Positive discipline is being implemented in K4 of The Columbus School this year in order to teach students how to deal with conflict from a young age.

The Columbus School intends to implement Positive Discipline into their education by providing students, teachers and parents with activities and  workshops. This type of discipline consists of teaching students to understand and acknowledge that their behavior  has both negative and positive consequences.

“The idea is to internalize a model of discipline in which students behave properly, not through fear or with the means of obtaining a reward, but because they feel it is the right and best thing to do,” long time Columbus School K4 teacher Liliana Lopez, said.

According to Ms. Lopez, different workshops have been developed this year by the school in order to instruct teachers and staff about the school’s disciplinary goal. As for her class, she uses the “Calming Center,” a small teepee shaped tent in the back of the classroom, where kids reflect on their actions, and by asking questions, come up with a solution to the conflict.

“One focuses on the behaviour instead of the kid itself in order to not single out or stigmatize the kids,” said Ms. Lopez.

Most K4 teachers have also adapted their class dynamics in order to fit this model. Through interactive, visual and tactile activities, they teach the school youngsters about the six pillars of Character Counts: respect, citizenship, trustworthiness, responsibility, fairness, and caring.

“We should all implement positive discipline,” Ms. Lopez affirmed, “the school invites us to do so, and gives us the necessary tools to accomplish it.”

In K4 E, Liliana Villegas uses small houses with toy guardians that highlight students that behave in a positive way during class time or break. She believes that kids, especially at such a young age, need tangible, and visual aids in order to have  a better understanding on the topic.

“The most important value that we teach is respect,” Affirmed Ms. Villegas.

Every classroom has a unique group of students. In K4 F, Ana María Franco and assistant Maria Cecilia Mesa,  teach a very active group of kids, and are currently facing challenges with regards to the development of this disciplinary method.

“It’s been really hard this year,” Ms. Mesa expressed “Before K4, the school has very little information about each student and is harder to categorize and distribute  them into groups that work well together.”

Certain personalities and other factors can affect class dynamics. Students go through different maturity and learning processes which can complicate the learning process.

“Through this past few years we’ve faced a big generational transition. Kids today have a different relationship with authority, and information,” Ms. Villegas said referring to technology and other factors that affect her students, “education has changed significantly since since Seniors and Juniors were our students!”