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This paper presents a composite of four separate research studies conducted to assess the impact of constitutional language on classroom environments. The studies were designed to examine the uses of "Judicious Discipline" in a variety of classrooms and how the use of a common language based on rights and responsibilities affected the behavior of students. The studies covered a variety of locations including New York, Minnesota, and Oregon. The studies reveal the need for educators to take the time to teach students about their individual rights as well as their social responsibilities. Students who have had the opportunity to learn about their societal expectations as they are balanced against personal freedoms, are more likely to attain a level of autonomous social development. Teachers are less likely to feel frustrated about student behavioral problems and more likely to experience reduced levels of work-related stress. The studies also indicate that when teachers provide students with a common language of civility, there is a common ground for discussion, mediation, and reconciliation of many social problems that typically develop in the classroom. The data from the studies indicate that students who are taught to engage in civil discourse tend to use it to resolve conflicts peacefully, rather than resort to verbal or physical assaults. Evidence in the studies suggest this approach to classroom management is also effective in special needs classrooms. (EH)

This study assessed whether a classroom foundation based upon constitutional rights and responsibilities would help elementary and secondary school students with emotional disturbances who are being mainstreamed. The framework of Judicious Discipline, which balances individual rights against social responsibility, was applied in public school inclusive classrooms. One rationale for use of this framework was that the model would provide a consistent base for decision making. This investigation involved interviews with two special educators, one classroom teacher, and one school administrator representing four schools. Based on the interview responses, experiences in using Judicious Discipline with students with emotional disturbances are summarized. Some commonalities that emerged included the use of constitutional language to defuse potential power struggles and increased parental involvement in the classroom community. One teacher's goal was to teach students a process for avoiding problems by encouraging them to stop, consider their actions, and talk about responsibilities of the individual student and the whole class. (Contains 10 references.) (SW)

This study explored the potential of videotape and E-mail technology for developing a course delivery system encouraging personal reflection on the topic of classroom management. Since the process of teaching preservice educators techniques for democratic classroom management depends on a wide array of factors pertaining to individual personality and teaching style, the author argues that such courses call for qualitatively different teaching methods. Several different approaches to having student teachers videotape themselves using democratic classroom management techniques in the classroom are discussed, including different formats for conferencing and evaluation. When it became evident that the students who demonstrated the greatest improvement in their ability to use these strategies were the ones who had chosen to communicate with their professor via the Internet, E-mail communication was added as a component of the research. The nature of student-professor E-mail discourse is discussed in detail, and while the process of continuing E-mail contact with students was found to be time consuming, numerous benefits for students and their instructor were noted. In addition, the emphasis on using technology for preservice education was found to have carried over to the classroom, establishing student teachers as "technology experts" within their schools. (PB)

When teaching moral education, the ethical dilemma often faced by educators revolves around the question of whose morals should be taught. Judicious Discipline, a constitutional model for classroom management, proposes to answer this question by offering educators the opportunity to teach the moral standards of the U.S. democratic system of government. The legal framework for this model helps educators avoid common pitfalls of rules reflecting bias and caprice by providing legal rationales to discipline decisions. Beyond the legal framework, however, Judicious Discipline also speaks to the issues of professional ethics among teachers and administrators. This combination of constitutional law and ethical practices is synthesized in Judicious Discipline to create a model that empowers educators with a means for making fair and rational decisions and allows students to understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens of the United States. (Author/DB)