Cooperative discipline focuses on the behavior rather than the individual student. It also manages student behavior is a positive way. The author, Linda Albert, believes that in order to have cooperative discipline in your classroom you must have the "3 C's". The 3 C's are; capable, connect and contribute. Students can only begin to cooperate with each other and their teachers, in positive ways, by feeling capable, being able to connect with others and by being able to make contributions in and out of the classroom. Albert believes that teachers can foster the 3 C's to help ensure all students feel a sense of belonging. Albert lists some ways to help foster the 3 C's: Students need to feel that they are capable of doing things. Teachers can help foster the first C, Capable, by encouraging students to understand that making mistakes is okay, by building confidence, by making learning tangible and by recognizing achievement. Teachers can help foster the second C, Connect, by teaching students to accept each other, showing appreciation to all students and by showing affection. Teachers can help foster the third C, Contribute, by encouraging students to contribute to the class, the school and the community. You can also encourage students to help other students, thus contributing to the success of that student and success in the entire class.
As Albert states, "one of the best ways to help students feel they are needed is to help them to contribute to the class." In my future classroom I would like to have students contribute to the classroom rules and some of the class anchor charts. During the first week of school I would ask my students what they think our classroom rules should be and then we would all work together to narrow down a few rules to put up in the classroom. I also think it would be a great idea to have the students design some anchor charts. I feel that if they are contributing to the anchor chart then they are more likely to use them.
In assertive discipline, the teacher has all of the power. The teacher makes the rules and enforces them, the students are just expected to follow them. Assertive discipline uses rewards (usually tangible) and punishments as a way to encourage positive behavior. Assertive discipline works in a hierarchy. For example, the first step in assertive discipline is naming/questioning. In this first step the teacher gives the off task student a verbal warning by giving an overall statement such as "Class, we should all be doing..." As the student continues to misbehave, the consequence gets more severe. It starts with a verbal warning, then commanding saying the students name, then something more severs like sending the student to the office.
I do not agree with many of the strategies used with assertive discipline. The one things I liked the least was the fact that a single consequence is used for all students, with no regard to the individual person. The teacher makes the rules, makes the consequences to the rules and ensures that students follow the rules by punishing them. I agree that some actions require a consequence, but I also believe that each student is an individual and should be treated as such. If you know a student doesn't respond well to the "typical" punishment, I think that the teacher should change the punishment to fit the student.
References:
Charles, C. M. Linda Albert's 'Cooperative Discipline'. In Building classroom discipline. Boston.Allyn and Bacon. 2002. Ch. 5. pp. 67-84.
Wolfgang, C. H. (unknown). Chapter 4: Assertive Discipline, pp. 79-99.