Positive Discipline

The Positive Discipline program was initiated at Lake Forest Park School in the Fall of 2001. As the author of the program, Jane Nelsen, states: "Positive Discipline in the Classroom is a program that prepares children for responsible citizenship. It is a program that encourages the development of emotional intelligence and the important life skills and perceptions of capable people… Children are involved in the creation of safe and caring communities."


A key element of this program is the class meeting. Held at least twice a month at LFP, the class meeting is a forum in which students can articulate problems and concerns and, together, craft solutions that are ‘reasonable, related, respectful and helpful.’ Nelsen says of the class meeting: "Teachers have discovered that class meetings teach essential skills and empower young people with a positive attitude for success in all areas of life: school, work, family, and society. Students learn social skills, such as listening, taking turns, hearing different points of view, negotiating, communicating helping one another, and taking responsibility for their own behavior."


In general, our approach to behavior problems at LFP is to take the perspective that these are learning opportunities as our elementary students develop the ethics, self-regulation, empathy and generosity of spirit that effective citizenship requires of each of us. We try to avoid "punishment" and seek logical consequences that will help to instruct the child in making better, pro-social choices in future conduct. Many teachers use the Second Steps curriculum to complement Positive Discipline in their citizenship education efforts in the classroom.

For more information go to the Positive Discipline Website