Your school is defined by how you support your most struggling students. Why did we become school leaders and teachers? To educate, uplift, and inspire all students. So when things go wrong, why do schools seem to use exclusion as a first reaction, especially for kids that need to be in class the most? What can schools do instead to improve student behavior and help everyone involved feel supported along the way? As a principal, Dr. Andy Jacks was driven to find the answers to these questions. He’d learned firsthand how quick fixes, shame, and blame end up being very harmful to students and ruining relationships within the school team and with parents. He also discovered that teachers need more than just platitudes and positive attitudes when difficult situations arise. Teachers want to help their students, and they deserve solutions. This led him on a journey of discovery: doing a doctoral dissertation on discipline, forming committees and focus groups, and reading every piece of research he could get his hands on. The result is Discipline Win, an insightful and timely book based firmly in twenty-first-century educational realities. It focuses on moving away from a failing zero-tolerance stance to one based on compassion for students and insight into their emotions and experiences. Dr. Jacks sheds light on effective discipline strategies that proactively teach students how to work with others, regulate their internal struggles, and align their actions with their goals in life. Winning in discipline is more than just dealing with misconduct. It’s about creating a school culture of inclusion, knowing your students, celebrating what makes each one special, and designing supports based on the needs they have in and out of school. Discipline Win is full of ideas and practical suggestions that will actually make a difference. Educators deserve to feel empowered and know that they can and will make a positive impact in even the most challenging situations.
