DISCIPLINE WITH PURPOSE

The fifteen skills taught and practiced through Discipline With Purpose are valuable helps to people in whatever role they are in - whether children, adults, parents, students, teachers, team members, even employers and employees! The fifteen skills can be divided into three areas: Basic Skills, Constructive Skills, and Generative Skills.

Listening

1. Stop what I am doing or saying.
2. Clear away all distractions.
3. Look at or toward the person speaking.
4. Be able to telll the person what I heard.
5. Ask questions about what was not understood.
6. Do the task the speaker has requested.

Following Instructions

1. Practice good listening skills.
2. Repeat the instructions to myself or write them down.
3. List or say the first three things I need to do to begin the task.
4. Start on time.
5. Stay on task the entire work time.
6. Evaluate the task and how I followed instructions at the end of the work time.

1. Ask questions that have not been asked before.
2. Ask questions that the speaker hasn't already told us about.
3. Other people might need answered too.
4. Ask questions that will make the speaker feel comfortable and not ill at ease.
5. Ask questions that help people think.
6. Keep the conversation on topic.

1. Time - Wait my turn; Begin tasks at once; Limit conversations during group discussion time so others can talk too.
2. Space - Hallways, between desks or tables, and common areas, playground,
3. People - The teacher, friends and loved ones need to be shared by others.
4. Things - Share limited resources and return things in good condition or the same way or better than I found them; mark items that are not yet ready to be shared.

1. Use table manners.
2. Say "Please", "Thank You" and "Excuse Me."
3. Dress appropriately.
4. Attend to personal hygiene.
5. Give and receive compliments.
6. Use greeting and leaving skills.
7. Help visitors/newcomers feel comfortable.

Understanding The Reasons for Rules

1. Know the rules and be able to recite them to others.
2. Ask someone when I don't understand the rule or the reason for the rule.
3. Choose to follow the rule because I understand the reason even if I don't feel like doing it.
4. Follow the rules because I don't like a rule, I will use the right way to suggest changes.

Generative Skills

Organization - There are four things I can learn to organize:

Time - Be aware of time schedules and value them; Plan ahead and follow through; Evaluate the success of time management.
Space - Keep the environment orderly.
People - Know parliamentary procedure and other ways to conduct orderly meetings and gatherings.
Things - Recognize opportunities to simplify and order material things.

1. Recognize when a problem exists and attempt to identify the cause.
2. Explore all the facts.
3. Brainstorm possible ways to solve the conflict and use "what if" thinking to explore the consequences.
4. Discard unrealistic solutions or any solution that will cause a problem for someone else.
5. Choose a solution, follow thorugh, and evaluate the results.

Separating Fact From Feeling

1. Admit to myself how I feel; name my feelings.
2. Don't blame myself for feeling that way. Feelings are neither good or bad.
3. Report my feelings to the person best able to help with the situation.
4. Start my sentences with, "I feel ____ when you ______, because ______."
5. Put the conversation on hold until I have sorted facts from feelings.

Making Sacrifices

1. Two or more valuable things cannot be held at the same time. (Things can be time, space, actions, etc.)
2. Compare the things according to the needs of others or what is best for most people.
3. Decide which to keep and which to let go of.
4. Focus on the satisfaction of the choice for the greater good or for the benefit of someone other than yourself.