An important component of the Indigo program is the Positive Discipline approach, as presented by author Jane Nelsen. Positive discipline is “about understanding children and the beliefs that motivate their misbehavior. It’s about treating both teachers and children with dignity and respect, and having faith in their abilities.” Problems and mistakes are seen as a catalyst for learning life skills.

The positive discipline philosophy is based on the work of Alfred Adler and Rudolf Dreikurs, who were pioneering psychologists in the field of family relationships. Dreikurs once said, “A misbehaving child is a discouraged child,” noting that the primary human need is belonging and significance. When children are having trouble expressing their needs, they may do something that we call “misbehaving” to try to get their needs met. When we pay attention to the “coded message” – what the child is really feeling underneath the behavior – we can better deal with the situation and offer a response that helps the child solve the problem.

Positive discipline does allow adults to impose logical consequences when a child is unwilling to work toward resolving a problem or is disrupting the education or safety of others. For example, a child may be asked to sit out of an activity until he/she is able to use the materials in a safe manner.

All Indigo parents and teachers go through a basic positive discipline training their first year with the program. This is to assure that the positive discipline philosophy is followed not only by the teachers and staff, but by every adult that interacts with the children. In addition to this training, various resources are offered to parents each year, such as a lending library of resource materials, speakers brought in to address educational and behavioral issues, and positive discipline discussion groups where parents can have a forum for questions and concerns. This school/home consistency is one of the biggest strengths of the Indigo Program.

The choice wheel is used in classes, during class meetings, and on the playground to help students identify choices they can make to deal with situations. On the playground, parents wear the choice wheel on a lanyard, along with their whistle and nametag, to help resolve conflicts during morning and lunch recesses. Here is one version of our choice wheel.