Coloured cards show students the way

By Anna Bowden
Students at a Bay school are being shown the red card for behaving badly.
In a novel way of disciplining children, Otumoetai College teachers are dishing out coloured cards - just like referees on the sports field - to punish wayward students and reward good behaviour.
A red card means detention, an orange card is a warning to change behaviour and a green card rewards good behaviour.
The system was developed by Year 10 dean Doreen Swetman, who had used it in another school.
It is designed to be non-confrontational and encourage youngsters to think about why they have been given a card. The system initially used red and green cards but the orange warning card was introduced this year.
Red cards are given for wearing the wrong uniform, being late to class or continually disruptive behaviour and mean the student must attend a lunchtime detention.
Orange cards are used in classroom situations and are placed in front of students who are being disruptive or "off-task".
The first step is to read the card "calm down, cool off". If disruption continues, the card is flipped and the student must copy what is written on the back as a means of understanding what they have done wrong.
"Sometimes there is that debate that what we are doing is disrupting the learning of other students," principal Dave Randell said. "This is non-confrontational and, from what I've seen, it's working.
"I always believe positive assertive systems work better."
Otumoetai actively encourages this positive approach by awarding green cards to students who have acted in line with the school's Positive Respect for Others approach.
Students who are given a green card go into a weekly draw to win a canteen voucher.