Democratic Classroom-

Choice Theory
By Dr. William Glasser
 Who is William Glasser?

 Dr. Glasser is an internationally recognized psychiatrist who is best known as the author of
Reality Therapy, a method of psychotherapy he created in 1965 and that is now taught all
over the world.
 In the late 70’s, Glasser was introduced to control theory systems through the writings of
William T. Powers. In consultation with Powers, Dr. Glasser applied Powers’ knowledge of how
systems work to the field of human behavior. That theory of why and how we behave is now
called Choice Theory.
 Very early, he came to the conclusion that genetically we are social creatures and need
each other and that the cause of almost all psychological symptoms is our inability to get
along with the important people in our lives.
 What is Choice Theory?

 Choice Theory® states that all we do is behave, that almost all behavior is chosen, and
that we are driven by our genes to satisfy five basic needs: survival, love and belonging,
power, freedom and fun. In practice, the most important need is love and belonging, as
closeness and connectedness with the people we care about is a requisite for satisfying all
of the needs.
 Democratic Classroom

 William Glasser (1997): His Reality and Choice theories state that students need to have an
awareness of their responsibility and to make their own decisions about their learning and
behaviour in the classroom, students must have a choice and that if they help choose
their curriculum and decide on the rules in the classroom, they will then have ownership of
their learning, have pride in their participation, will have higher self-esteem and will exhibit
greater levels of self-confidence and higher levels of cognition. This approach to
classroom management creates a safe space to learn, as mainly it is their space.
 Ten Axioms for Choice Theory
 The only person whose behavior we can control is our own.
 All we can give another person is information.
 All long-lasting psychological problems are relationship problems.
 The problem relationship is always part of our present life.
 What happened in the past has everything to do with what we are today, but we can only satisfy
our basic needs right now and plan to continue satisfying them in the future.
 We can only satisfy our needs by satisfying the pictures in our Quality World.
 All we do is behave.
 All behavior is Total Behavior and is made up of four components: acting, thinking, feeling and
physiology.
 All Total Behavior is chosen, but we only have direct control over the acting and thinking
components. We can only control our feeling and physiology indirectly through how we choose to
act and think.
 All Total Behavior is designated by verbs and named by the part that is the most recognizable.[4]
The needs are equally important, and all must be reasonably
satisfied if individuals are to fulfill their biological destiny. If these
needs are met, there will be no behavioral problems.
 Example of Choice Theory Teaching
According to :http://www.funderstanding.com/educators/choice-
theory/

 Curriculum–Teachers must negotiate both content and method with students. Students’ basic
needs literally help shape how and what they are taught.
 Instruction–Teachers rely on cooperative, active learning techniques that enhance the power
of the learners. Lead teachers make sure that all assignments meet some degree of their
students’ need satisfaction. This secures student loyalty, which carries the class through
whatever relatively meaningless tasks might be necessary to satisfy official requirements.
 Assessment–Instructors only give “good grades”–those that certify quality work–to satisfy
students’ need for power. Courses for which a student doesn’t earn a “good grade” are not
recorded on that student’s transcript. Teachers grade students using an absolute standard,
rather than a relative “curve.”
Criteria for a Glasser Quality School

 Following are the six minimum criteria for a Glasser Quality School:
 1. Relationships are based upon trust and respect, and all discipline problems, not incidents,
have been eliminated.
 2. Total Learning Competency is stressed and an evaluation that is below competence or what
is now a "B” has been eliminated. All schooling, as defined by Dr. William Glasser, has been
replaced by useful education.
 3. All students do some Quality Work each year that is significantly beyond competence. All
such work receives an "A" grade.
 4. Students and staff are taught to use choice theory in their lives and in their work in school.
Parents are encouraged to participate in study groups to become familiar with the ideas of Dr.
William Glasser.
 5. Students do better on state proficiency tests and college entrance examinations.
 6. Staff, students, parents and administrators view the school as a joyful place.
Quotes by Dr. William Glasser
Dr. William Glasser on Choice Theory
 My thoughts

 I am not sure in an Elementary public school, the Choice Theory would work. Especially
with Standardized testing and Common Core requirements. I think the concept is brilliant
and I agree with it, but it’s not realistic in normal settings. Not all parents are helpful and
the school board would not be happy about children not on a strict schedule and
following the rigorous curriculum put in place.
 Video I created

https://youtu.be/tAuW0jK04a8
https://www.powtoon.com/f/c9JZXAOdGWy/1/
 Resources

 http://www.funderstanding.com/educators/choice-theory/
 [4] http://www.choicetheory.com/ct.html
 . http://behaviourmanagementreport.weebly.com/key-theorists.html
 http://www.wglasser.com/the-glasser-approach/quality-schools
 http://www.wglasser.com/the-glasser-approach/choice-theory

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FckebmElMa8&list=PLPqYXhCB
0floHECo87HaNQFmYMXBTrdtV