Discipline Win: Strategies to Improve Behavior, Increase Ownership, and Give Every Student a Chance

by Andy Jacks

Your school is defined by how you support your most struggling students!

Why did we become school leaders and teachers? To educate, uplift, and inspire all students. So when things go wrong, why do schools seem to use exclusion as a first reaction, especially for kids that need to be in class the most? What can schools do instead to improve student behavior and help everyone involved feel supported along the way? 

As a principal, Dr. Andy Jacks was driven to find the answers to these questions. He'd learned firsthand how quick fixes, shame, and blame end up being very harmful to students and ruining relationships within the school team and with parents. He also discovered that teachers need more than just platitudes and positive attitudes when difficult situations arise. 

Teachers want to help their students, and they deserve solutions. This led him on a journey of doing a doctoral dissertation on discipline, forming committees and focus groups, and reading every piece of research he could get his hands on. 

The result is  Discipline Win , an insightful and timely book based firmly in twenty-first-century educational realities. Winning in discipline is more than just dealing with misconduct and  Discipline Win  is full of ideas and practical suggestions that will actually make a difference to achieve the behavior balance we all want in schools.  

Moving away from zero-tolerance and towards compassion Proactively teaching students how to work with othersLearning how to help kids regulate their internal strugglesAligning daily actions with their goals in lifeCreating a school culture of inclusionKnowing your students and celebrating what makes each one specialDesigning supports based on the needs they have in and out of schoolEducators deserve to feel empowered and know that they can and will make a positive impact in even the most challenging situations. 




Foreword by the Relentless, Tattooed, Skateboarding Principal Hamish Brewer









“Are you seeking ways to flip the switch on the way things have always been done? Discipline Win is a game-changing resource for educators and school leaders who want to serve and support students so that everyone wins. Dr. Jacks’s practical advice is grounded in substantial research, and it shows how we can make intentional changes in our practices and tackle tomorrow’s challenges. Readers will walk away from this book feeling more supported, encouraged, and ready to lead the way.”—Jessica Cabeen, principal; speaker; author of Hacking Early Learning, Lead with Grace, Unconventional Leadership; and co-author of Balance Like A Pirate

“Discipline Win is a book that will inspire you and challenge you to look at behavior in a new light. It is filled with empowering stories of strength and courage that will help you support our kids, staff, and families. You will have trouble putting it down.

237 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 4, 2021

Reviews

[Janelle Coady · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this for work as a study group. It was not a bad book, but it did not have anything too enlightening. It was more of a good refresher and a reminder of some things we (educators) should be doing. Furthermore, it had quite a few typos, so I have a hard time giving it a high rating because of that. Although it was fun to read with a group of colleagues, especially such a social group, much of the content seemed geared towards administrators or teachers at the elementary or middle school level.

[Merry Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Positive strategies to assist assist students

Good read for all educator levels. Reinforced much of what I knew but always good to have reminders and confirmation. Many MTSS examples provided when dyeing with student issues. Author is a strong advocate for students.