The Search for True Grit

According to an article in the April issue of the American School Board Journal, a number of schools are removing unruly an unmotivated students from the classroom and teaching them in alternative settings. Is this how districts should encourage self-control?

Teachers agree that kids -- from kindergarteners playing in the block corner to 12th graders conducting chemistry experiments -- who have learned to cooperate and exert self-control are likely to succeed in school.

In a 2003 study, Vanderbilt University’s Kathleen Lane found that teachers in all grades and subjects, with little exception, ranked cooperation and self-control as the top two social skills “critical for success.” Lane says teachers give students credit for self-control when they listen attentively, follow directions, complete assignments, and manage their temper. Some teachers think it’s OK for students to be assertive as long as they don’t bully others and disrupt their classrooms.

Read more HERE.