The Six Kinds of Best are

• Be Kind to Your Self

• Be Kind to Others

• Be Kind to the Environment

• Be the Learning Kind

• Be the Achieving Kind

• Be the Community Kind

You will notice it uses a play on the word 'kind' to make the 'sticky' message meaningful, memorable and repeatable and to reinforce the word 'kind’ – a vital personal attribute for members of any community.

The Six Kinds of Best is often shortened to 6KOB.

• Be Kind to Your Self - is about developing self-esteem and resiliency

• Be Kind to Others - is about empathy, care, cooperation and building relationships.

• Be Kind to the Environment - is about care for our natural and physical environment

• Be the Learning Kind - is about seeking knowledge, being an effective learner and being a lifelong learner

• Be the Achieving Kind - is about acheiveing your potential with aspiration, courage, persistence and effectiveness

• Be the Community Kind -  is about being a responsible citizen and a positive contributor to local and global communities

Some schools call the Six Kinds of Best the 'Be Kind' program, and others choose to drop the 'kind' and apply more generic titles such as:

• Respect Your Self

• Respect Others

• Respect the Environment

• Value Learning

• Value Achievement

• Value the Community

The Six Kinds of Best is designed to be flexible so that schools can customise the resources and language to suit their own school context.

A 'Sticky Message'

One of the biggest problems with behaviour management in schools is a lack of consistency. For example, some teachers allow students to 'get away' with more than others or different teachers use different words to describe the same behaviour. This can make it confusing for students and frustrating for the teachers.

The power of the 6KOB lies in it's simplicity. Instead of a 'jungle' of Rights and Responsibilities or Rules and Consequences we have six simple aspirational behaviours that outline expectated behaviours.  They provide a common language that is easy to learn, understand and remember - which is why we call it a 'sticky' message.

Neuroscience techniques have been used to make the Six Kinds of Best appealing and highly memorable . Visual images, memory hooks and and audio-visual-kinesthetic rituals help students develop positive mindsets and create ‘mental anchors’ that help them make good choices.

Find out how schools make the Six Kinds of Best 'sticky'

A Proactive Approach

Health systems typically direct more energy and resources into fixing health problems that that do in preventing them. Justice systems and police departments direct much more resources into dealing with crime than they do in preventing it. Similarly, many schools and classrooms direct much more time, energy and resources in reacting to behaviour problems than they do to prevent them.

The Six Kinds of Best program suggests that teachers, schools and parents will have a much better return-on-investment of their mental energy and resources by taking a proactive approach to managing behaviour. The Six Kinds of Best concept and resources offer a formula and the tools to help do this.

Traditional behaviour management systems operate on the basis of Rules, Routines and Consequences. The philosophy of the Six Kinds of Best is that before we reach this stage we need to

• create a positive and inspiring learning environment
• explicitly label, model and teach the behaviours we want to see
• foster quality relationships
• and importantly have a clear, consistent and 'sticky' message that is known, understood and revered by all

The following two quotes sum up the philosophy of the Six Kinds of Best:

Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words

Keep your words positive, because your words become your behaviour

Keep your behaviour positive, because your behaviours become your habits

Keep your habits positive, because your habits become your values

Keep your values positive, because your values become your destiny
Mahatma Gandhi

The Six Kinds of Best empowers students to have positive destinies by helping them keep their thoughts, words, behaviours, habits and values positive.

When values are clear, laws are unnecessary
When values are not clear, laws are unenforceable
Goethe

When the Six Kinds of Best are deeply embedded, the plethora of detailed rules, consequences and behaviour management processes become redundant.

"I am writing to say thank you as I have adopted the Six Kinds of Best into my school following hearing David Koutsouks speak at the NZPF conference in Christchurch last year. It has been extremely successful in assisting with changing the tone of the school. In 2008 we had 21 stand-downs (suspensions). 2009 – 6 stand-downs and DP spent most of his time on Curriculum instead of discipline. 2010 – Only 2 stand-downs"

Principal, Cosgrove School, NZ

The Six Kinds of Best effectively provides a 'triple-edged sword' because it does three things at once:

• It helps teachers manage student behaviour using a proactive approach
• It helps parents  encourage positive behaviours at home by giving them a simple language to use that is consistent with the school
• It gives students a 'recipe for success' to help them be the best they can be

Key Components

There are eight key components of the Six Kinds of Best program. Many schools implement the whole program, while others just pick out 'bits and pieces' they need. Click on the links to find out more about each.

1. The 6KOB Sticky Message - The Six Kinds of Best 'main message' + strategies to make it 'sticky'

2. 6KOB Values Framework - Key messages and topics

3. 6KOB Program Syllabus - A scope and sequence chart of values and character education lesson topics. Covers 10 year levels ages 4-13 years. Follow this program or use planning tools to create your own customized version.

4. Learning Resources to implement the 6KOB Syllabus - Teachers Guides and Student Workbooks with full lesson guides, support materials and blackline masters. 40 lessons per year for 10 year levels ages 4-13 years

5. Visual Resources to embed the 6KOB Sticky Message

6. The Seven Phases of Values Development - a strategic process for embedding desired behaviours

7. Professional Development

8. Free Online Support Materials

Overview

The following chart and provides a visual overview of the program and it's resources.

What People Say

Schools and classrooms from around the world have reported significant improvements in behaviour as a result of focussing on the Six Kinds of Best. Here are some more comments from schools.

"The Six Kinds of Best have played an important part in the development of our school culture. Teachers have embraced the well-structured and colourful resources, and parents have given the program their full support. Students have responded well to the clear, consistent messages, and often use 'Six Kinds of Best' language when talking to peers, teachers and parents - the message is certainly getting through! We even do the 'Six Kinds of Best' affirmation at every assembly.

Principal, Riverton School, WA

"We continue to foster a happy, safe and disciplined learning environment which promotes leadership and engagement built on the Six Kinds of Best. The values program was embedded and in operation with high rates of success."

Dutton Park School, QLD

"The Six Kinds of Best played a key role in the positive transformation of our school culture at Wyndham DHS.  Being able to customize the Six Kinds of Best to become the Wyndham Way has meant that people have taken ownership of the message and are committed to achieving it."
Deputy Principal, Wyndham DHS

Read more testimonials