RESPONSIBILITY THEORY? Testimonials

Shonel Murnane

I have been a teacher for four years and I have worked in remote aboriginal communities and in suburban areas…I am so excited about this classroom behaviour management program that I believe every teacher should know about it. The program is simple, but extremely powerful and effective as it gives students ownership over their responsibilities and behaviours. This program would work in any classroom, in any year level, at any school and with all students…The program covers every classroom rule imaginable…I can honestly declare that this program has been the most beneficial professional development for my career and I highly recommend it to every teaching professional.

Toni Burley

Ragnar has been working with my students and me…at my school. I am thrilled with the results and have found that even the students who are well behaved have taken on more responsibility for their behaviour and learning. All of my students who were difficult to handle and took a lot of my time, changed their attitude and their behaviour. In 25 years of teaching, this is the MOST successful program I have ever used in modifying and handling student’s behaviour…the program is simple, easy to implement and hugely successful. I LOVE the program and have seen amazing results where all of my students take responsibility for their own learning and behaviour. Now I can spend most of my time teaching instead of consistently dealing with behaviours. I highly recommend it to all teachers and all classrooms.

Brett McCook, Dip. Jus., B.A.Ed., (and all round good guy)

I met Ragnar Purje when he was engaged in the position of Behaviour Management at my school. Ragnar's role was to assist staff with behaviour management strategies and to support students to engage in the presentation of positive behaviours. Ragnar was also involved in Behaviour Management at other schools in the region.

 During that period, I observed Ragnar was able to directly and specifically engage with and assist students to recognise and understand that they were responsible for the choices they were making. I observed Ragnar dealing with students and I observed Ragnar would never berate them but instead engage in a polite yet firm discourse. Ragnar would begin a process of engaging with the student or students with the aim of the student, or students, eventually acknowledging and accepting that they, and not the teacher, were the one who had initiated the situation where intervention was required.

 From my observations and my professional discussions with other staff members, I regard Ragnar’s responsible behaviour management program to be a most effective and positive educational and social influence which allowed students to recognise and understand that they were solely responsible for their actions, and the reason why they were “in trouble.”

 So that you can better judge the usefulness of my comments, I should mention I have previously been employed as an apprentice carpenter, protective security officer and as an Education Assistant in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). I have also completed a Diploma of Justice Studies and a Bachelor of Education from Queensland University of Technology.

I know, from my own personal and professional experience and from my tertiary studies, that individuals have a choice to either behave reasonably or unreasonably. Even from an early age, children can and do present either of these behaviours, i.e., behaving reasonably or behaving unreasonably. As children mature, the world around them becomes more complex, however individual choices and personal responsibility remains the constant. The important thing to do is to continually inform and educate the child, the student, the teenager, even, at times, the adult, that they are responsible for what they are doing, and with this, the individual can learn to understand that they can influence their personal world in either a positive or a negative manner; the important point to note is that the individual is making the choice.

I am of the opinion if teachers, schools and educational organisations were to adopt and employ the principles of the Responsibility Theory, there would be a minimising of the reoccurrence of negative behaviours exhibited from students. By minimising the reoccurrence of negative episodes, most students would be engaging appropriately in their learning, and most teachers would be engaging notably more in the teaching process rather than in attempting to manage student behaviours.

I have no hesitation in recommending Responsibility Theory to any teacher, school administration or government department. Ragnar's responsible behaviour management endeavours to assist the student to understand who is ultimately responsible for their behaviour and what strategies or techniques they can employ to minimise the reoccurrence of further episodes of inappropriate behaviour.

Craig Weaver: Director BodyFix – Health and Healing

Practical and brilliant. 'How to get it done'. Your life, your future, your reality, you have the power over all of it! You're also responsible for it! This is a great read and oh so useful. In twenty years of teaching and coaching, this is the most functional and successful guide to success through personal empowerment I've ever seen. Best of all, it's simple, unambiguous and consistent.

 Teaching everybody, children, athletes, safety professionals, working men and business women these basic tenets is a road map for control of your destiny... the weird thing is the co-operation and unity it brings. Totally unexpected. This book lays out in simple no nonsense terms the very real fact that you can control your own destiny. 'You control your thoughts and your actions. YOU have that power and you carry that responsibility', simple! Children especially, grasp this concept and revel in the guidelines set out in Responsibility Theory.

 Most philosophies are lost to interpretations, Ragnar's book, is a valuable research document and a no-nonsense guide to a system of self-discipline and self-control that is accessible to all. As the book says, "Who has the power?" You do, It's your responsibility and that's a good thing!

University Student A - Preservice Graduate Teacher

My research into these behaviour management models (Rogers, 2012) and Purje (2014) has informed my teaching practice. I am now much calmer when presented with challenging behaviour. I no longer engage with students over secondary behaviours, I take the higher ground and tactfully ignore them. I have found that this has had a flow-on effect as I am modelling to other students how they too can tactfully ignore disruptive students and continue their own good behaviour.

 Most noticeably, the Responsibility Theory of Purje (2012), implemented in my classroom has empowered the students. They have taken on-board my trust in them to make good decisions. They have taken ownership of their thinking. Their behaviour is much more responsible. They are being mindful of what they say and when they say it. And they are enjoying their freedom to make their own choices. Most importantly they are realising that they want to learn, they see value in education and they have a new respect for their peers and their teachers.

?University Student B - Preservice Graduate Teacher

Having looked at a range of theories, contemporary literature, policy and good practice, the approach of Rogers (1995, 2004, 2006, 2011) resonates with my own personal belief of respect, relationship building, establishing routines, having expectations that everyone understands, and using positive reinforcement rather than negativity and putdowns as tools for behaviour management. Ford (2012) and his theory of Responsible Thinking also supports my recommended approach to behaviour management. Purje (2014) has refined this direction even further.