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Theory Into Practice 42.4 (2003) 351-352



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Being Good: Rethinking Classroom Management and Student Discipline, by Steven Wolk. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002, 144 pp., $19.50 (paper).

In the traditional way of thinking about classroom management, classrooms have a sense of order and structure when students are "being good." This usually means students sit quietly in their seats and stay on-task. In Being Good: Rethinking Classroom Management and Student Discipline, author Steven Wolk challenges the traditional beliefs about classroom management and questions the definition of structure, order, and what it means to be "good" in today's classrooms.

In contrast to the traditional classroom management paradigm, Wolk proposes that order and structure can mean students and teachers "living and working in a caring classroom space doing purposeful, meaningful, and thoughtful learning" (p. 3). He explains that the goal of classroom management is to help students develop and shape their character, as well as to promote self-discipline. Therefore, Wolk proposes an approach to classroom management that stems from a democratic philosophy and emphasizes the importance of teaching for character.

Wolk argues that there is no separation among issues related to classroom management, behavior, character, discipline, subject matter, and morality. He explains, "classroom management and character education are synonymous or at least woven together like a double helix strand of DNA" (p. 2). However, he does not propose the use of packaged character education programs. These programs are usually "scripted as textbooks and worksheets," and teaching character this way is an "oxymoron" (p. 2). Rather, he believes that character education is unique and must evolve from each classroom.

The author explains that the first step in educating for character is to lay the foundation of human and social values. Teaching for values is a controversial issue in today's schools. However, Wolk makes a compelling argument that it is impossible for teachers not to teach for values; explaining that everything teachers do during the school day expresses values. Wolk then describes 12 values that are essential in classrooms today. Some of these include the common good, community, compassion, empathy, caring, and thoughtfulness. As a follow-up to the introduction of each value, Wolk lists several practical ideas that promote democratic values in the classroom.

A common complaint of teachers is that there is not enough time to implement character education programs. In response, Wolk explains that there is no separation from curriculum and issues of character and morality. If teachers implement their classroom management from a thoughtful and democratic perspective, they are educating for character. [End Page 351]

Wolk believes goodness comes from within a person. He argues that "being good does not simply mean kids have good behavior, but rather they are thinking and learning about their behavior and how it affects others" (p. 4). In a chapter devoted to teaching for goodness, the author again offers practical suggestions that can easily be integrated into existing curriculum material. He also advocates teaching for goodness through the use of books. The last chapter lists a variety of titles both children and adults can read that promote goodness. The book list includes picture books, novels, nonfiction, and educational texts.

Being Good: Rethinking Classroom Management and Student Discipline has several strong points. First, the book provides teachers with an alternate way to conceptualize classroom management and discipline. It also offers teachers an approach to classroom management that does not externally control students, but rather promotes self-discipline. One of the merits of Wolk's approach is the focus on preventing misbehavior. He tackles a hot topic in education—character education—and shows how issues about character and values can naturally flow from existing curriculum material. He takes techniques that teachers already frequently implement, such as classroom meetings and journal writing, and demonstrates how to use these techniques to teach for goodness. Numerous practical suggestions appear throughout the book. Although the techniques he advocates are hardly new, he demonstrates how they fit into his framework for teaching for goodness. Finally, Wolk's book is written in a very readable style. His humanity...

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