Issue #41

In this issue:

Word to the Whys

"The young always have the same problem—how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another."
George Chapman —Playwright (1559-1634)

"Hell, there are no rules here—we're trying to accomplish something."
Thomas Alva Edison

"The object is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules—but to win. And in truth, I've never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn't appreciate the grind, the discipline."
Vince Lombardi

"Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible—the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family."
Dr. Joyce Brothers

"He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding."
Proverbs 15:32

"Nothing of importance is ever achieved without discipline."
Bertrand Russell—British Author and Philosopher

"Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger. Not lifting weights doesn't kill me. Therefore not lifting weights makes me stronger."
Jack Handey—Author of Deep Thoughts

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Shock Therapy—Establishing Boundaries that Work

A few years ago, my wife and I moved to a mountain community above Denver where no fences are allowed. Our house sits on a large lot surrounded by neighbors on all sides. We have a golden retriever named Tucker who loves to run and explore, but we don't want him to invade the privacy of our neighbors. We can't stomach the thought of chaining him to a post, so we invested in an invisible fence—a thin buried wire that encircles the property and carries a mild electrical current.

The wire works in concert with a transmitting collar we put around Tucker's neck. When he gets within 10 feet of the wire, he hears a beeping noise. As he gets closer, the frequency of the beeping noise accelerates. If he ignores the warning and crosses the barrier, he immediately receives a mild shock that reminds him he's gone too far. The shock sends him back inside the 10-foot boundary and conditions him to respect the beep. We've learned that this system works about 98 percent of the time.

However, if we fail to recharge Tucker's collar at least once a week, it loses its power. Occasionally a deer, elk, fox, or even a skunk runs by our property. Naturally, Tucker wants to run and play, and just takes off. We've learned that if the beep doesn't sound, he'll take off for hours. When that happens, it takes a long, long time to retrain him to respect the boundaries.

In reality, your rules are only as good as your ability to enforce them. If you allow your students to break through defined barriers without experiencing a consequence, you condition them and their peers to continue that behavior—just as if Tucker didn't have that electric fence to enforce his "rules." As difficult as it might be for you to dole out a shock, it's critical that you be willing to do so.

Three Important Rules for Setting Important Rules

#1: Be Likeable—You don't have to be your students best friend, but always be friendly. They feel an allegiance toward a teacher, coach, or administrator they respect and genuinely like. When asked why they don't cheat, lie to get out of trouble, or miss class, students often say something like, "She's a really cool lady and I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt or disappoint her." Ironically, if you're perceived as being fair and consistent in enforcing relevant rules, they will like you and look up to you with a great deal more reverence than if you weren't fair or consistent. They know you have a job to do; they simply want to think of you as a person with a heart, a soul, and a conscience.

To continue reading and discover the remaining two rules, visit here.

Whys Cracks

Dull and Duller: Clerks at a gas station in Poulsbo, WA, called police to report a robbery despite the robber still being inside and threatening them with a knife. The robber tried to cut the phone cord with his knife, but failed. He escaped in a waiting get-away car before police arrived, but clerks called the cops again a short time later when the car pulled in again—the driver wanted directions out of town. "I guess they got lost," a police spokesman said. "They're not the brightest bulbs in the closet." The alleged robber, Jared Persitz, 22, and the driver, Matthew Barela, 22, not only admitted to the attempted robbery, but also to a burglary earlier in the day. (Central Kitsap Reporter)
If they'd only planned ahead on MapQuest.com...

Carpe' Dumb: At an assembly of 13-year-olds at St Matthew's High School in Moston, Manchester, England, a teacher told students that an asteroid was on a collision course with Earth. The stunned students were told they would be able to leave school early to say their "final farewells" to family members. "Unfortunately a small number of pupils took the story literally," says Headteacher Kevin Hogan—the end-of-the-world threat was meant as a lesson for students to "live each day to the fullest." When it became apparent that some of the kids were crying, "the school administrator visited every grade-9 class and told students that the story was untrue." (Manchester Evening News)
...Then he calmed them by softly reading a few chapters from H.G. Wells "The War of the Worlds."

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