William Glassers Choice Theory and Quality Teaching Presented by: Michelle Burton-Moyes Deanna Richard Sharon McRae.

William Glasser’s Choice Theory and Quality Teaching

Presented by:Michelle Burton-MoyesDeanna RichardSharon McRae

William Glasser

Background A psychiatrist Thought to be one of

the greatest educational thinkers of our time

Contends that behaviour in school will not improve until we change the way we work with students

Choice Theory

Student behaviour is determined by student choice, not teacher control

Foundational Assertions for Choice Theory We cannot “make” students do

anything, but we can influence them to do things that lead to better behaviour and increased success

It is up to teachers to make school adequately interesting and otherwise satisfying to students’ needs

Major Concepts in Glasser’s Non-coercive Discipline All human behaviour is purposeful We are responsible for our own behaviour All of our behaviour is our best attempt to

meet five basic needs Students feel pleasure when their basic needs

are met and frustration when they are not At least half of today’s students will not

commit themselves to learning if they find their school experience boring, frustrating, or otherwise dissatisfying

Major Concepts in Glasser’s Non-coercive Discipline Few students in today’s schools do their best

work If today’s schools are to be successful, they

must create quality conditions that greatly reduce student and teacher frustration

What schools require is a new commitment to quality education

The school curriculum should be limited to learnings that are useful or otherwise relevant to students’ lives

Major Concepts in Glasser’s Non-coercive Discipline Students should be allowed to acquire in-

depth information about topics they consider useful or interesting

Quality learning is evident when students become able to demonstrate or explain how, why, and where their learnings are valuable

Instead of scolding, coercing, or punishing, teachers should try to befriend their students, provide encouragement and stimulation, and show unending willingness to help

Major Concepts in Glasser’s Noncoercive Discipline Teachers who dictate procedures, order

students to work, and berate them when they do not are increasingly ineffective with today’s students

Teachers who provide a stimulating learning environment, encourage students and help them as much as possible are most effective with today’s learners

Motivation is the key ingredient in learning

Major Concepts in Glasser’s Non-Coercive Discipline Teachers who dictate procedures, order students

to work, and berate them when they do not are increasingly ineffective with today’s students (Glasser calls these teachers boss teachers)

Teachers who provide a stimulating learning environment, encourage students, and help them as much as possible are most effective with today’s learners (Glasser calls these teachers lead teachers)

Motivation is the key ingredient in learning

Any Program of Quality Education Must Meet Students’ Needs Survival needs are met when the school environment is kept

safe and free from personal threat Students sense belonging when they receive attention from

the teacher and others and participate actively in class concerns

Students sense power when the teacher asks them to participate in making decisions about topics to be studied and procedure for working in class or assigns them responsibility for class duties

Students experience fun when they are able to work and talk with others, engage in interesting activities and share their accomplishments

Students sense freedom when the teacher allows them to make responsible choices concerning what they will study, how they will do so, and how they will demonstrate their accomplishments

Student Needs

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Main things schools can do to improve student behaviour and learning are:Provide an engaging curriculumEmphasize qualityInfluence students non-

coercively to make good choices about learning and responsible conduct

Quality Curriculum Schools must be places where students learn

useful information and learn it well Glasser suggests that if students are old enough

you may ask them to identify what they would like to explore in depth—learning a smaller number of topics in depth is preferable to covering many topics superficially

Quality learning requires depth of understanding combined with a good grasp of its value Ask students to explain why the material they

have learned is valuable Ask students regularly to assess the quality of

their own efforts

Quality Teaching Provide a warm, supportive classroom climate Use lead teaching rather than boss teaching Ask students only to do work that is useful (knowledge

and skills that they will make use of in their lives) Always ask students to do the best they can Ask students to evaluate work they have done and

improve it Ask students to explain why they feel their work has high

quality Ask students how they think they might improve their

work further Progressively help students learn to use self-evaluation,

improvement and repetition Help students recognize that doing quality work makes

them feel good Help students see that quality work is never

destructive to them, others or the environment

Seven Deadly Habits vs. Seven Connecting Habits

Deadly Habits Criticizing Blaming Complaining Nagging Threatening Punishing Rewarding students

to control them

Connecting Habits

Caring Listening Supporting Contributing Encouraging Trusting Befriending

Relation of Quality Teaching to DisciplineMisbehaviour can be reduced greatly if teachers do the following: Work with students to establish standards of

conduct in the classroom Discuss the importance of quality work Ask students about class behaviour they

believe will help them get their work done and truly help them learn

Ask for student advice on what should happen when behaviour agreements are broken—behaviour problems are best solved by looking for ways to correct the underlying problem

Relation of Quality Teaching to Discipline (cont’d) Whenever appropriate, ask students

what you the teacher “could do to help” Once agreements and consequences

are established they should be put in writing and all students should sign the document

Agreements established and dealt with in this way show that the teacher’s main concern is quality, not power

Hold classroom meetings to explore alternatives to inappropriate behaviour

Gaining Benefits of Quality Classrooms Replace deadly habits with

connecting habits Make plain how you will work with

students Befriend your students Establish reasonable rules of class

behaviour Take the energy out of impending

misbehaviour

Gaining Benefits of Quality Classrooms Teach things that make a real difference in students’ lives Help students learn to strive for quality

explain that you will ask students to work at any given assignment until they have achieved an acceptably high level of competence and that nobody will fail or receive a low grade

Test students frequently, but productively explain that tests are for learning only and promise that

no one will fail or receive a bad grade Emphasize understanding and making use of new learning Provide options for students after competence is achieved

e.g. help other students or move ahead to something of higher quality

Implementing Glasser’s Ideas in the Classroom Remember that your students’

behaviour is internally motivated and purposeful—adjust your curriculum to help students meet those needs

Remember that your students will not commit themselves to class activities they find boring, frustrating or dissatisfying

Hold a discussion with your class on how school could be made more interesting and enjoyable

Implementing Glasser’s Ideas in the Classroom Following the class discussion, indicate

that you will try to organize activities as students suggested and that you will do all you can to help them learn and succeed

Hold meetings with your class to discuss new efforts and any results you see in classwork and behaviour—focus on improving learning

Befriend students and provide encouragement and stimulation

Implementing Glasser’s Ideas in the Classroom Ask students what kinds of class

behaviours will help them improve class behaviour while acquiring quality learning

When students misbehave, discuss their behaviour and why it was important and what they feel they could do to avoid misbehaving in the future

Teacher SurveyNeeds and their Definitions Strength and Satisfaction Rating Scale

Love and Belonging: The need for interpersonal contact, working together with others, and the potential for developing long term relationships and friendships. To feel wanted and approved of by colleagues as well as superiors.

 Need Strength:1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 Need Satisfaction:1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

Self-Worth/Power: The need for a sense of empowerment, competence and opportunities for personal effectiveness in your place of work. A connection between one’s personal sense of achievement and worthiness with similar experiences in the home, school/work, and community. Opportunities for leadership and management roles.

  Need Strength:1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 Need Satisfaction:1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

Freedom: The need for autonomy, independence and limited restriction in the work environment and at home. Opportunities for spontaneity and change in all areas of one’s life.

 Need Strength:1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 Need Satisfaction:1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

Fun and Enjoyment: The need for balance between work and pleasure. Sufficient opportunities for enjoyable and fun experiences within the context of work, home and community. 

 Need Strength:1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 Need Satisfaction:1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

Survival and Health: Safe physical environment in the workplace and at home. An environment that is a supportive context for one’s mental and emotional health. Family income that adequately provides for enhanced educational opportunities, personal self-care, leisure activities, and vacations.

 Need Strength:1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 Need Satisfaction:1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

Student NeedsSurvival & Health Love & Belonging Power Freedom Fun & Enjoyment

Student NeedsSurvival & Health Love & Belonging Power Freedom Fun & Enjoyment Provide opportunities 

for students to get food, water and fresh air by allowing snacks, encouraging regular water breaks and growing classroom plants or opening windows. 

Maintain behavior guidelines that support safety and respect. 

Develop consistent classroom procedures and routines that add a sense of order and security. 

Learn each student’s name as soon as possible and engage students in activities that help them learn one another’s names. 

Greet all students as they enter the classroom. 

Let students get to know you personally: your outside interests, what you stand for, and who you are. 

Regularly engage students in team-building activities. 

Teach students how to work cooperatively, and  give them regular opportunities to learn in structured cooperative activities. 

Conduct class meetings on a regular basis for class-building, problem-solving, and content-related discussions. 

Smile.  

Give students a voice in the classroom. Solicit their input regarding classroom rules and behavioral guidelines; allow them to generate questions that guide the direction of the curriculum. 

Discover students’ instructional levels and meet them where they are. 

Teach to a variety of learning styles. 

Hold regular discussions about the value of the curriculum to students’ lives. 

Use research-based best practices, such as structured cooperative learning, authentic assessment, and brain-based teaching strategies. 

Instead of giving students low or failing grades, allow them second and third chances to demonstrate their learning.  

Provides students with choices regarding: 

Their seating  Team members for 

cooperative learning activities or projects 

Assignments (topics for essays or class projects, outside reading) 

Performance tasks for assessments 

To gain and keep students’ attention, we can: 

Change location  Introduce lessons with 

different kinds of music  Use a variety of 

strategies  Change students’ 

cooperative learning partners or team members regularly 

Begin class with a variety of team-building activities 

Go on field trips  

Play review games such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, family Feud, or Jeopardy. 

Play drama games that relate to course content, such as Science Term Charades 

Engage your students in brain teasers such as Mental Math or Lateral Thinking Puzzles 

Thoughts on Glasser?

Y a!

Na…

Huh?

Critical Friend “Students should be allowed to acquire

in-depth information about topics they consider useful or interesting.” Student Choice vs. School Expectations—

teachers must teach what is in the curriculum

“Do not grade their work because grades suggest to students that the work is finished.” If we do not grade student work, what do

we show to administration, parents, etc.

Critical Friend “Allow students to come up with rules.”

Ron Morrish “Rule making should be the teacher’s job, and the teacher should be able to explain to students why the rules exist and what they are intended to accomplish.”

What happens when rules are broken? (consequences)

Critical Friend What about special needs students?

How do these students fit in Glasser’s Choice Theory and Quality Education?

William Glasser makes no mention of students who have special needs

Choice Theory seems to be designed for older students What about elementary students?

References Charles, C.M. Building Classroom Discipline. 10th. Toronto, ON: Pearson,

2011, 138-152. Erwin, J.C. (2003). Giving student what they need. Educational Leadership,

61, 19-23. Glasser, W. (1998). Choice theory: a new psychology of personal freedom.

New York: Harper Perennial. Glasser, W. (1988). Choice theory in the classroom. New York: Harper

Perennial. Glasser, W. (1997). Choice theory and students success. Education Digest,

63(3), 16-22. Glasser, W. (1997). A new look at school failure and school success. Phi Delta

Kappan, 78(8), 596-603. Palmatier, L. (1998). Crisis counseling for a quality school community:

applying william glasser's choice theory. USA: Taylor and Francis. Wubbolding, R.E. (2007). Glasser quality school. Group Dynamics: Theory,

Research and Practice, 11(4), 253-261. http://www.choicetheory.com/ct.htm