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From The

BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

Stop Kicking Me Out

A Guide to Reducing Classroom Referrals


What if the real problem in your classroom isn’t student behavior… but the system behind it?

Stop Kicking Me Out challenges one of education’s most accepted habits: removing students instead of reaching them. Drawing from real classroom dynamics, research, and lived experience, Dr. Lottie M. Watson offers a practical, human-centered approach to discipline that keeps students engaged, respected, and learning.

You’ll learn how to:

1. Build trust that reduces disruptions before they start
2. Respond to conflict without escalating it
3. Create shared expectations students actually follow
4. Support student voice, ownership, and accountability
5. Replace reactive discipline with intentional structure

This book doesn’t ask you to work harder. It shows you how to work differently. If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s a better way to manage your classroom, this book gives you an answer you can use tomorrow.

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Stop Kicking Me Out: A Guide to Reducing Classroom Referrals

“‘Stop Kicking Me Out’ provides an additional perspective in the discourse regarding Pushout, which references the school-to-prison pipeline. The pipeline has roots in the targeting of Black students, which is inherently anti-Black but not addressed as such. The targeting of Black students simply due to their racialized designation is intentional and harmful. This text is crucial in helping educators have an insider perspective on what kicking students of color out of the classroom and school means. It is also a helpful text for school administrators to assist their consideration of the optics of the intentional targeting of non-white students.”
Dr. Frederic V. Engram, Assistant Professor-Fairleigh Dickinson University
“As a newer classroom teacher with a long background in exercise science, I’ve learned that connection always precedes performance. ‘Stop Kicking Me Out’ captures that truth perfectly. The author reminds us that before we teach content, we must teach trust. Just as athletes & clients respond to coaches who know their story, students thrive when educators invest in relationships first. This book reframes discipline as dialogue and instruction as partnership. It’s a reminder that the most powerful classroom tool isn’t a lesson plan; it’s the relationship that makes learning possible.”
Mr. Vernon Williams, CEO/Owner of The Healthy American Initiative, Inc.
“‘Stop Kicking Me Out’ speaks directly to one of the greatest challenges facing education today: how to respond to student behavior without losing the humanity of the student. Dr. Lottie Watson masterfully combines research, practical strategies, and real educational insight to create a resource that is both instructional and transformational. I was especially moved by her focus on building classroom climate, emotional regulation, student self-advocacy, and trust circles. ‘Stop Kicking Me Out’ is not a book rooted in punishment, but in purpose. The message aligns with a leadership principle I strongly believe in: real influence is built through relationships, not merely authority. Dr. Watson encourages educators to see beyond the behavior and understand the story behind it. This book offers hope, wisdom, and actionable strategies for educators who want to create learning environments where students feel valued, seen, and empowered to succeed both academically and emotionally.”
David M. Walker, Ed.D., M.Div America's #1 Transformational Leadership Speaker & Strategist
“The author’s main message is that student removal from the classroom is often preventable when teachers focus on engagement, relationships, and shared responsibility from the start, instead of relying on discipline after problems arise. The author argues for proactive strategies like building strong connections with students and creating a positive classroom climate. A Key idea is that both teachers and students collaboratively establish expectations and consequences. This shared approach gives students a sense of ownership, reduces power struggles, and encourages accountability, making it more likely that they will remain productive and present in the learning environment.”
Rayza Merino, CEO/Owner of Tulips & Lark, LLC

About the Author

 

Dr. Lottie M. Watson, is an educator, researcher, and advocate for equitable classroom practices. Her doctoral work focused on reducing exclusionary discipline and improving student outcomes. She has led initiatives in student engagement, teacher development, and culturally responsive education. Through her work with schools and educators, she has helped implement practical strategies that keep students connected to instruction and improve classroom environments.

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Stop Kicking Me Out: A Guide to Reducing Classroom Referrals

FAQ

1. What inspired you to write this book?

The inspiration behind this book was initially driven by my career as a Dean of Students. The
lens of an academic administrator, specifically aligned with changing student behaviors, is an
unspoken role of discipline and compliance. I learned very quickly that perceptions and false
communications with students will taint your perspectives to create relationships with
students, thus recreating “school push out” and recidivism of unwanted behaviors. It was
during this time in my career that I wanted to study why this recidivism continued and learn
how to break the cycle.

2. What will your readers gain from your book?

One lesson readers will gain from this book is how to create an environment that is both
equitable for all members and reduces the option for school officials to separate students from
the education environment. Readers will learn how to reduce exclusionary discipline in the
classroom.

3. What was your unique quotient for this project?

My unique quotient for this project was to remind school officials that in order to reduce
exclusionary discipline from the classroom, you must begin with seeking a change in
behaviors BEFORE AND PROACTIVELY, as well as before introducing any academic
instruction for a minimum of 45 days, while you create the foundations for the learning
environment.

4. How did becoming an author help in your brand/business?

Becoming an author continues to share my message of ways to reduce exclusionary discipline
from the classroom through a variety of means. This book simply describes a few ways to do
so while keeping students in the classroom.

5. What are your future plans as an author?

My future plans are to produce a second book detailing how to reduce exclusionary discipline
from the classroom via classroom referrals. The written documentation of a referral remains
in a student’s discipline file, and its presentation needs to be addressed so that it removes all
subjectivity.

6. What will you learn from this book?

1. I have learned that sharing my experiences from the last 30+ years as an educator has
shown that supporting teachers is vital to the success of students. One of the best ways
to do this is to prepare a variety of tools and strategies that support classroom
management surrounding discipline at the classroom level. This must begin with
relationships that are caring and nurturing.

2. The second thing you will learn from this book is how to build relationships with
dignity. Treating students with respect and care is vital to maintaining a strong
learning environment. This begins with your relationships with them. The more
genuine and authentic it is, the better the chance of keeping students in the classroom.

3. The third thing you will learn is how to create a classroom agreement (Climate
Charter) that reminds all members of the classroom what was agreed upon prior to
any disruptions in behavior. This is done proactively so that rational discussions can
take place and all voices are respected. This is one of the best relationship-building
activities for developing the foundation of the classroom. Since it is done collectively,
the probability of students buying into the agreement is higher than if the teacher
created it alone.