Abril Zavala – Period ¼
http://www.thelearningcommunity.us/resources-by-format/tips-for-parents/student-council.aspx
Lee and Marlene Canter
(Early History)
 Lee Canter achieved two
http://eced3271-4.wiki.westga.edu/Lee+and+Marlene+Canter
degrees: a bachelor’s degree
in history and a master’s
degree in social work, while
living in California. He met
Marlene in the Los Angeles
area and eventually got
married in the 1960’s, having
two children.
 Lee and Marlene now devote
their lives to education and
helping teachers establish
control in the classroom.
What started Assertive
Discipline?

 In the 1960’s, it was discovered that teachers were
having a hard time managing their classrooms, thus
disrupting the learning environment and affecting
student achievement and progress. It was thought
that the social and political unrest of the 1960’s and
the 1970’s were linked to students acting out.
 In order to respond to all this, many discipline
models were put into effect, such as the Assertive
Discipline model, created by Lee and Marlene
Canter.
The Assertive Discipline
Model

 The Assertive Discipline Model was built based on
the premise that teachers should be able to properly
conduct their classroom with authority. For students,
it meant that they should be taught in a classroom
with orderly control. They do not have the right to
disrupt the class environment.
 The model assumes that students know the rules,
and only break them because they want to, not
because they don’t know about it.
What is the model meant
for?

What the model IS:
What the model is NOT:
 Positive
reinforcement for
good behavior
 A tool for the teacher
to maintain control
in the classroom
 A tool to punish negative
behavior
 A tool for the teacher to
become a complete
dictator in the classroom
 Physically or
psychologically harming
to the students
http://imgarcade.com/1/smiley-face-sad-happy/
Main Focus of the Model

 Finding students having positive behavior
 When the students are behaving well, the teacher
should acknowledge that
 Students obey the rules because they get something
out of it (according to Canter)
 Students should understand the consequences for
breaking the rules
 Teachers find this model easy, memorable, and
effective in their classrooms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assertive_discipline
Principal Teachings

 1. Teachers will not tolerate
students misbehaving.
 2. Teachers will not let any
student disrupt the environment
nor let them disturb another
student.
 3. Teachers will recognize and
praise correct behavior whenever
possible.
 4. Teachers are the head of a
classroom, and they must take
charge.
 5. Teachers must dismiss the
thought that there is any
acceptable reason for
misbehavior.
http://imgkid.com/teachers-in-classroom.shtml
How Teachers Should Use
the Model

 Give 4-5 memorable rules that are the best in your
classroom
 Have consequences for both negative and positive
behavior
 List both the rules and the consequences on the
board or on the wall
 Have a course syllabus for the students to take home
have their parents sign
 Initiate this program at the very beginning of the
year.
 First Infraction: The
student is given a verbal
warning to stop
misbehaving.
 Second Infraction: The
student is given a tenminute time out.
 Third Infraction: The
student is given longer
time-out, approximately
fifteen minutes.
 Fourth Infraction: The
student's parents are
called to be informed of
misbehavior.
 Fifth Infraction: The
student is sent to the
principal/dean's office.
Asserting
Discipline
Lee and Marlene Canter suggest
a five-step discipline plan to
follow, should students continue
misbehaving. This discipline has
escalating consequences.
http://pastorronbrooks.com/dealing-with-discipline-classroomand-ministry-ideas-and-tips/#sthash.BzaEOVLR.dpbs
Types of Assertiveness

 Non-assertive teachers: They are passive, do not establish
rules in the classroom nor consequences, and thus are
weak in maintaining class control.
 Hostile teachers: They act as though they are a dictator.
They tend to yell frequently and do not like students.
Hostile teachers use threats and sarcasm in order to
assume control.
 Assertive teachers: They give clear expectations and rules,
along with consequences. They provide positive
reinforcement for positive behavior and acknowledge
misbehavior. They are most effective in establishing
control.
http://assertivedisciplinebycanter.wikispaces.com/Assertive+Teachers
Opposition?

 Thought it has been praised as an effective tool for
maintaining classroom control, some teachers and parents
opposed the Assertive Discipline. They complained that
the system of rewarding good behavior with treats was
“unhealthy”, and that learning should be a reward by
itself.
 Parents also didn’t like the fact that their misbehaving
students were being singled out in front of their
classmates, or that they were losing their recess
privileges.
 But many teachers still approve of this system because it
assists in giving them control over the classroom with
little to no disruption.
http://assertivedisciplinebycanter.wikispaces.com/Opposition+to+Assertive+Discipline