"Thats the way we've always done it" doesn't help.
The reason that behaviourism doesn't work anymore in classes is because families have moved on from it.. and are using new techniques that do work, but this conflicts with behaviourism in the classroom.
Teachers are desperately holding onto behaviourism because they don’t understand the new methods (gentle parenting and collaboration). They are blaming the new techniques for the problem... they are half right, the mix of new and old isn’t working... but don’t understand the WHY. Why the new techniques are causing conflict with the behaviourism at school. They only turning to blaming the new ways of doing things, instead of looking at the old methods and thinking “Hmmmm, somethings not right – I keep doing the traditional things that worked in the past, but now they don’t work, in fact – the behaviour in the classroom is escalating, not getting better… so it must be a problem with the new methods, not a problem with the old ones”.
Yes, the new methods are causing a problem with the old- because they are the opposites of each other.
Parents are teaching "be good because that’s the right thing to do and it helps you in the long run (to live in society, to be a good person, to learn and to be accepted by society"...
But schools are still teaching: "be good or I’ll hit/punish you", or “be good and I’ll give you this shiny carrot”.
These two things don’t work together because one is teaching autonomy the other is teaching how to be controlled... so the child is confused and tries to gain back that autonomy... and the teacher doubles down and tries to control again.
If the teacher learnt the new method and let go of the old they'd find it works properly and makes everyone happy... but they won't because they’re fixated on control- because that’s how the school system was built- to teach children to be subservient.
We can't go back and won't go back like you hope- because society has woken up to the harm of being walked all over and treated badly. We want choice, control and autonomy.
I beg you to let go... this particular system is broken and needs to go. Why do think it’s getting progressively worse and worse... it’s your inability to let go or to learn something new.
You expect it of your students, but not of yourself, its hypocritical but also the definition of stupidity- doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.
Kids don’t want to be controlled they want equity.... treat them with equity and respect and they'll do the same to you. Try to control- and they'll push back- it’s intrinsic, it’s natural it’s what's happening everywhere right now.
Authoritarian stuff just doesn't work. WW2 proved that.
When we use methods like Dr Ross Greene’s CPS method (Collaborative Problem Solving method) we work together to find an amicable solution. When we use the carrot / stick method we are the furthest from kindness and understanding that we possibly could be. We are so far from inclusion and from solving the behaviour problems that we may as well be in a different galaxy.
When you use the carrot/ stick method, you remove individual will, thought, and ability. You are literally making the person disabled and then punishing them for it.
When you place the choice and control in the individuals hands – you have true collaboration and true accountability.
Eg: Carrot and stick: you have a child who is in your class and have made a rule that every child must do the work, or they’ll be given a whack (the stick), or given a prize if they do it (the carrot). The children in the class who CAN’T do the work are given no choice – because of the CAN’T. They know they can’t – so they’ll never get the carrot. So what’s the point of trying because they’ll get the stick no matter what they do or try…. So they may as well make your life and job as hard as you’ve made theirs… so they ‘act out’, ‘misbehave’ – because no matter what – they will be getting the stick – they may as well get some revenge in the meantime.
Eg: Collaboration: The child is told to do the work, but refuse… you ask why. They tell you because they don’t know how, or because they can’t (for example the ‘work’ is a spoken presentation). The child is situationally non-speaking, the assignment is vague at best, they have APD and you haven’t given them the instructions in both written and oral formats and they don’t understand the instructions given. Response 1: You collaborate – work together to find a solution. The child does a written assignment instead of oral. The teacher asks what parts of the instructions they don’t understand and explains it in a different way until they do understand. The child does the work… or … Response 2: You collaborate and do the above mentioned things but they still ‘choose’ not to do the work (for example let’s say they can’t be bothered or ‘don’t want to’), you tell them that the natural consequence of them not doing the work is you give them a fail for the assignment.
Consequences still occur, but both parties have still tried to come together and do it. The natural consequence of not doing the work is a fail – but at least both parties have collaborated and decided together what the outcome will be. In this situation, there’s been no throwing of chairs or violence or aggression – just a simple conversation with a choice of two simple outcomes… but the difference is – the child was listened to and acknowledged, and so was the teacher – and both attempted to meet in the middle. The child had their needs met, and so did the teacher… and their was a consequence without either party feeling abused or disrespected.
Sometimes when you collaborate – there is no (seemingly) good outcome, but when you collaborate with the intention of being fair and creating equity – both parties agree on the outcome, instead of one being in control and causing the mess. That’s what behaviourism does – it places all the power and control in one persons hand and causes an inequity and fight from the start. If you start by using behaviourism – you’ve already lost – because you’ve already created a power struggle by introducing the stick and carrot.
Remove the stick and carrot and you return to balance, to a place where the child doesn’t feel threatened at the outset, and where the teacher doesn’t feel the need to ‘follow through’ on something that may be illegal (eg: holding them in at recess).
When you are reasonable and collaborate – the child will too – because reason and kindness begets reason and kindness. But as soon as you try to assert your authority or position over someone (using behaviourism)– they see it as a threat and respond with the F responses of trauma (fight/ flight/ flex/ freeze/ flop/ fawn). As soon as you bring out a reward chart or behaviour board they will instinctively go into fight/flight.
That’s where you see aggression, violence, yelling and bad behaviour – you’ve caused it by the method you invoke.
Sit back and think do you want option A or option B…..
Option A: when the principal is pissed off with you for something that you’ve done as an employee and they bring out the stick or carrot method to ‘deal’ with you – do you feel like you are in a weakened position, or perhaps feel threatened or angry or hard done by??? Do you feel that you are being picked on, bullied or treated badly. Do you feel like calling the union, or a lawyer, or try to defend yourself. Because that’s the default as an adult – the adult thing to do is to defend yourself or shutdown (fight or flop/fawn). Do you consider leaving and finding a new job, do you leave the profession, do you fight or leave, do you call it a toxic work environment… because this is what your students do too – when you give them the stick/carrot method… they go into fight/ flight, they go into ‘school can’t’ mode, they call it an abusive environment – because it is.
Or Option B: … if the Principal instead approaches you with kindness and collaboration and asks you “what happened and what went wrong?”…. And asks you to “come up with some ideas together on how to fix the problem”… do you feel equity and a sense of belonging that they are kind and willing to listen to your ideas and problems- to come up with a solution together? Do you feel that the culture is a good one where you can remain as a teacher? One where you can develop learn and grow?
I’m betting that if they tell you that you’ll be fired if you don’t do X, or if you do Y they’ll give you a coffee cup with your name on it – that you either feel belittled, infantilised, angry or totally justifiably pissed off. If you’d choose option B and you’d be amazingly pissed off and traumatised by option A – think about how you’re treating your students… are you using option A or option B?
Are you using option A and the students are violent and angry? Because they should be. If you would be – they have the right to be too.
Do you see how having Option B at home would make you want to have Option B at school. But if you got option B at home and Option A at school – you’d revolt – you’d be mad as hell and hate school, hate your teachers, hate learning, hate everything? Because you should – being treated with respect, equity and kindness makes you crave it more. When you are treated with disrespect (like option A) it sends you into fight/flight – and so it should.
Stop using behaviourism in your classrooms and see the immediate shift in behaviour towards yourself and others.