DEALING WITH STUDENTS VIOLATING THE RULES

TRY TO TELL KIDS WHAT THEY ARE DOING RIGHT avoid focusing on the negative.

“I really like it when you . . .”

WHEN IT IS NEEDED, TELL THE KID WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.

“You need to get back to your room.”

“You need to work and skip the talking.”

Try to do this in a friendly, reminder kind of way. Avoid confronting students and creating a battle when one does not need to occur. OUR RULES ARE NOT THERE SO THAT STUDENTS GET PUNISHED. The rules are there so that students are kept safe and so we avoid reckless, dangerous behavior. Cracking knuckles over a student who is up too late is not in the spirit of our rules. Reminding them of the rules and physically observing them adjust their behavior to conform to the rules is what we want.

USE AN AUTHORITATIVE VOICE. Remember, you are not looking for their approval. You are EXPECTING them to change their behavior. Your voice, facial expression, and physical stance should express that.

THIS ALSO MEANS—AVOID USING THREATS OF PUNISHMENT. If you have to do that, you have already lost control of the situation.

Now, if a student won’t cooperate or is rude, you can place them on cleanup duty. Again, don’t push buttons to make this happen. Avoid it but if it need be done, do it.

Also, if a student flagrantly violates the rules—e.g. up really late in each others room; waking up people by yelling; doing something that is clearly harmful to others—give them cleanup duty.

Cleanup duty: Students leave lunch at 1:00pm and dinner at 6:30pm and go to Hunter, Jim’s office, to help with cleanup or with printing. BE SURE TO INFORM JIM OF THIS so that he is at his office.

If a student violates a rule involving the safety or health of other students—sexually harasses another student, violates the law (eg smoking pot or drinking), or repeatedly violates rules, they need to see Jim as soon as possible and you need to notify Jim as soon as possible.

If a student refuses to follow your requests, then they need to see Jim. Make it happen. Email Jim with a specific description of what happened. Jim can meet with you and the student (best) or just with the student. IT UNACCEPTABLE FOR A STUDENT TO DISOBEY YOU unless you are requesting something unsafe or inappropriate.

PLEASE, FOLLOW THE CAMP RULES AND THE ABOVE CONSISTENTLY. Kids need to know that they are going to be treated basically the same by each staff member when it comes to the rules.

· NO permitting students to stay up later than the curfew.

· NO permitting students to be rude.