Positive Discipline Course

  • Want to gain the cooperation of your child or students without the power struggles?
  • Do you need better strategies for those moments when yelling feels like the only thing that works?
  • Want to rebuild respectful and encouraging relationships with your child or students?

In this enjoyable, hands-on course, parents and educators will come away with a cache of 52 tools and strategies for gaining the cooperation of children in situations that typically produce conflict between adults and children. Adult carers will learn the four Mistaken Goals that lead children to misbehave and how to counter them with words and actions that promote connection and cooperation. 

Positive Discipline by Jane Nelsen was first published in 1981 and has since sold over 3 million copies in 16 languages with trained facilitators offering courses in over 70 countries. It is considered the gold standard in parenting classes and is deeply compatible with Montessori principles. Classes consist of role plays, Socratic questioning, and other experiential learning techniques that allow parents to internalise and retain new parenting strategies successfully. 

While most parenting classes seek to control children’s behaviour with rewards and punishments, Positive Discipline teaches parents how to gain the cooperation of their children by examining aspects of their own behaviour that may be sources of misbehaviour in children, and by empowering children with skills that develop resilience, empathy, self-control and the ability to solve their own problems without tantrums or acting out. Positive Discipline sees the misbehaving child as a discouraged child, and equips parents with a repertoire of 52 tools to help them re-establish the positive connection that leaves children more receptive to redirection. Positive Discipline is evidence-based, with years of research that has proven its effectiveness in putting the joy back in parenting for families all over the world. 

Presenter: Mark Powell, Director of Education Services at Montessori Australia and accredited Positive Discipline facilitator, trained directly under Jane Nelsen in the US.

The length of the course is 15 hours in total, preferrably delivered over six weeks in 2½ hour sessions. This allows time for participants to integrate the new techniques and to read the book.  Alternatively, it can be delivered over 2 days.

Course Inclusions:

  • Workbooks are included, but purchase of the Positive Discpline book is required.
  • Partners are welcome to attend for FREE.
  • Parents may repeat the course as often as needed for FREE.
  • Childcare provided where possible during the sessions (fees apply).

* Discounted rate for Montessori Australia Individual Members and all staff and parents at member schools and centres.  Ask for the PROMO CODE from your school/centre or contact [email protected]

Scheduled courses listed on our Events page or book directly via Eventbrite.

Come along to a free Intro Session to learn about Positive Discipline!  For parents and educators.

Request an Intro Session at your school/centre or enquire about running the course for your parents (in person or Zoom). Enquires to [email protected].

Upcoming Courses

6 Sunday morning sessions starting 4 August 2024 from 9:00am - 11:30am (Brisbane time).

6 Saturday & Sunday morning sessions starting 9 November 2024

Upcoming Intro Sessions

Come along to a free Intro Session to learn about Positive Discipline!  For parents and educators.

Free introductory session on Sunday, 19 May 2024 from 7:00pm – 8:15pm (Brisbane time).

Free introductory session on Sunday, 26 May 2024 from 7:00pm – 8:15pm (Brisbane time).

Free introductory session on Sunday, 9 June 2024 from 7:00pm – 8:15pm (Brisbane time).

Free introductory session on Sunday, 16 June 2024 from 7:00pm – 8:15pm (Brisbane time).

Free introductory session on Sunday, 14 July 2024 from 7:00pm – 8:15pm (Brisbane time).

Free introductory session on Sunday, 21 July 2024 from 7:00pm – 8:15pm (Brisbane time).

Free introductory session on Sunday, 28 July 2024 from 7:00pm – 8:15pm (Brisbane time).

What do participants say about the course...

...you will walk away a better person, a better parent, a better educator, for investing in yourself and your children.

"It should be mandatory for parents to learn and know the concepts taught in this course"

What do parents think about Positive Discipline?

A parent shares how the course benefitted her relationship with her son.