the same way my last school had recently gone over the use of electronic devices policy.
For myself, I could do more to enforce the "Do No Harm" concept:
1. Let students cool down and take them to the side to discuss the inappropriate behavior
2. Talk to students who are tardy later on in class to explore better outcomes for next class
3. Find moments to talk to students about outside of class related topics that they are interested in sharing
4. Take more time to learn about each student through their work
5. Explain how an offense that occurs affect myself or possibly others so the whole class can understand the reasoning behind my expectations - "learning moments"
Reference:
From what I can remember,
The three C's song at Mount Pleasant Elementary (School Colours: Gold & Blue; School Mascot: Lion):
(Chant) Go gold (clap clap) Go blue (clap clap) Go Mount Pleasant School (clap clap) (REPEAT) (Sing) We follow our motto everywhere, Courtesy, Consideration, Care. We know what's wrong, we know what's right, and if we get down and turn around and fight fight fight fight fight Let's go gold (clap clap) go blue (clap clap) Go Mount Pleasant School (clap clap) We try our best at all we do at Mount Pleasant School We follow our motto everywhere, Courtesy, Consideration, Care. We know what's wrong, we know what's right, and if we get down and turn around and fight fight fight fight fight (Chant) Go gold (clap clap) Go blue (clap clap) Go Mount Pleasant School! (clap clap) |