We all know what comes after a child does something in school that they should have done- they are either suspended, given detention or sent to the principal’s office, depending on the degree of their misbehavior.
The education system works on the principle of fear, which is why in popular culture there is a general air of being sick of school or hating school and so on. We often hear about new strategies that should be used to reprimand kids instead of the general screaming, shouting and grounding and a primary school in Baltimore, Maryland seems to have struck gold.
Robert W Coleman Elementary School has a new strategy. When a kid does something that would make the teacher punish them, instead of doing that or sending them to the principal’s office, they make the child go into a room and meditate for about five to ten minutes.
One might think that something like this would not work but the results are positive and how!
All the problem children have completely changed and the school has not seen a single suspension in the entire year. This is pretty convenient for the school, too, since it adds a good rep to the school when there are lesser suspensions and detention drives.
Another school that is drawn inspiration from Robert W is Patterson Park High School, where the benefits have not been limited to just no suspensions – the attendance numbers have also seen a considerable hike!
Ever since the fear of detention has been done away with, students have started to enjoy school and have been attending regularly, instead of taking time off.
Schools all over the world ought to learn from this and let students reflect on the things they and think about how they did something wrong instead of just punishing them left and right without providing an explanation when there is need for one.
Children are the most impressionable, which is why whatever we teach them in school stays with them till the rest of our lives, therefore, it is our duty to encourage independent thought.
Video courtesy of Upworthy
