Behavior 101

Today we talked about behavior management, an area in which I could use a lot of work. Joel talked about how important respect is. Respect is different with inner city kids though. Because there is a lot of distrust, many times they will not respect you until you respect them. I think that many times leaders like to think that they deserve respect because they are the leader. Or because they are the adult/college volunteer. But that is not how it works with these students. You have to show them the respect first.

There were a few other guidelines as well such as following through on threats, making sure that the punishment fits the crime, and a few other things as well.

There was a really creative form of discipline that I really liked. It was based on a sports camp and the consequence is something physical, like push-ups or laps. Here's the catch: the leader does it as well. This shows support and love even in a time of punishment. I like the idea of physical punishments like this because it is a way to release energy for the student and is beneficial for their health in the long run.