Lect 12&13, Glasser

7/5/2009

William Glasser’s Model

Classroom Management Lecture12 & 13

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William Glasser is a psychiatrist who through his work with juvenile offenders became interested in helping teachers to deal with school discipline problems

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Glasser believes that human needs are defined more in terms of successful social relationships.

Reality Therapy/ Control Therapy: William Glasser

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Reality Therapy 

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“The essence of Reality Therapy is the acceptance of responsibility for a person’s own behavior which enables the individual to achieve success and happiness.”

◦ These individuals are either unvalued in a present unsatisfied relationship, or

Glasser believes that human needs are defined more in terms of successful social relationships

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Glasser believes that social and psychological problems are an outgrowth of bad decisions made about social relationships.

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His approach is to help people identify behaviors that are inconsistent with accepted social norms, accept them as irresponsible, and replace them with more socially desirable ones

Individuals who are unable to fulfill needs in a realistic way and has taken some unsuccessful attempts to do so in less than realistic ways .

◦ Lack what would even be called a relationship.

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Glasser believes that good psychological health depends on loving and being loved and feeling worthwhile to ourselves and others

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Being responsible is essential in successful relationships with others. Individuals must learn that their own needs can be satisfied only in a reciprocal way

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Correcting Unacceptable Behaviors   

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Reality Therapy Interviews with students in which following steps are followed can be useful: 1. Help students identify their inappropriate behavior. Don’t accept excuses. Do not invite excuses by asking students why they behave as they do. 2. Have students identify various consequences if their inappropriate behavior continues. 3. Have students make value judgments about their behaviour and its consequences. 4. Help students create plans to eliminate inappropriate behavior. 5. Help students stick to their plan or suffer the consequences if they fail to do so.

Children who fail to satisfy their needs create problems at school. Such students tend to be lonely, angry, frustrated and openly rebellious. The teachers role is to help them learn a way to behave that better satisfies their needs. Must help students to take responsibility for their own behavior and for changing it as necessary. A number of things can be done by teachers to help students act more responsibly

NB: For interviews to be successful teachers need already established good relationships and a relationships of trust is essential in reality therapy

Case of Gordon:

Identifying Inappropriate behavior     

Teacher: Gordon, what was it you did to Owen out on the playground during the morning recess? Gordon: I didn’t do anything. Teacher: What did you do to Owen just as he was starting to use the swing? Gordon: I hit him, but he hit me first. He never shares the swing with any of the rest of us. Teacher: So what did you do? Gordon: I hit him. Teacher: Who else have you been fighting with this past week? Gordon: Nobody. Teacher: Who were you shoving yesterday by the drinking fountain? Gordon: Sarah. Teacher: And who did you throw sand at on the playground during the afternoon recess? Gordon: Ruth.

People find it difficult to admit doing something wrong. They deny bad behavior by shifting blame or claiming that they couldn't help what they did. To improve behavior students must first admit their misbehavior. The teacher helps by getting students to identify the behavior considered inappropriate. No attempt is made to judge the behavior as good or bad.

In this case Gordon try to excuse their behaviour by explaining that Owen started the fight also justifying that he never shares. Claiming that the other person started the conflict or problem is the usual way of shifting blame When students attempt to make such excuses teachers need considerable skill to avoid ridiculing them or giving support to their excuses

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Teachers can avoid such pitfalls by asking them to state their own role in the difficulty. This allows to avoid conflicts about “who started it”.

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Trying to resolve “who started it” conflicts interferes with helping students to take responsibility for inappropriate behaviour.

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Making students to describe their behaviour is better than having their teachers do it as this enable them to “own” their behaviour.

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The questions asked must direct students to state what they have done to cause the problem

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When questioned about lying children often divert accusing of not trusting them.

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They will resist to admitting fault and would lie. If they lie teachers must ignore it. Ignoring lies will be difficult for most adults

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Discussions of trust usually weakens the student-teacher relationship and fails to help children act more responsibly

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But, children would often have people focus on the lying than admit to inappropriate behaviour

As children get used to being more responsible for their behaviour by having to admit it, they are less likely to lie.

Identifying Consequences 

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The next step in reality therapy is to help students identify whatever adverse consequences are associated with their inappropriate behavior. The way questions are formed is important in helping students accept responsibility for their behaviour

Teacher: “What is likely to happen if school equipment gets broken during a fight?” What would the student’s response be like? The question needs to specify the role of the student using the domain and cues. The way questions are formed, therefore, is important in helping students accept responsibility for their behaviour

Teacher:

In your fight with Jon, you were back by the aquaria and the science equipment. What could have happened to those items during a fight? Gordon: They could have been broken. Teacher: If you broke them, who would have to pay for them? Gordon: I would, I guess. Teacher: Yes. I agree. When you fight with others, what could happen to you or the other person physically? Gordon: I guess somebody could get hurt.

Teachers questions contain clues about what responses are expected. Clues help students to learn what their teachers wish to discuss with them.

They limit the all kinds of responses that can be made and allow teachers to deal with the problem more directly without getting sidetracked. Unlike logical consequences model, a range of possible consequences are explored in reality therapy. Students are encouraged to change their behaviour consistent with consequences they find acceptable

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Making Value Judgment 

After the consequences have been identified, students are asked to decide: 1. Whether or not they want the consequences to occur 2. Whether or not they judge their behavior to be inappropriate

In this step it is wise to have students make a statement about all consequences collectively Another useful tactic is to use helpful additions such as “And what is most important, you have said that someone could get hurt, perhaps even seriously” But, it is not wise to discuss the statement with students and the seriousness of injuries.

Teacher: I have noticed that some of your fights take place in the hall just outside the classroom. What could you do immediately as you come to class to get involved more productively and be less likely to fight? Gordon: I could come into class, take my seat, and start to work. Teacher: What specifically could you do, say tomorrow, when you come to class? Gordon: I have a book I’d like to bring. Teacher: Do you think that would work? Gordon: Yes. Teacher: Why don’t you try it for a week and then let me know how you think you are doing.

The teacher in the following example ask questions that help Gordon make value judgments Teacher: Gordon, you have said that school property could be broken, in which case you would have to pay for it. And what is most important, you have said that someone could get hurt, perhaps even seriously. Do you want that to happen? Gordon: No. Teacher: What do you think about fighting then? Gordon: I guess I need to stop

Creating a Plan 

When students no longer accept their behavior as appropriate and wish to avoid the consequences associated with it, a plan can be devised to overcome the problem.

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Students must make value judgements about their behaviour, because in the process of making a plan, they may resist changing their behaviour with which they have found some satisfaction in the past.

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If they resist you just have to ask them what they have already said about changing their behaviour

Time out    

Sometimes students make commitment not to misbehave. The students should be cycled again through the steps of reality therapy. They may also be required to suffer the consequences they have already identified. If students refuse to cooperate with reasonable classroom expectations, or if they violate rules they have previously agreed to accept, a time out should be given.

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Time out ..

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During time-out students are directed to create a written plan that they believe will solve their discipline problems.

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Purpose of the written plan is to help students achieve a greater sense of commitment.

The focus of reality therapy is on helping students become more responsible in a behavioural sense.

Control Therapy 

In 1984, Glasser wrote Control Theory, which has some significant additions to reality theory. Control theory is primarily a preventive approach to discipline and reality therapy is a corrective one

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The main difference between the two approach is in the central role of need gratification

Control Therapy cont’ 

When students behave more responsibly, their needs for social acceptance can be satisfied and their status among their peers enhanced

Control theory has an expanded list of human needs. Children can be taught about these needs and how to satisfy these in more legitimate ways. These needs include: ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

Their sense of personal worth increase as a result

Love Control Freedom fun

Love

Control

As human beings we need to love and be loved, we need to belong, we need to be accepted by others as significant and important.  We need to believe that we are accepted by others for what we are and that this acceptance is unconditional.  Children usually try to satisfy their need for love and acceptance through behavior designed to get attention

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All of us need sufficient power to regulate our lives as we desire. Unfortunately teachers usually deny children the opportunity to satisfy this need. Children are considered too immature to make responsible choices. When children assert themselves, teachers ordinarily increase their own control This increase in control only encourages greater rebellion

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Freedom 

Children not only need to be in control of their own lives but also need to be free from control by others.

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However satisfying this need can also create conflict.

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Teachers usually interpret children’s efforts to obtain freedom as affronts to their authority. In addition they may doubt the ability of children to use freedom responsibly.

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Freedom is a necessary component of learning to be responsible

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Wise teachers provide increasing levels of freedom as students learn to use it wisely ( eg: through decision making skills)

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Children must learn that freedom exists only when consequences are carefully taken into account

Fun

Balancing Needs

Children are driven by the need for fun, far more than parents and teachers are usually willing to accommodate.  Glasser believes that fun is as basic as any other need.  People of all ages desire it  Glasser believes that a relationship exist between learning and our genetic need for fun.  When we have fun we can work for long hours and enjoy it

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Important part of control theory

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Glasser advocates teaching children to balance their needs by having them forgo some control in favor of developing friendships.

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Each child need to feel accepted and loved. These needs can be met if friendships are cultivated.

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Conflicts between need for freedom and control must be balanced

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Unfulfilled Needs and Misbehavior 

The need for freedom and control also must be balanced.

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Conflicts between freedom and control can be a problem when children want freedom but are unwilling to grant the same privilege to their peers

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Promotes misbehavior in many forms.

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Teachers can avoid these problems by discerning children’s needs and by helping them satisfy their needs legitimately.

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Needs should be recognized and satisfied before patterns of inappropriate behavior develop.

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Eg: 

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Children’s sense of well being may depend on getting attention from teachers, they may seek approval as a sign that others accept them. In a class of 30 or more what would happens? What can teachers do?

Glasser says we do not picture ourselves doing badly. We all have a view of being successful and happy. We may at times choose to do selfdestructive things, but we do not intend to destroy ourselves.

The pictures in our head 

Glasser believes that each individual has a unique way of determining how our basic needs can be satisfied, which he describes as a set of pictures in our heads.

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These pictures our stored in our minds as long as they continue to satisfy us.

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When we consider them no longer worthwhile we replace them with more satisfying pictures

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Sometimes the picture we have do not correspond to the real world, and irrational behaviour is often the result

Conflict in Satisfying Needs for Control 

According to Glasser we always have control over what we do, even when we behave destructively.

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We react to the environment but are not directly controlled by it (eg: hurrying to take someone to hospital)

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Therefore, even those who appear to be controlled are not being controlled in a strict sense

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They will only continue to follow others directions only when it is satisfying for them too

Our pictures make sense to us; otherwise we would not have them.

If control can be successfully negotiated with our close associates, we can anticipate relative harmony.  The need to control is potent, when others interfere with or need to maintain control at a level we desire, we react in various ways.  Glasser says part of this satisfaction must include a sense of personal control.  As humans we like to control but despise being controlled, which causes problems in our relationships with others 

Boss Management Vs Lead Management

Boss Management 1. The administrator or teacher (boss) establish the task and standards for students. Students must simply adjust to the job as the boss defines it. 2. The Boss usually tells, rather than shows, students how to do the work and rarely asks how it can be done better. 3. The boss is the exclusive evaluator. Students are considered unable or biased. Bosses tend to settle for just enough quality work to get by. 4. When students resist, the boss uses coercion, usually in the form of punishment, to obtain compliance.

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Strengths and Weakness of Reality Therapy/Control Therapy  Strengths ◦ Promotes a high degree of autonomy and responsibility for students.

Lead Management 1. The lead manager encourages students to discuss the quality of the work they want to perform and the time constraints they wish to put on themselves. 2. The lead manager constantly tries to fit the learning task to the skills of students. 3. The lead manager provides students with models of how they should perform and allows them to evaluate their own work, acting on the assumption that students know not only what high quality work is but also when they are producing it. 4. The lead manager is a facilitator, establishing a no adversarial classroom atmosphere without coercion.

◦ Help students see a wide range of possible consequences for their behavior. ◦ Allow students to determine solutions to their own discipline problems

Strengths … ◦ Help students understand their needs and how to satisfy these needs legitimately.

Weaknesses

◦ Help teachers avoid promoting rebellion.

◦ Difficult for teachers to help students satisfy their need for control without feeling threatened themselves.

◦ They delineate clearly what a teacher needs to do for every misbehaving student.

◦ Difficult to react properly when communicating with students about their in appropriate behavior.

◦ Problem behaviors can be handled in classroom meetings involving the entire class. Which helps all students understand the various discipline problems and what to do about them.

◦ Difficult to avoid giving responses that encourage students to make excuses for their bad behavior.

Weakness…

◦ Difficult to help students experience the true sense of autonomy implied by control theory if outside influences dictate what is taught in school and how children should be disciplined. ◦ Classroom meetings may consume more time than is desirable. ◦ Difficult to help students who do not want to be in school to make plans to improve their behavior.

Counseling with Reality therapy       

Counselors will take a lead manager approach Admit there is a problem without placing blame No coercive threats or punishment Students may be sent to time out room Be warm and friendly, don’t argue with student Work out a plan for student to do something better Get student back to class in a timely manner

◦ Students may not have the necessary skills to make plans that will help improve their behavior

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Have to work with students to stop placing blame on other students or teachers.

How does reality therapy work in schools? 

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Help students see what behavior they can control and make plans to reach attainable goals

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Work with teachers to develop alternatives to punishment and rote learning

The core of Reality Therapy is the idea that regardless of what has "happened" in our lives, or what we have done in the past, we can choose behaviors that will help us meet our needs more effectively in the future

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