Positive Behaviour Support

As Willert & Willert suggest, ‘positive behaviour supports developed through the implementation of simple reinforcement strategies…can have a significant influence on the social climate of an entire school.’ (As cited in Zirpoli, 2012, p. 257). With this in mind, this paper aims to analyse and compare the School’s management, welfare, and discipline policies with positive behaviour support models, specifically Mayer’s (1999) constructive discipline approach. The School reflects the view that the world is multifaceted and ever changing. If you only have one way for your classroom to ‘be right’ you are setting yourself up for continued frustration and failure. Skilled teachers understand that the classroom is a complex, unpredictable, messy, and non-linear, working environment. They’ve realised, long ago, that control –especially over others is an illusion. (Gordon, as cited in School Policy, 2012, p. 2). As this is the foundation of the School’s policies it indicates that the strategies enforced have reference to ideas held within various positive behaviour support models. The School, situated in Queensland, has a student enrolment of approximately 800, catering for students from Preparatory Year to Year 7. As schools are important environments for all members to learn, teach, and grow, the School is ‘based on the belief that all students can learn and the staff accepts the responsibility to teach all students, regardless of differences, the fundamental skills required for success in the 21st Century.’ (School Policy, 2012, p. 4). The purpose of the policy is to foster a school culture that assists its students in the development of social and emotional skills, including the ability to exercise self management and responsibility for their behavioural choices. Mayer (1999) suggests that basic student welfare policies, particularly behvaiour management, list ‘the behavioural standards required of students.’ (p. 37). Furthermore, Mayer aptly states ‘the better ones