Room 21 operates using three basic guidelines:

Take care of your INNER (self management)

Take care of OTHER (contributing to pair, team, group, class, and/or school population success)

Take care of OUTER (contributing to the greater good of our universal ecosystem)

Mr. Mann serves his class more as a flexible mentor, coach, and facilitator of learning experiences as opposed to an authoritarian focussed on teaching. These guiding principles serve as filters when he is working with students on the development of successful behavioral patterns.

1) Leading with the Head versus the Heart: Will short-term student emotional discomfort lead toward long-term development of self-management skills?

2) Developmental or Punitive: Does the student continue to hold 100% of his/her power when held accountable?

3) Disruptions and Distractions may be affected by time delay: At this moment and in this environment, is the behavior really a problem? If it is not a problem its really not a problem

4) Continuance of Behavior: What would this behavior look like if allowed to continue and reinforce into adolescence, the teen years, and early adulthood?

5) Since I never say "no", how can I influence the student to make the right choice through rewards and sanctions?

I use a color-coded card system to ensure students are made aware of their WEEKLY status:

Black Card (Finish the week with this one and you earn huge points commissions and get great co-pays on restroom breaks and other privileges)

Green Card (Coaching and student developed strategy Session with Counselor Mann during recess or working lunch (this is my time; its that important to me!)

Yellow Card (Oops... The strategy didn't work. Counselor Mann now enacts a developmental sanction and shares it with guardians as soon as possible through communication)

Red Card (This has not been a productive week -- Now it is time to go see the our school's HR department (Principal or designee)

* I do not like to let inappropriate behaviors reinforce themselves. If I see a problem I will be collecting data and asking you to join student suppot team as an active member. We're in this together!