At recess, gather your rebel clique together and say, “This is a special opportunity for you.  You only have to worry about each other.  If you do well, then you’ll all receive a positive mark on your part of the Scoreboard that the rest of the class won’t get.  However, if even one of you misbehaves, then you all will get a negative point.  This will mean you all will stay in a recess and practice the rule that one of you broke.  So, you’re a team.  Encourage each other to work together to score positive marks!”  Additionally inform the rebels that they only have to stay in the Independent group for one day.  Whenever they have had enough of each other’s company, all they have to do is ask you to let them join the rest of the class.

Now, in actual practice the Independents will not score more positive than negative points.  You’ll see to that.  As the misbehavior of one effects the rest, note something wonderful ... your rebellious clique begins bickering and quarreling.  The former friends turn against one another; the solid unity of their resistance evaporates, as they angrily criticize each other for misbehavior!

A key feature of the Independents is allowing a student, after one day, the option of leaving the group.  Whenever students learn that being in the wrong crowd, even if they are innocent, can have negative personal consequences, they have acquired an important life lesson.  Some of your rebels may be in and out of the Independent group for months.  That’s fine.  They are learning, over and over, the importance of staying away from friends who make foolish choices.

Additional details about the Independents may be found in free downloads at this site: “Teaching Challenging Elementary Students” and “Teaching Challenging Teens.”