Break a Branch, Plant a Tree

 Over the years I have changed my views on how to handle student behavior issues .  After serving as a disciplinarian for 8 years at another school in our district, I dealt with behaviors ranging from disrespect to staff, habitual tardies, fighting, bullying and gang activity.  

 

Early in my career I remember a student I received on a classroom referral as a dean of students.  The students was18 years old, on an IEP (Special Education for emotional issues) and he came to the office because he was arguing with the teacher.  The teacher had called me from the classroom and had expressed her frustration with the student.  When the student showed up he immediately wanted to speak.  I did not know the student very well but I raised my hand up and told him I didn’t want to hear it and he was going to get a detention for arguing with his teacher.  He became very agitated, stood up and told me off with some “choice” vocabulary.  

 

Later I realized this student had severe biopolar disorder and my strategy to not hear his side of the story was not the best plan to take.  

 

I learned many things from that situation among many, many other situations with dealing with student discipline.  I have found students need to be heard and the behaviors need to be diagnosed (why are they happening).

 

The next step is to reteach expectations and provide a “teachable moment” built in to the consequence when appropriate.  I think when dealing with young people, no matter what age, if the consequence is fair, consistent and they have had the opportunity to be heard—the student will buy in a little more.  

 

This approach takes a calm, respectful demeanor from the adult at all times—no matter how the student is acting or rationalizing.  It also requires a great amount of creativity when attempting to reach the desired outcome of students not repeating unwanted behaviors (especially students with differing home lives).

 

So when I interview teachers or administrators during the hiring process, I am always looking for how the potential staff member establishes relationships with students.   When interviewing a person last year I asked a question about handling discipline at the high school level.  One person in particularly told a story of how a few boys at his previous school were horse -playing on campus and they broke a very large tree branch on a beautiful tree on the campus.  When deciding how to handle the situation, this person chose to take the boys to a nursery where they bought a tree.  They returned to the school and planted the tree together.  

 

Break a branch, plant a tree.  The behaviors had to be addressed but the consequence wasn’t a meaningless detention, suspension or a tongue lashing from the adult staff member.  A mistake was made and a solution was created.  Did it take extra time by the adult?  Of course. Did those young men repeat their behavior?  Absolutely not.  Did we hire the staff member? You better believe it!