Glasser’s Reality Therapy Model

Group 4: Eric Wee Hin YongLinda Sia Lee Ping

Martin Ak AloMuhamad Hazwan

Siti Khairunisah

William Glasser• Chemical Engineer

• Board Certified Psychiatrist

• Author of several books

• Founder of the Institute for Reality

Therapy which services thousands of

people worldwide, teaching them how

to apply Dr. Glasser’s principles to their

lives.

Reality Therapy

• Reality Therapy has been around since the 1960s when a book of that name was published in the United States

• Firmly based on choice theory and its successful application is dependent on a strong understanding of choice theory.

What is Reality Theory ?

• Reality therapy is a strategy that helps students take responsibility for examining and solving their own problems.

• Glasser believes that students are rational beings who can control their behavior if they wish. – For example, witness the usual good

student behaviors found on the first day of school.

• Glasser believes that students are in

control of their behavior, that no unseen

factors are forcing them to do this or

that, and that they actually choose to

behave as they do.

• He claimed that misbehavior simply

resulted from bad choices while good

behavior resulted from good choices.

• They choose their behaviors. They can choose

to be good. They can choose to be bad.

• In order to make good choices students must

come to see the results of those choices as

desirable

• Teachers must help students see that they are

choosing to act in the ways they do

• Teachers must force students to acknowledge

their behavior and make value judgments

about it

• Teachers must refuse to accept excuses for bad behavior, always directing attention instead to what would be more acceptable

• The essence of discipline is in helping students make good choices.

Teacher Responsibilities • Teach students to make good choices, increasing good behavior• Create an environment where children can experience a sense

of belonging• Help students to evaluate and correct their own behavior by

using a nine-step questioning process (listed on the following page)

• Hold students accountable for their choices: Accept NO EXCUSES• Help students to understand that their actions affect others• Openly recognize students who follow the rules and display

appropriate behavior• Provide support and encouragement

The Nine Steps in Glasser’s Reality Therapy Model

1. The Student is confronted and told to stop the misbehavior.

2. The student is then asked to explain the behavior that was

occurring. The teacher uses “What” questions, not “Why”. This

prevents the student from finding excuses.

3. If the rule-breaking behavior continues, step 2 is repeated,

adding the question, “Is it against the rules?”

4. The teacher asks the student to make a plan or commitment

to find alternatives.

7. If the student fails to fulfill his or her commitment and plan,

the next step is isolation to a designated room (Principals

office or Special Isolation Room).

8. Finally, if the student is out of control, the parents are

notified and asked to collect the student immediately. The

student may return to the school when he or she obeys the

rules.

9. If all else fails, the parents and students are referred to an

outside agency to “work it out.”

Throughout this process, the focus is on the student’s

BEHAVIOR, not the STUDENT.

Student Responsibilities

• Actively participate in all classroom activities

• Work as a class to create a set of rules and consequences for when those rules are broken.

• Learn to work in groups of students with varying levels of skills and abilities.

• Recognize and self-correct inappropriate behaviors

• Accept responsibility for their actions and know the consequences of those actions.

Pros & Cons• Students learn to think about their

actions and to take responsibility for them.

• Students learn to work in groups and with students who are on different levels of learning than themselves.

• Students enjoy teaching their peers and learning from them.

• Students are not dependent on the teacher for everything.

• The students needs of survival, belonging, power, fun, and freedom, are met.

• The teacher’s sense of control can be threatened.

• It is difficult for teachers to give responses without encouraging students to make excuses for their behavior.

• The teacher may not be able to fully apply Glasser’s model due to circumstances beyond his/her control.

• Class meetings may consume more time than is desirable.

• Is not proven to entirely eliminate misbehavior.