Second Chance Referrals
May 26, 2004
At my high school, behavior problems are eventually written on a “referral” and sent to the discipline officer for that grade level which then goes on the student’s permanent record. I send out a parent letter in August, which they sign and send back, stating that my steps before a referral include:
- warning,
- conference for one minute after class, and
- parent phone call.
In addition to the parent letter, what seems to work well is to give the student one last warning. When I write the referral, (s)he signs it, and I set it aside. If the behavior doesn’t happen again I discard it, but if it does happen again, I write the new offense on the referral and send it to the office. Many students are stopped from further offenses by this second chance, and it is a goodwill sign to them from me.
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