Conscious Discipline
Conscious Discipline Parent HandbookThis handbook is provided to help parents better understand how Conscious Discipline is used in our school. You will learn about the 7 skills of Conscious Discipline and the structures in our classrooms that support those skills. Conscious Discipline is different from any other school wide behavior program in that it focuses on the brain science behind emotions and how adults need to be in control of their own emotions before they can expect students to be in control of theirs.
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Park Community chose to use Conscious Discipline as the center piece of our behavior management program. Conscious Discipline is a brain based program that teaches students skills of self-regulation that they can use when faced with stressful situations. The program also builds a strong sense of family at school.
“There is a sense that we are a family. We see evidence in classrooms, hallways and on the playground of strong connections between students and their peers, and between students and staff.”
Ken Kortens - Principal
During the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years, Park Community was visited by Montero-Cefalo, a Loving Guidance Associate and trainer with Conscience Discipline. Montero-Cefalo provided staff development on Conscious Discipline after observing classroom activities at Park Community. In the evening each visit she provided a training for parents. Montero-Cefalo’s helped staff better understand key components of Conscious Discipline by demonstrating how to run a morning meeting, helping a student process a behavior, or assisting a student in the Safe Place in each classroom.
Staff from Park Community have attended trainings on Conscious Discipline in Texas, South Carolina and at their annual conference in Florida each summer. It is our hope that our school will be listed as a STAR school for the program in the near future as an example for other schools interested in Conscious Discipline to come and visit.
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Conscious Discipline Resources
How Conscious Discipline Addresses Bullying Click to View This Award Winning Video Conscious Discipline helps create connected students and staff with the skill to recognize their emotions in a loving school family. Our program has clear expectations for behavior and is designed to help students become intrinsically motivated to do the right thing. Students who are connected and feel they are a valued member of a school family are far less likely to become a bully. Students who know how to use their "big voice" and assertively advocate for their own needs are less likely to become victims. This video shows how bullies and victims are created and how Conscious Discipline helps stop this cycle. |
Former Gang Member Saved by Conscious Disicpline
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DJ Baptiste is a former gang member that was saved by Conscious Discipline. One teacher at the high school level using Conscious Discipline was able to completely change his perspective on life. Hear from DJ and his grandmother how the program changed his life for the better.
I Love You Rituals at Park Community
Click to Watch a Short Video about I Love You Rituals
I Love You Rituals are a large part of building a school family at Park Community Charter School. Regularly students at Park Community connect with each other and staff through these rituals. The goal of these short activities is real connection which is not as simple not just saying, "Hello" or "I care". Through an I Love You Ritual build a connection through eye contact, touch and presence in a playful situation. These activities work at all grades not just our early learners as you can see in this short (7 minute) video below.
The Brain and Conscious Discipline
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Conscious Discipline is rooted in the study of the brain and how we all think and make decisions. Watch Dr. Bailey explain how Conscious Discipline is used at Park Community Charter School to help staff and students develop their frontal lobes to allow thinking and emotional control.
The Skill of Empathy at Park Community
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Empathy is a skill that helps students understand their emotions and move to a higher center of their brain which allows thought and not emotional or survival type responses. Listen to Dr. Bailey describe this important skill which is in use everyday at Park Community Charter School.
The Skill of Noticing at Park Community
Click to Watch a Short Video about Noticing
Awareness is a better agent of change than consequences. Helping children become aware of their actions by using the skill of noticing will strengthen their frontal lobes, bring their awareness to their actions and facilitate lasting change. View this video and see a main component of Conscious Discipline at Park Community Charter School.
Logical or Natural Consequences
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Natural or Logical Consequences motivate each of us to learn a new skill while rewards and punishments found in other programs are often completely disconnected to the incident and do not provide any learning opportunity for the student. Conscious Discipline at Park Community uses natural consequences whenever possible to help students learn. At the core students must believe that they are safe and loved in the school setting before we can ask them what did they learn from a discipline situation. According to Dr. Becky Bailey, "For consequences to be effective, we must proactively teach students new conflict resolution skills, teach them how to manage intense emotions sot hat they can access those skills, notice them each step of the way to provide feedback for success, and instill the sense of belonging and connectedness that supports their willingness to use the new skill." Please view this video to learn more about this important difference between Conscious Discipline and other behavior management programs. |
