DOCSLIB.ORG

Establishing Positive Discipline Policies in an Urban Elementary School

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Establishing Positive Discipline Policies in an Urban Elementary School 47 Establishing Positive Discipline Policies in an Urban Elementary School Laura L. Feuerborn, PhD, NCSP, University of Washington, Tacoma Ashli D. Tyre, Ed.D., NCSP, Seattle University Researchers and school practitioners alike are finding positive outcomes in the proactive practices of schoolwide positive behavior supports (SWPBS). However, reform through such systemic efforts as SWPBS is a challenging endeavor. For SWPBS to reach the widest number of schools, it is necessary to provide school faculty and staff with the knowledge and tools necessary to design and implement effective behavioral supports. Foundations is a staff development tool designed to guide school teams through the process of developing positive disciplinary practices consistent to the principles of SWPBS that prevent problem behavior and encourage safety and civility. This paper includes a description of SWPBS and Foundations followed by outcomes from a diverse, urban elementary school. Following one year of implementation, data indicated positive changes in schoolwide behavior and discipline practices. KEYWORDS: schoolwide positive behavior supports, discipline reform, positive behavior interventions and supports Successful resolution to changing student needs requires the restructuring of school practices in a manner that consistently and proactively supports positive behavior for all students and in all settings. Schoolwide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is a promising approach for addressing these needs (Netzel & Eber, 2003; Skiba & Peterson, 2000; Turnbull et al., 2002). In implementing SWPBS, school teams restructure their discipline systems to provide universal, targeted, and intensive supports to encourage positive social, emotional, and behavioral growth in all students. Universal supports promote an encouraging school climate whereby all students are actively taught social-behavioral expectations and reinforced for appropriate behavior, supplemental supports are provided at the targeted level for those who are unresponsive to universal supports, and intensive supports are implemented for individual students with chronic levels of challenging behavior. At all levels of prevention and support, local data are utilized to determine student needs and response to interventions (McKevitt & Braaksma, 2008; Sugai & Horner, 2006; Sugai, Horner, & McIntosh, 2008; Walker et al., 1996). Key elements of the SWPBS approach include (a) active teaching and reinforcement of a small number of clearly defined social-behavioral expectations; (b) implementation of consistent consequences for violations of school expectations; and (c) use of school data to drive intervention planning and monitor outcomes (Horner et al., 2004; McKevitt & Braaksma, 2008; Sugai & Horner, 2006). These key features are implemented across the settings that exist in school communities including common areas, instructional settings, and for individual students in need of intensive support (Safran & Oswald, 2003; Turnbull et al., 2002; Walker et al., 1996). Many meaningful outcomes are associated with SWPBS, including reduced rates of office disciplinary referrals, detentions, and suspensions (e.g. Bohanon et al., 2006; Bradshaw, Reinke, Brown, Bevans, & Leaf, 2008; Scott & Barrett, 2004) and increased instructional time (e.g. Lassen, Steele, & Sailor, 2006; Luiselli, Putnam, Handler, & Feinberg, 2005). Overall, there is a substantial and growing body of evidence supporting positive outcomes following the implementation of SWPBS in primary and secondary schools (e.g. Safran & Oswald, 2003; Muscott, Mann, & LeBrun, 2008). Correspondence may be sent to Laura Feuerborn, PhD, NCSP, University of Washington, Tacoma, 1900 Commerce Street, Tacoma, WA 98402, (253) 692-4793 or email: [email protected] 48 Contemporary School Psychology, 2012, Vol. 16 Yet, creating effective and sustainable change on a systemic level is a difficult and complex undertaking (Fixsen, Naoom, Blasé, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005; Muscott, Mann, & LeBrun, 2008; Tyre, Feuerborn, & Lilly, 2010). This is particularly true for urban schools, as challenges associated with high poverty rates and limited resources often complicate systemic reform efforts. Urban schools often struggle with higher levels of violence, mobility, truancy, under-qualified staff, and staff turnover. Furthermore, staff members are provided limited opportunities for professional development. Thus, school staff in urban communities often struggle to meet the diverse social, emotional, and behavioral needs of their students (Netzel & Eber, 2003). Urban schools may require more intensive levels of supports for students and more comprehensive training and resources for staff than non-urban schools (Warren, Edmonson, Griggs, P., Lassen, McCart, Turnbull, & Sailor, 2003). Fundamentally, the successful adoption of any systems-level initiative, including SWPBS, requires the support and active participation of stakeholders within the school system to restructure current schoolwide practices. A key component to achieving this support and active participation is to ensure school practitioners have the knowledge and skills necessary for the full implementation of the schoolwide innovation (Ervin & Schaughency, 2008). Safe & Civil Schools Foundations, a staff development program grounded in behavioral principles consistent with SWPBS, may offer a means to provide the necessary knowledge and skills for the implementation of effective behavior supports. Despite the widespread use of Foundations, the program’s utility has yet to be empirically evaluated. In that Foundations comprises the critical features of SWPBS, it is promising that evidence validating the effectiveness of SWPBS may be generalized to support the utility of Foundations; however, there is no research available to support this supposition. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore student discipline outcomes and levels of SWPBS implementation following one year of implementation of Foundations in an urban elementary school. Student discipline data including violations of schoolwide rules, detentions, and suspensions were collected and reviewed prior to implementation and at the end of the first year of implementation. Level of SWPBS implementation was examined at the end of the first year of implementation. It must be noted that the authors conducted this project independently. There is no relationship or financial interest between the authors and the participating school and the Safe & Civil Schools’ company and affiliated programs. SAFE & CIVIL SCHOOLS FOUNDATIONS Safe & Civil Schools Foundations (Sprick, Garrison, & Howard, 2002) is a staff development tool that utilizes a series of multimedia presentations to guide school teams through the process of planning for and implementing positive disciplinary practices. Key features of the Foundations program consistent with SWPBS include: clear definition, explicit teaching, and reinforcement of desired behaviors; clear definition and consistent consequences for undesired behaviors; and the use of data to drive intervention planning and monitoring of progress across all educational settings. Reflection, Data, Structure, and Collaboration Foundations incorporates a staff development model which encourages reflection, data utilization, structure, and collaboration. When faced with a challenging behavioral situation, school staff members are encouraged to use self-reflection to determine how to help the student experience more success in the future. In this manner, staff view challenging behaviors as learning opportunities for both students and staff. Also, school teams collect and evaluate data collected from behavior incident forms or office discipline referrals, school surveys, and common area observations to guide the decision-making process. For example, “Structuring for Success” calls for staff to scrutinize the organization of physical environments via structural blueprints or maps of the school and observation data. Common areas, such as recess grounds and hallways frequently contain areas that are visually obscured and less supervised, and it is in these areas that bullying and harassment are likely to occur. Upon review of such building structures, staff members may consider increasing supervision or remodeling areas such as hidden locker Establishing Positive Discipline Policies in an Urban Elementary School 49 bays. Lastly, the developers stress the importance of collaboration. In that all school staff are viewed as stakeholders in the program, responsibility for student success is shared by all (Sprick et al., 2002). Levels of Implementation Foundations encompasses three tiers of implementation: schoolwide, classroom, and individual. The schoolwide level is the universal level which includes supports for all students in all settings. At the classroom level, supports for positive behavior are embedded into all instructional settings. For students who necessitate more intensive support, individualized supports are provided. The Foundations program emphasizes data-based decision making at each level. If, for example, schoolwide data indicate problem behavior occurs in a variety of settings and with a large number of students, intervention at the schoolwide level is necessary. However, if instructional settings are the foremost settings in which behavior problems transpire, then teams are advised to implement improved classroom supports (Sprick et al., 2002). The Cycle of Improvement Foundations offers a problem-solving model built around
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: a Technical Package for Policy, Norm, and Programmatic Activities
    Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: A Technical Package for Policy, Norm, and Programmatic Activities National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Division of Violence Prevention Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: A Technical Package for Policy, Norm, and Programmatic Activities Developed by: Beverly L. Fortson, PhD Joanne Klevens, MD, PhD, MPH Melissa T. Merrick, PhD Leah K. Gilbert, MD, MSPH Sandra P. Alexander, MEd 2016 Division of Violence Prevention National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, Georgia Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: A Technical Package for Policy, Norm, and Programmatic Activities 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, Director National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Debra E. Houry, MD, MPH, Director Division of Violence Prevention James A. Mercy, PhD, Director Suggested citation: Fortson, B. L., Klevens, J., Merrick, M. T., Gilbert, L. K., & Alexander, S. P. (2016). Preventing child abuse and neglect: A technical package for policy, norm, and programmatic activities. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2 Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: A Technical Package for Policy, Norm, and Programmatic Activities Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................ 5 External Reviewers ..............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Family Meeting Album V2
    © Positive Discipline OUR FAMILY MEETING ALBUM [Insert Your Family Picture Here] Introduction Children learn so much during family meetings, such as listening, respecting differences, verbalizing appreciation, problem-solving, experiencing that mistakes are wonderful opportunities to learn, and focusing on solutions. I have a much longer list, but you get the idea. Family meetings also create a family tradition and will create many memories. A family meeting album can be as much fun as a photo album. You and your family will chuckle as you look back at past challenges you solved together. You will enjoy looking at your family mottos, gratitude pages, mistakes you learned from, problems you solved, fun things you did together, and meals you planned. How to Use This Family Meeting Album Start by pasting a picture of your family on the cover page. Place the cover (with your family picture) on the cover of a binder that provides a clear plastic place to insert your picture. Begin by reading, “Why Have Family Meetings”, “The Family Meeting Agenda” and “Family Meeting Jobs”. Print out several weekly challenges pages (all pages that are blank except for headings are at the end of this document, and can be printed over and over) on three hole punched paper, and introduce them at your first family meeting. Every week post a new Family Meeting Agenda page on the refrigerator (or wherever works for your family) so that family members can write down the challenges that need to be solved. When finished, save each page in your family meeting album. As you read through the rest of “Why Have Family Meetings,” and the “Family Meeting Agenda,” you will learn about compliments and other “pages” and activities to spice up your family meetings.
    [Show full text]
  • Parental Attitudes Regarding the Characteristics of A" Best Teacher
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 380 448 SP 035 843 AUTHOR Mack, Faite R-P.; And Others TITLE Parental Attitudes Regarding the Characteristics of a "Best Teacher": Comparison by Gender and Ethnic Group. PUB DATE 13 Feb 95 NOTE 22p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (Washington, DC, February 12-15, 1995). PUB TYPE Speeches/Conference Papers (150) Reports Research /Technical (143) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS American Indians; Asian Americans; Blacks; Educational Practices; Elementary Education; *Elementary School Teachers; Ethnic Groups; Hispanic Americans; Minority Groups; *Parent Attitudes; *Racial Differences; *Sex Differences; *Teacher Characteristics; *Teacher Effectiveness IDENTIFIERS African Americans; Grand Rapids Public Schools MI ABSTRACT This investigation surveyed 505 parents of elementary school students enrolled in the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Public School District regarding the characteristics of a "best teacher." Approximately 50 percent of the parent responses were from minority parents (35.6 percent African American, 10.6 percent Hispanic, 2.4 percent Native American, and .8 percent Asian American). In general, the "best teacher" was identified as a female. Except for Native American parents,th..? "best teacher" was identified as belonging to the same ethnic/racial group as the parent. Both male and female parents reported the following characteristics being most ty?ical: conversed without the use of excessive slang or poor grammar, had high expectations
    [Show full text]
  • Teaching Parenting the Positive Discipline Way
    SAN DIEGO, CA JULY 5-6 2018 Teaching Parenting The Positive Discipline Way Deepen your understanding of the Adlerian approach to parenting. Become a Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator! Learn how to Research has demonstrated the importance of social and emotional facilitate a learning, even above academics. Positive Discipline parenting tools parenting class teach valuable social and life skills without using any form of using experiential punishment, rewards, praise, permissiveness and even logical activities. consequences—at least hardly ever. Participants will: • Learn research based effective tools and techniques for teaching parents how to use discipline that is kind and firm at the same time (non-punitive non-permissive) • Learn how to use materials and activities in group settings, parenting Learn why classes and individual work with families. children • Gain practice with experiential exercises for “getting into the child’s misbehave and how work” to understand the “belief behind behavior” in order to motivate to respectfully change encourage change. YOUR FACILITATORS Aisha Pope, is a wife and mother of 2, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and a Certified Positive Discipline Trainer. Aisha is co-founder of Roots & Wings Consulting in La Mesa, CA, where she offers individual, couples, and family therapy, Positive Discipline Workshops for parents and professionals, parent coaching, and other consultation services. Mary Nelsen Tamborski, wife and mother of three young boys, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in San Diego. She is also a Certified Positive Discipline Trainer and Parenting Coach. Mary is co-author of the “Positive Discipline Tool Card Book,” and “Keeping the Joy in Marriage Tool Cards” and eBook of the same title, with her mother, Jane Nelsen.
    [Show full text]
  • YES, YOU CAN! Positive Discipline Ideas for You and Your Child the Parenting for Life Series Presents: Yes You Can!
    The Parenting for Life Series Presents: YES, YOU CAN! Positive discipline ideas for you and your child The Parenting for Life Series Presents: Yes You Can! Yes You Can! is the first in a series of booklets and other materials for the PARENTING FOR LIFE education program. PARENTING FOR LIFE is an award-winning, non-profit public education program promoting positive parenting skills and the well-being of families. This unique initiative includes booklets, a parenting program Facilitator’s Guide and posters prepared by the writers and editors of Today’s Parent in collaboration with The Psychology Foundation of Canada. Additional Resources available from PARENTING FOR LIFE • LET’S PLAY! A Child’s Road to Learning • Hands On Dad: A Guide for New Fathers • You and Your Preteen: Getting Ready for Independence • Focus on Self Esteem: Nurturing Your School-Age Child • Kids Can Cope: Parenting Resilient Children at Home and at School • Parenting the School-Age Child 7-12 years old- Facilitator’s Guide • The Parenting for Life Poster Series To place bulk orders of the booklets and posters, please visit our web site at www.psychologyfoundation.org to download the booklet order form, or, call The Psychology Foundation of Canada at 416-644-4944. Our Mailing address is: 2 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M4T 2T5 E-mail: [email protected] First Words We all bring our own history, our own strengths and human weaknesses to raising kids. Our children, too, have individual temperaments and needs. That’s why effective discipline is so challenging: there’s never one simple solution that works for every child and every situation.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is Positive Discipline?
    DISCIPLINE What is Positive Discipline? Positive discipline is a way of teaching and guiding children by letting them know what behavior is acceptable in a way that is firm, yet kind. Punishment describes methods of control, gained by requiring rules or orders be obeyed and punishing undesired behavior. Discipline comes from the Latin root word disciplina, which means “giving instruction, to teach.” Recent brain research has confirmed that people learn best when they feel safe and connected to others, in the context of safe relationships. Therefore, the goal of positive discipline is to teach by first creating safe relationships with children. Connection must come before correction in order for discipline to be effective in the long term.1 The most powerful tool for teaching children is modeling what we want them to do or to be. Why is Positive Discipline Important? Positive discipline: • Teaches children responsibility, self-discipline, problem-solving skills and cooperation. • Is respectful to both children and adults. • Builds trust and strengthens relationships, helping form new connections in a child’s brain. • Builds and maintains self-esteem. • Teaches children how to manage their emotions. • Teaches children to deal with stress in healthy ways. • Invites children to contribute in meaningful ways and develops their sense of significance. • Develops strong understanding that one has power or influence over what happens to them in life. Five Criteria for Effective Discipline1 : 1. Helps children feel a sense of connection (belonging and significance). 2. Is mutually respectful and encouraging (kind and firm at the same time). 3. Is effective long-term (considers what the child is thinking and feeling, learning, and deciding about himself and his world, and what to do in the future to survive or to thrive).
    [Show full text]
  • State of the Science and Practice in Parenting Interventions Across Childhood
    State of the Science and Practice in Parenting Interventions across Childhood Contract # 233200956-24WC Literature Review and Synthesis Prepared for: Lisa Trivits Diana McCallum Task Order Officers U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Ave., SW Room 404E Washington, DC 20201 Submitted by: Abt Associates Inc. State of the Science and Practice in Parenting Interventions across Childhood Table of Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Theoretical and Research Framework for the Review ..................................................................... 1 Adolescent Risk Behaviors as a Public Health Issue ................................................................... 2 What Characteristics of Adolescents are Associated with Avoidance of Risk Behaviors? ......... 2 Parenting to Reduce Adolescent Risk Behavior and Promote Positive Outcomes ...................... 3 Parenting in Early Childhood ....................................................................................................... 5 Parenting in Interaction with Characteristics of the Child ........................................................... 6 Environmental Moderators of Parenting Effectiveness ............................................................... 6 Parenting During Critical Periods in the Child’s Life .................................................................. 7 Discussion ...................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 2014 Zero to Three Parenting Plan Guide (PDF)
    BIRTH THROUGH THREE A Guide for Parents Creating Parenting Plans For Young Children Prepared by Multnomah County Family Court Services In collaboration with the Parental Involvement & Outreach Subcommittee of the Oregon Statewide Family Law Advisory Committee September 2014 The Developers Family Court Services Family Court Services is a social service agency under the Department of Community Justice. Family Court Services provides assistance to Multnomah County Oregon parents going through divorce or separation. Our Mission is to help children by helping parents reduce conflict related to separation and divorce. Our services include: • assistance with creating parenting plans • mediation for parents that disagree about schedules for children • court ordered custody evaluations • supervised visitation services for families with a history of domestic violence • parent education classes for parents with custody and parenting time issues before the court • help for parents that are having difficulty seeing their children and do not have a court order The Parental Involvement & Outreach Subcommittee of the State Family Law Advisory Committee (SFLAC) of Oregon The Parental Involvement & Outreach Subcommittee of the SFLAC is a multidisciplinary group comprised of family law judges, child custody mediators & evaluators, parent educators, and family law attorneys convened by the SFLAC to examine information and resources that support the meaningful and safe involvement of parents in the lives of their children after divorce or separation. Special thanks goes to Tracy Vogeltanz for compiling, organizing, and editing much of the contents of the Birth Through Three Guide. 1 Foreword We Honor All Parents & Families What parents and families look like is diverse. Children are being raised and doing well in homes headed by opposite-sex parents, same-sex parents, grandparents, parents who are living apart and co-parenting, and parents who are parenting alone.
    [Show full text]
  • Positive Discipline Model Process: 1) Limit Setting, 2) Responsibility Training, 3) Omission Training, 4) a Back-Up System
    THE POSITIVE DISCIPLINE MODEL According to Fredric Jones - Positive Discipline Model Process: 1) limit setting, 2) responsibility training, 3) omission training, 4) a back-up system. These four systems must be running in parallel if the full discipline system is to work. Medium Back-up System - Includes time out, loss of privileges, parent conferences, and detention. Sanctions according to Jones: 1) Time out in classroom 2) Time out in colleague's classroom Less acceptable: 3) Public warning 4) Threat 5) Being sent to the hall 6) Detention after school 7) Loss of privilege 8) Parent Conference Poor practice: 9) Lowering the student's grade 10) Extra homework 1 and 2. Time Out: a) Rules and expectations spelled out clearly b) Consequences described and demonstrated in advance c) Select an appropriate time out place that denies student substitute means of reward d) Early response to problem behavior and limit setting followed by warning e) Follow through the next time (consistency) f) Effective delivery of student to time out if she resists g) Effective response to problems that student might cause while in time out MYTHS OF RULES AND DISCIPLINE: 1. Students (especially middle/high school) should already know how to behave. 2. It takes too much time to teach rules and structure. 3. Rules are general guidelines and need only to be announced. 4. Teach rules well at the beginning and then you can forget about them. 5. Teaching rules equates to undue strictness. 6. Students hate rules. General rule of Positive Discipline - With a sense of predictability, students can feel safe and relax.
    [Show full text]
  • Comprehensive Positive School Discipline Resource Guide
    Comprehensive Positive School Discipline Resource Guide Education Education provides the gateway to postsecondary success and ultimately for many students it is the "Too often we forget that opportunity to change the overall trajectory of one’s life. It is critical that all Indiana students have access discipline really means to to schools with culturally responsive practices and teach, not to punish. A policies, including equitable school discipline. disciple is a student, not a recipient of behavioral consequences." If you want to ~Dr. Dan Siegel change a child's behavior, you must connect before you correct. What's Inside? Introduction .....................................................2 Students In Need Code of Conduct ...............................................3 National Data Black boys still made up 25 percent of all students Peer Programming ...........................................6 suspended out of school at least once in 2015-16, and black girls accounted for another 14 percent, School Climate &Culture.................................8 een though they each only accounted for 8 percent of all students. Relationship Building Strategies....................10 Black students make up nearly a third of all students arrested at school or referred to la Bullying & Cyberbullying Prevention...........12 enforcement, but only 15 percent of oerall enrollment. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights Data Collection, 1-16 Culturally Responsive Education...................14 State Data 34% of Indiana youth ages 0-17 hae eperienced Restorative Practices ......................................18 1-2 ACEs Aderse Childhood Eperiences. Nearly 1 in 6 hae eperienced 3 or more ACEs. FAQ: Empowering Educators........................22 SOURCE: Estimates from National Survey of Children's Health, 16 Approimately 21% of Indiana High School Collaboration with Community Agencies......27 students hae a parent ho sered time in jail.
    [Show full text]
  • Parenting the Positive Discipline Way
    Parenting The Positive Discipline Way Gloria Cleve Johanna Martens Early Learning Project Manager Community Development Coordinator School District 59,Peace River South Success By 6 & Children First Regional Coordinator South Peace Building Learning Together Society Positive Discipline Parent Educator Certified Positive Discipline Trainer Our hope f o r you today .Learn about Positive Discipline .Offer new parenting tools .How to bring Positive Discipline into your community What is Positive Discipline? What is Positive Discipline? Alfred Adler was a physician, psychotherapist, and the founder of Adlerian psychology, sometimes called individual psychology. He is considered the first community psychologist, because his work pioneered attention to community life, prevention, and population health. Adlerian psychology emphasizes the human need and ability to create positive social change and impact. Adler’s work stressed the importance of nurturing feelings of belonging and striving for superiority. He held equality, civil rights, mutual respect, Alfred Adler and the advancement of democracy as core values. H e w a s o n e o f t h e 1870 – 1937 first practitioners to provide family and group counseling and to use What do you first do when you learn to swim? public education as a way to address community health. He was among You make mistakes, do you not? And what the first to write about the social determinants of health and of mental happens? You make other mistakes, and when health. He stressed that collaborating and cooperating with one another you have made all the mistakes you possibly can without drowning - and some of them many as individuals and communities can progress to benefit society as a times over - what do you find? That you can whole.
    [Show full text]
  • Positive Discipline
    The Department of Special Services – Behavior Intervention Services Positive Discipline Positive Discipline 10 Parenting Tips for Raising Teenagers How the Adolescent Brain Challenges the Adult Brain Door Openers vs. Door Slammers Kind and Firm Parenting for Parents of Teens Parenting Style Questionnaire Guideline for Writing a Contract Spending Quality Time Can Improve Teen Behavior The Teen Brain Quiz Answers to Teen Brain Quiz How Better To Communicate With Your Teen and/or Parent The Behavior Contract The Teenage Brain The Parent Resource Center For additional information call 703‐204‐3941 What do you know about your teen’s brain? Please take a moment to complete the brain activity in your folder. Office of Special Education Instruction Behavior Intervention Services Barbara Cohen, Laura Fraser, Wanda Holloway, Becky Martin, Michele Tureaud ` Develop an understanding of the adolescent brain ` Recognize ways to create a positive climate in the home ` Identify practical discipline approaches The Teenage Brain: A Work in Progress Wondering what happened to your little princess? Blame it on the brain. Living with a 16 year-old is definitely a mystery because you are not sure what to expect from one day to the next. The frontal lobe is located at the front of the brain and is associated with reasoning, motor skills, higher lever cognition, and expressive language. ` The frontal lobe of the brain does the bulk of its maturation between the ages of 12 and 20 ` This region of the brain that inhibits risky behavior is not fully formed until the age of 25 ` Lack of common sense ` Thinking that seems rigid ` Decisions that seem irrational ` Disorganization ` Impulsiveness ` Mood changes ` Inadequate emotional control ` Risk taking The emotional brain is often in charge during the teen years.
    [Show full text]