LEE AND MARLENE CANTER

1
LEE AND MARLENE CANTER

• ASSERTIVE DISCIPLINE

Barb Allessie, Lisa Bly, Don Fureman, and Glen
Knudsen
2
Lee and Marlene Canter

• Met in 1968 while attending college.
• Lee aspired to be a teacher, while Marlene wished
  to be a social worker specializing in working
  with children.

3

• Lee and Marlene married in 1970 and focused on
  the hopes for the future to make a difference
  in childrens lives.
• Lee now was pursuing a Masters degree in social
  work, while Marlene was finishing work on gaining
  a teacher certificate and advanced special
  education training.

4

• Lee worked several years in the social work
  field, and then started to focus on teacher
  training and school consultation as a career.
  Marlene was teaching special education as she
  pursued the study of child development and
  special education techniques.
• During Marlenes teaching experience, she
  encountered a child whose behavior was so
  disruptive that she needed to search for new
  techniques that would help the child to reach his
  full potential.

5

• Lee and Marlene began researching disciplinary
  problems in the classroom, as well as those
  methods used by successful teachers to handle
  these problems.
• Thus Assertive Discipline came to the forefront
  of their lives.
• The focus began with a behavior management plan
  based on consistency, clear expectations,
  follow-through, and the development of positive
  relationships.

6
What is it?

• Assertive discipline is a systematic and
  objective way of ensuring a teacher-controlled
  classroom.
• Teachers are demanding yet treat everyone fairly.
• Has a discipline plan that clearly outlines
  expectations as well as positive and negative
  consequences.

7
How has it evolved?

• Developed in the mid-70s as an authoritative
  approach.
• Now is more democratic to fit into todays
  classroom environments.
• The theory is more of a mindset and is often
  taught in classes or sold as prepackaged
  programs.
• Both individual classrooms and schools as a whole
  can benefit from the program.

8
What is the theory behind it?

• No pupil should prevent a teacher from being able
  to teach and a student from being able to learn.
• Teachers should act assertively right away in
  dealing with a behavior, as opposed to passively
  dealing with the behavior later.
• The teacher entering the classroom needs to be
  trained in behavior management in order to have a
  successful school year.

9

• Teachers have the right to determine what is best
  for their classroom and tailor the program to fit
  their needs.
• Students actually want teachers to control their
  behaviors.
• Society requires that its members act
  appropriately in all situations.
• Teachers have the right to request and get
  assistance from parents, administrators, and
  society.

10
RESPONSE STYLES

• The Canters believe that a teachers response
  style sets the tone of his or her classroom.
  This response style impacts students self-esteem
  and the students success in the classroom.

11
3 RESPONSE STYLES

• The 3 response styles, according to the Canters,
  are as follows
• ? Nonassertive
• ? Hostile
• ? Assertive
• Your task is to work with your group members to
  define each of the 3 response styles in your own
  words.

12
NONASSERTIVE

• One in which the teacher is passive in response
  to student behavior.
• Expectations are not clearly communicated to the
  students.
• No solid leadership is provided.
• Inconsistent in response to student behaviors.
• Students may be confused by this style.

13
HOSTILE

• One who is able to meet his or her own needs in
  the classroom, but may do so at the expense of
  the self-esteem of his or her students.
• Uses discipline to control students rather than
  to empower them and teach them how to behave in
  an appropriate manner.
• Views the classroom as him or her versus the
  students.

14
ASSERTIVE

• The teacher identifies the expectations clearly
  and follows through with consistency.
• The teacher explains to the students what
  behavior is unacceptable and acceptable.
• The consequences of various behaviors are made
  clear to the students.

15

• An assertive teacher understands the needs for
  students to have limits.
• A positive attitude is prevalent in an assertive
  teachers classroom.
• Appropriate behavior does not go unnoticed in the
  assertive teachers classroom.

16
Classroom Discipline Plan

• RULES
• POSITIVE RECOGNITION
• CONSEQUENCES

17
POSITIVE RECOGNITION

• Will motivate students to behave appropriately.
• Reduces problem behaviors.
• Helps to build relationships with students.
• Increases students self-esteem.

18
CONSEQUENCES

• Something that will not be liked by the students,
  but is never potentially harmful to them.
• Consequences must be delivered to the students as
  a choice.
• Consequences do not have to be severe or harsh to
  be effective.

19
CONCLUSION

• Canter has been criticized for some of his
  suggestions to monitor classroom behavior, such
  as writing the misbehaving students name on the
  board.
• In an article in response to this criticism,
  Canter (Assertive discipline More than)
  writes It troubles me to find my work
  interpreted as suggesting that teachers need only
  provide negative consequences check marks or
  demerits when students misbehave.

20

• Canter emphasizes that the key to an effective
  assertive discipline program is to catch
  students behaving appropriately by recognizing
  them and supporting them when they are being
  good.
• Canters wish is to assist new teachers in their
  classroom management so they continue to pursue
  education as a lifelong passion and commitment.