Tweens and teens don’t always want to comply with the rules, but one middle school in West Virginia has come up with a new approach to dealing with bad behavior and it’s really making a difference. Huntington Middle School has started a something they’re calling ‘reverse suspension’ - where the parent of the suspended student comes to class and hangs out by their kid’s side all day long. Bad for the parent, but even worse for the student.
Think about it - kids in middle school are totally and completely embarrassed by old mom and dad. So imagine them coming to class and being next to their misbehaving middle schooler for a whole school day. That would mortify that kid. And this outside-the-box solution is actually working.
According to Principal Frank Barnett, this “creative method for addressing non-violent, non–verbally abusive behavior has helped the school reduce student suspensions by two-thirds.” And he says the number of bad behavior incidents has been cut in half. It seems a lot of students thought of suspensions as a break from class, but this new discipline method has changed all that.
And kids aren’t learning if they’re not in class, so with this approach, they’re still in class and getting the instruction they need. It sounds like a brilliant way to deal with behavior issues. There’s nothing like some parental embarrassment to motivate a kid.
Source: The Stir