RTC

At Flagstaff Middle School we have what is called the Responsible Thinking Classroom, a unique discipline program designed to teach students to think about their behavior.  It is based on the teacher asking in a calm respectful manner, a series of pre-determined questions to a student violating rules or rights of others.  This questioning process can take place anywhere, the classroom, school hallway, or school field trip.  In the classroom, through this questioning process, the student chooses either to remain in the classroom and respect the rights of others or, chooses to leave and is referred to the Responsible Thinking Classroom. 

    In RTC students learn to think through and implement successful ways of handling problems by developing a well thought out success plan,.  Once the plan is completed and reviewed b y the RTC teacher, the student must negotiate, with the referring teacher, their way back to class and have the plan accepted.  Otherwise, the student must rework the plan until it is acceptable.
    RTC is non-punitive.  It is not an in-school suspension or detention room; students choose to go there.  Although the classroom is very structured and the rules very strict, students seeking help are respected, treated fairly, and listened to.  As with students seeking tutoring for academic help, students visiting RTC are tutored in developing ways to think through what they are doing in relation to the rules wherever they are.

Mr. Clell Lewis, RTC Teacher