Classroom discipline has always been the bane of my teacher existence. I am not a disciplinarian in the traditional sense. It was such a relief when I switched to a nontraditional teaching position to not have to think so intensely about classroom discipline! That doesn’t mean that I don’t have to manage my classes. Kids are going to act like kids whether they are in small groups or large groups. What’s been wonderful about working with smaller groups of students is that I feel like the discipline that I have set up for my students can now translate to beyond the classroom setting.
When I think of discipline, I don’t think of punishment. When I worked with larger classes, the general interpretation of discipline was of punitive consequences. And, of course, there are certain behaviors that must be dealt with immediately so that the student(s) don’t harm themselves or others. But, once the immediate threat is over, what next? And, what about those kids that I have developed annoying habits like not completing homework or talking out of turn? What good is punishment going to be for those students? A new perspective on discipline might be what’s needed.
To me, discipline means building healthy habits and sticking to them. To accomplish this, we (and our students) need practice, patience, and perseverance. Unhealthy habits don’t change overnight, and neither will annoying student behaviors. Any change that needs to be made is going to take hard work on the part of the teacher and the student.
Take, for example, the student who does not complete homework consistently. Often, you will see that student being made to use their recess time to complete their homework. Does such a reaction get the student to start doing their homework consistently? Sometimes, I suppose. But, I’ve never experienced that result. So, how do I get that student to do their homework? I problem-solve with them. I let them tell me what the problem is and then we brainstorm ideas for how to solve the problem. Finally, we set up a series of steps to get to their goal of solving their problem. The student didn’t start suddenly doing homework consistently overnight, but over the course of a couple of months, the student’s homework record improved. Not only that, but the student was also more consistent with his classwork. It takes time, but the student will eventually reach their goal.
As the new school year approaches for many of us, thinking about your classroom rules and discipline procedures are probably at the forefront of your mind. I hope I offered a different perspective that might get you to consider your own approach. Whatever your approach, I hope that you have an amazing school year!
Happy Teaching!
PinaRose Education 