Why Negate Reward and Punishment?

Masterclass

To read from The Courage To Be Happy by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, and explore Adlerian psychology’s views on the past, the present, and classroom management.

Key Takeaways

• The Past Is a Narrative: The past is not a fixed reality but a story we construct in the present to align with our current goals and worldview.

• Focus on “What Now?”: The “Triangular Column” model shifts focus from unproductive complaints (“That bad person,” “Poor me”) to the actionable question: “What should I do from now on?”

• Classrooms Are Democracies: Treat classrooms as democratic nations where students are sovereign. Rules must be established by consensus, not dictated, to foster active observance over passive obedience.

• Problem Behaviour Stems from Ignorance: Most problem behaviour is not malicious but stems from a lack of knowledge. The adult’s role is to teach with reason, not to punish with emotion.

Topics

The Past Is a Narrative

• Adlerian psychology asserts that the past is a narrative we construct in the present to serve our current goals.

• Example (Dog Bite): A man’s memory of a dog bite was initially a story of a “perilous world.” As his worldview shifted to a “safe world,” the memory expanded to include a stranger’s help, demonstrating how the present shapes the past.

• Historical Parallel: History itself is a narrative rewritten by the victor to legitimise their power.

The “Triangular Column” Model

• This model visualises the psyche, reframing past problems into actionable steps for the present.

• Sides 1 & 2 (Visible): “That bad person” (blame) and “Poor me” (victimhood).

• Side 3 (Hidden): “What should I do from now on?” (action).

• Purpose: To shift focus from unproductive complaints to constructive, forward-looking action.

Classrooms as Democratic Nations

• The classroom should be a democratic nation where students are sovereign citizens.

• Teacher’s Role: Not a dictator, but a facilitator of consensus.

• Rule-Making: Rules must be established by student consensus. This fosters active observance (“our rules”) over passive obedience (“their rules”).

• Dictatorship Analogy: A teacher who dictates rules creates a “corrupted dictatorship” that invites student rebellion.

Why Negate Reward and Punishment?

• Adlerian psychology argues against both rebuking and praising.

• Rebuking: Ineffective because most problem behaviour stems from ignorance, not malice. The adult’s role is to teach with reason, not to punish with emotion.

• Praising: Creates dependence on external validation, undermining a student’s intrinsic motivation and self-worth.

Next Steps

• Sandeep Dutt: Bookmark for the next session on March 21.

• Group: Discuss the “Five Stages of Problem Behaviour” in the next session.

FATHOM AI-generated notes, read with care.

War vs. Peace continued, reading Chapter 2 from Wanted Back-bencher & Last-ranker Teacher

Learning Forward Saturday

To read and discuss the “War and Peace” chapter from the book Wanted Back-bencher & Last-ranker Teacher, by Kavita Ghosh

Key Takeaways

• Proactive Discipline: Use movement breaks and outdoor lessons to improve student focus and prevent disruptive behaviour.

• De-escalation Strategy: Counter aggression with calm redirection. In a crisis, a teacher’s composure can defuse a situation that a direct confrontation would not.

• Interpersonal Relationships: Build trust by believing students’ claims of innocence, even when administrators are sceptical. This strengthens the teacher-student bond.

• Next Session: The April 11th session will be held live at the Learning Forward retreat in Jaipur and streamed online, reading the chapter “Love Learning vs. Hate Learning.”

Topics

Proactive Classroom Management

• Problem: Prolonged sitting reduces brain oxygenation, leading to fatigue and poor concentration.

• Solution: Incorporate movement and outdoor lessons (e.g., teaching figures of speech on the lawn) to boost student engagement and attention.

De-escalation: The Jeevan Incident

• Crisis: A student, Jeevan, threatened to pull down his pants in front of the Physics teacher, Reshma, after she lost control of the class.

• Analysis (from counsellor Uttara):

  • Problem: Transgression of classroom decorum.

  • Critical Element: The entire class was in “mischief mode.”

  • Context: Jeevan sought to elevate his image among peers.

  • Teacher’s Miscalculation: Reshma’s direct challenge (“Would you pull down your pants?”) was unwise, as it invited the defiant response that escalated the situation.

• Resolution (Roma’s Intervention):

  1. Regained Control: Roma’s silent, composed presence at the desk immediately calmed the class.

  2. Redirected Focus: Instead of confronting Jeevan, Roma told Reshma, “Let them go ahead,” subtly conveying the threat of consequences without a direct challenge.

  3. Preserved Dignity: Roma spoke to Jeevan privately after class, avoiding public shaming and preserving his self-esteem.

• Outcome: Jeevan apologised to Reshma, and the class remained silent for the rest of the period.

Interpersonal Relationships: The Sizzler Gang

• Incident: The “Sizzler gang” (Simi, Supriya, Rupa, Patricia) was accused of damaging a washroom wall.

• Administrative Response (Ms Henkel):

  • Process: No hearing was held; the girls were judged and penalised without a chance to speak.

  • Punishment: Initially, one week of cleaning, increased to two weeks for “insolence” after Rupa protested the unfairness.

• Roma’s Response:

  • Belief: Roma believed the girls’ claims of innocence, strengthening their trust.

  • Humour: Roma used a self-deprecating joke about mowing her lawn to break the tension and help the girls accept the punishment.

Participant Experience Sharing

• Gulabee: Uses “stand up, sit down” games and clapping to redirect restless LKG/UKG students.

• Sunita Gupta: Engages disruptive students with active tasks, such as reading aloud.

• Sunita Tripathi: Uses a “someone is coming” warning to gain silence, then asks the most disruptive student to explain their behaviour.

• Ritu Rai: Defused a noisy class by singing a song and inviting students to join, successfully redirecting their energy.

Next Steps

• Sandeep Dutt:

  • Create a bookmark for the “Love Learning vs. Hate Learning” chapter.

  • Add the bookmark to the WhatsApp group.

• All Participants:

  • Prepare a “War and Peace” story for discussion at the next session.

  • Submit stories to Manisha Ma’am for publication on the happyteacher.in blog.

• Next Session:

  • Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026, for reading Chapter 3.

  • Location: Live from the My Good School at Mayur School, Jaipur.

  • Format: Live-streamed on Zoom and other channels.
    
    FATHOM-AI generated notes, read with care.