These are excellent points. My ideas for how to apply a scientifically sophisticated definition and description of the human brain/personality is only one of many steps we can take to improve mental health conditions across the board.

And my ideas are often interpreted as me thinking school should be a free for all where kids do whatever they want. I should have clarified this point.

Rules are imperative in schools. We would simply stop discussing rules in terms of behaviors or behavioral compliance. We would instead discuss rules as discreet bits of information.

For example, if there is no running in the school hallway, we would discuss the safety reasons for the rule. If a child ran in the hall, before doling out a consequence, the teacher would make sure the child understood the rule and the reason for it. If the child has a poor working memory, she would remind him before going into the hallway. If he has trouble restraining himself, she could ask him to carry heavy items for her, thereby helping him compose himself while walking.

Mainly, the teacher would never mention behavior in her dialogue about the walking rule. She would continue to discuss the rule and the reasons. There might be a consequence eventually for breaking the rule, but not until many other solutions are exhausted.

In my experience, when I took the emphasis off of behavioral compliance and put it on informational clarity, children were calm, far less anxious or irritable, pleasantly engaged, and much more amenable to try and follow the rules.

First off, I initiated subtle word changes about how I talked about rules. Perhaps most important were the words and phrases I did not use. I did not talk about a child’s behaviors or lack of behaviors in relationship to the rules. I did not call a child irresponsible, oppositional, or a poor listener. I did not roll my eyes and admonish a child for not following directions properly.

Secondly, I moved away from giving admonishments or consequences for breaking rules and instead implemented more problem solving strategies for helping students understand and manage rules. With subtle word changes and super easy teaching strategies I achieved great results with my students and their ability to manage classroom rules appropriately.