KOHLBERG'S IDEAS AT WORK IN THE CLASSROOM

Level 2: Conventional

Law and Order Orientation

• Elementary school examples

1. "It is compulsory for all school-age students to attend school." This statement exemplifies a right available to students by the United StatesConstitution (Gathercoal, 1993).
2. "Respect the property of others". This sign, when hung in amiddle school, reinforced the student's right to private property.
3. "Keep your hands and feet to yourself." School officials haveboth the legal authority and the professional responsibility to deny studentrights that seriously disrupt student learning activities(Gathercoal, 1993).

• High school examples

1. "Move carefully in the halls". This rule reinforces the fundamentalpurpose of government to protect the health and welfare of it's citizens(Gathercoal, 1993).
2. "Gang activity must be off school premises." School officialshave both the legal authority and the professional responsibility to denystudent rights that seriously disrupt student learning activities (Gathercoal, 1993).
3. "Wear appropriate shoes on the gym floor". Public property mustbe protected in the schools(Gathercoal, 1993)

• Readers interested in learning more about Forest Gathercoal'sJudicious Discipline, a model of discipline based solely on the United StatesConstitution are referred to the following readings:
• Gathercoal, Forrest. (1993). Judicious Discipline, 3rd ed. SanFrancisco, CA: Caddo Gap Press.
• McEwan, Barbara. (1990). Judicious Discipline. Democracy and Education,4(3): 37-40.

This tutorial contains examples from thePreconventional andPostconventional stages ofMoral Development as well.