Buckeye Common Tongue

Sharing a common language creates a consistent, predictable, clear environment where our kids feel safe to explore, try new things, make mistakes and create. We use Positive Discipline language and practices to achieve a common tongue or vernacular that all of our co-learners, volunteers, seeds and board use to communicate with one another.

  • Buckeye focuses on the positive - what a child CAN do - we build on strengths not weaknesses
  • We focus on desired behavior by using third party affirmations and other ways to highlight and encourage
  • Our common tongue EMPOWERS kids to find their voice and champion their own problem solving
  • We help our seeds NAME THE PROBLEM and discover SOLUTIONS
  • We CONNECT at Buckeye before we correct
  • When a member steps over a boundary we RECOGNIZE, RECONCILE and RESOLVE
  • Our common tongue encourages INDEPENDENCE and self-responsibility by answering questions with questions. Where do you think it should go? Why do you think that is? How do you believe it would work best? What would you suggest?
  • Buckeye common tongue VALIDATES feelings - I hear that you are angry, I see that you are sad, can you use your words to tell me how you are feeling?
  • We do not use punitive words - we do not need to make a child feel bad to be good
  • We don’t believe in good or bad children, we are all equal
  • We honor privacy and never correct across the room
  • We do not speak at children, we speak with children

Buckeye Common Tongue Phrases

  • "What can you learn from this?"
  • "What did you learn from this?"
  • "What would you like to learn from this?"
  • "How can we help you learn from this?"
  • "Use your words"
  • "It’s your turn to talk and my turn to listen" visa versa
  • "You’re walking on _____ 's words"
  • "This is listening time"
  • "Show me how to _____"
  • "Tell me about your _____"
  • "What would you like to do about this?"
  • "That behavior is outside of Buckeye boundaries, can you show me what the Buckeye way looks like?"
  • "What could you do differently next time?"
  • No shhhhh sounds at Buckeye - we put a finger to our lips when asking for quiet
  • "What is your understanding of _______"