Defining the problem. The counsellor started his activity in a small town, in a school
located in a neighbourhood with numerous social and economical problems. The initial
problems are described as follows:
“It was all very difficult,... I mean the school, the pupils, the teachers.
There were at least 30 serious fights a month. The pupils did not feel
safe, the teachers were discouraged. In the first days the teachers sent at
least 30 pupils to my office. No pupil came to counselling willingly.”The counsellor called the initial stage of the problem a “chaos”. On analysing and making
the problem operational the following specific problems were identified:
Problem no. 1: the teachers were overwhelmed and failed to deal with scandalous
behaviours of pupils during classes.
Problem no. 2: the pupils were far from being skilled in problems solving and
conflict management, and almost all problems were solved through violence. The
pupils considered violence one of the most efficient means of dealing with a
conflict.
Problem no. 3: the pupils showed very little respect to the others (other pupils,
teachers, parents) and the school.Investigating solution alternatives. Analysis of problem no. 1 also identified the fact
that teachers lacked class management skills, and knowledge on discipline and
behavioural management. Faced with indiscipline, teachers often raised their voice in
order to settle the problem or have used other punitive methods. The results were
obvious: more and more indiscipline. Pupils’ behaviour did not change the way teachers
wished. Another method employed was sending the pupil believed responsible to the
principal or the counselling office in order to solve his or her “discipline-related
problems”. Teachers were convinced that pupils had a “mental” defect that the counsellor
was bound to “fix”.
Analysis of problem no. 2 identified that pupils used violence and aggressiveness as one
of the most widespread method of settling disputes among themselves and occasionally
with their teachers.
For problem no. 3, as a reaction to “disrespectful behaviour”, the teacher’s intervention
was “I have told you a hundred times to stop!” or “I am trying to help you .” What the
pupils learnt from this message was that the adults were responsible for their behaviour,
and not themselves.
Formulating aims. The counsellor proposed formulating gradual aims, in positive terms
“the pupils will be able to...” instead of “The pupils will not...”. For problem no. 1 the aim
was phrased as follows: “The teachers will solve their behaviour problems in class.”, for