The Whale Done School: Transforming a School's Culture by Catching Students Doing Things Right

THE WHALE DONE SCHOOL is the third in the Whale Done! series, focusing the proven power of positive attention on the process of educating children. Based on an actual school-turnaround story, the fable demonstrates how students' behavior and academic performance improves dramatically when teachers systematically employ the science of training killer whales -- i.e., building trust, giving lots of attention to what their students do right, and redirecting wrong behavior to positive outcomes.

The screaming and loud threats could be heard all the way down the hall. Maggie was in her office with a student, a tall third grader named Karen. She was talking to the girl's mother on the phone. Through the open door Maggie saw the science teacher, Lucy, leading a small boy by the hand as the child continued his yelling. "I'm sorry, Ms. McCormack, I'll have to call you back," said Maggie as the teacher and screaming student neared her open door. Maggie hung up and was about to handle the situation, but the young girl rose confidently from her chair and stood in front of the ill-behaved boy. "You're the new kid," she said in a clear, firm voice. "My name is Karen. What's yours?" Suddenly subdued, the boy answered, "Desmond." Karen sat down in the chair beside him. "When I first came here, I used to be like you," she said. "I acted bad then, but I don't anymore, because I found out about Whale Done. You need to calm down, Desmond, because these people are here to help you." Melted by the girl's kind manner, the boy dissolved in tears. Karen patted his arm. "It's okay," she said. "Close your eyes, take a breath, and think Whale Done." Within minutes the situation was resolved and Desmond returned with his teacher to the classroom. Maggie called Karen's mother back and smiled at the youngster as she told the mom how she had handled the situation. She hung up and dismissed the child.