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What is Choice-Based Discipline?
How do you teach children to behave responsibly? You do that with choices. Responsibility is defined as “making rational decisions and being accountable for your actions.” A decision is a choice. Therefore, if you want your children to act responsibly you have to teach them how to make good choices.
Choice-Based Discipline is a positive, preventative approach that can be used both at home and at school. With Choice-Based Discipline, the focus is always on teaching children how to be responsible, capable individuals who know how to make good decisions. Instead of using punishment after unwanted behavior, Choice-Based Discipline focuses on responsible behavior and teaches children to predict and accept the results of their choices.
It is an approach developed by Jim Thompson, a creator of video-based and online courses for educators. With over 25 years experience, Thompson has created courses that have trained over 250,000 K-12 teachers and administrators.
A key element of Choice-Based Discipline is Thompson’s Teaching Time Out, a new twist on time outs that have traditionally been used as punishment rather than as an opportunity to teach appropriate behavior. With Teaching Time Outs children are taught how to set goals, create plans, and take the responsibility for improving their own behavior.
Because Thompson’s methods are based on Dr. William Glasser’s choice theory, his approach has a sound psychological foundation that most discipline methods lack. With Choice-Based Discipline your focus (and the child’s) is always on appropriate behavior and the positive outcomes it can produce.
If you are interested in learning more about choice-based discipline, we invite to take our online course.