Positive Discipline

Positive Discipline is the character development program that is integrated into the daily life at Unity. The Positive Discipline program is designed to model and teach students how to become responsible, respectful and resourceful members of their communities. Based on the teachings of Alfred Adler, Positive Discipline develops the important social-emotional skills that students need to achieve academic success and to succeed in life.

Positive Discipline

• Helps children feel a sense of connection - belonging and significance
• Is mutually respectful and encouraging - kind and firm at the same time
• Is effective in the long-term - Considers what the child is thinking, feeling, learning, and deciding about himself and his world – and what to do in the future to survive or to thrive.
• Teaches important social and life skills - respect, concern for others, problem solving, and cooperation as well as the skills to contribute to the home, school or larger community
• Invites children to discover how capable they are - encourages the constructive use of personal power and autonomy.)

Our goal is for the students to understand how their behavior impacts themselves and others, and to take responsibility for their behavior. We utilize “I messages,” Morning Meeting, Class Meetings and Peer Mediation to achieve this end. Behavior that creates a disruption in the educational process will be addressed and may require an immediate response from the director. Any behavior related to violence, vandalism, sexual misconduct, bias, or substance abuse will be treated as special cases and the disposition of these cases will be decided based upon the particulars of each incident.

Teri LaSala is the Unity consultant for the Positive Discipline program, which provides teachers with the tools and skills necessary to successfully implement Positive Discipline in the classroom.

In addition, parents are provided with additional information about the Positive Discipline program during Back To School Night, and subsequent workshops offered during the year.

Peer mediation

Peer mediation may be requested by students who are having difficulty resolving a conflict with another student. Mediators are students, ages ten or older, who have received appropriate training in peer mediation. The mediation process involves two student mediators and the two students with a conflict. This process is useful in helping students to see both sides of an issue and to recognize the feelings experienced by the parties involved in conflict.

Once both students have the opportunity to articulate their position, and the true issue/problem is identified, and agreed upon by the parties, solutions are offered through a brainstorming session. The students in conflict agree upon a possible solution that is considered to be a win-win situation.

Finally, all parties agree to keep the discussion confidential. Formal peer mediations are generally scheduled for Wednesday mornings. Situations of a more serious nature are dealt with by the Lead Person, and not through peer mediation.