Chapter 15
Classroom Management EDU531
Marykate Sinko
Reflecting on a Philosophy of Discipline
Philosophy about any matter summarizes what you believe to be true, good, correct about
that matter, as well as what might become false, bad, and incorrect about it.
Consider the following questions regarding your philosophy of Discipline…
1.
What is classroom misbehavior and why does it require attention?
2.
What is the purpose of discipline and what results do we want to achieve?
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In ch. 1 classroom misbehavior was defined as any behavior that, through intent
or thoughtlessness, interferes with teaching or learning, threatens or intimidates
others, or over step's society’s standards of moral, ethical, or legal behavior.
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Such behavior requires attention because it often disrupts learning and interferes with
the development of self control and effective personal relations.
The purpose of discipline is to help all students learn more easily, relate better
with others, and become more self disciplined.
Reflecting on a Theory/Practice of Discipline
 Theory of Discipline - meaning what it involves and how it works- ties back to your
philosophy of discipline.
 Consider these 2 questions.. Your responses to them reflect your theory of disciple.
 What are the essential components of a good discipline system?
 How do the components work together or influence each other?
 Practice of Discipline- how you want your system of discipline to work in the
classroom. Your preferences derive logically from your philosophy and theory of
discipline. Consider these two questions regarding your practice of discipline:
 What will you do to prevent or limit the occurrence of misbehavior?
 How can you react most effectively when students misbehave?
 A balanced program of discipline gives attention to four important matters:
1. Teaching students how to conduct themselves in a desirable manner.
2. Preventing misbehavior by attending proactively to conditions that might foster it.
3. Supporting students’ efforts to conduct themselves responsibly.
4. Intervening when students behave inappropriately- in a manner that helps them find
success and positive personal relations.
Continued…
Instruction Aspect of Discipline
- involves teaching students how to conduct themselves considerately and responsibly in
various class routines. Harry Wong and others call on teachers to model, demonstrate, and
have students practice the behaviors expected.
Prevention Aspect of Discipline
- Involves removing, in advance, the known causes of misbehavior or limiting their effects to
the extent possible. Any misbehavior you prevent saves you many minutes of instruction
time and helps you and your students maintain good personal relations and positive
attitudes toward school and learning. You can prevent most misbehavior by:
1. Treatment of Students
2. Trust and Responsibility
3. Communication
4. Instruction
5. Teacher Personality
6. Class Agreements
Support and Intervention
- Support refers to what teachers do to help students maintain self control. Intervention
refers to what teachers do when students break class rules or behave irresponsibly.
Other Considerations
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Students do not respond well to forceful discipline tactics, but they do appreciate and profit from tactics
that are considerate and helpful.
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Students becoming Resistive – students begin to fidget, doodle, look out the window, smile or
gesture each other, whisper, and otherwise indicate they are disengaging in the lesson. You can
limit this behavior by making your instructional activities especially interesting and interacting
personally with different students during the lesson.
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Teachers should:
1.
Remain attentive to all students in the class.
2.
Make eye contact with the students or use physical proximity.
3.
Ask the students about the work in progress.
4.
Verbal comments. “ Class, I’ll really appreciate it if you can stick with the lesson for five
more minutes.”
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Students thoughtlessly breaking class agreements- usually unintentional, they begin talking,
calling out, moving about, goofing off, or failing to complete their work.
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Teachers should:
1.
Use body language. Ex: eye contact, physical proximity, and attention.
2.
Remind students of class agreements that they agreed to.
3.
Don’t draw undue attention to the students who are offending, rather to the undesirable
behavior.
4.
Conduct class meetings for ongoing incidents and explore solutions.
1.
Don’t single out students, help them improve.
Continued…
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Students misbehaving seriously – considered immoral, outrageous, or violent.
These behaviors range from lying, and cheating to stealing, sexual immorality,
bullying, cruelty, aggression or violence.
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Teachers should:
1.
Hold a class meeting before any serious matter occurs.
2.
If it is lying, cheating, stealing, or sexual transgressions, without attacking
the individual point out what is occurring and why it is forbidden in the
classroom.
1.
If it continues, speak with the individual privately and explain again
why those acts are not permitted in the class/school.
2.
Ask the individual to meet with you privately so you can explain your
concern. Don’t try and make the students admit wrongdoing, don’t
threaten them or use logic in trying to persuade them, and never insist
they apologize.
3.
If the behavior is threatening, dangerous, or cruel such as severe bullying,
intimidation, fighting or possession of weapons or dangerous substances :
Call for help immediately.
Helping Students Behave More Responsibly
 Many years ago, Rudolf Dreikrus made “social interest” a prime ingredient in his scheme
of classroom discipline. He sought to help students see that they prospered individually
when the class prospered as a whole.
 Social interest can be developed through:
 Making Joint Decisions – Proactively give students power by involving them in
helping make selected decisions that affect the class. Gives students a sense of
control and makes them more likely to comply with expectations.
 Assuming Responsibility – Involves accepting the results of one’s actions and
learning from them. This ties to freedom and power.
 Developing a Sense of Community – Involvement in decision making and
acceptance of responsibility helps students build a sense of community. Students feel
valued and connected to each other and think in terms of “we” instead of “I”. When
students personal needs are met, they show increased tendency to help meet their
classmates’ needs.
 Developing Synergy – Occurs when members of a class begin, through interest or
excitement to feed psychic energy to each other. When the energy level becomes
high enough students work together eagerly.
 They communicate, cooperate, share resources, and find pleasure in the process.
 Synergy is most likely to occur in the presence of trust, teacher charisma, good
communication, high interest, group enterprise, and considerate human
relations.
The Five Principles and Your Personal System of
Discipline
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The Five Principles
1.
Principle 1 : What must you do to ensure you are thoroughly professional in the
ways you present yourself and interact with others?
2.
Principle 2: What kinds of behavior do you wish to see in your students, now
and in the future?
3.
Principle 3: What emotional and moral qualities will you promote in the
classroom to help your students develop into the kinds of people you hope they
will be?
4.
Principle 4: What provisions will you make to encourage and enable your
students to conduct themselves in a responsible manner?
5.
Principle 5: What tactics will you use to intervene effectively when common
disruptions, neurological – based behaviors, or serious actions occur in your
classroom?
Two Sample Discipline Plans from Teachers in
Service

Sample 1: An Approach That Emphasizes Rules and Consequences
-Teachers who use this plan believe the teacher should be firmly yet sensitively in control and
should ensure that everyone behaves as expected in the classroom. They feel their approach cuts
down on disruptions and allows students to learn in an environment free from worry.
Contains:
1. Rules – indicates what students are allowed and not allowed to do in the
class.
2. Consequences –
a. Positive consequences are pleasant experiences that the students enjoy
when they follow the rules.
b. Negative consequences are unpleasant conditions that students
experience when they break the rules.
3. Implementation and Maintenance –
a. Students are taught how they are expected to behave and a series of steps
is established for applying the consequences.
b. Parents are informed about the rationale, expectations, rules,
consequences, and procedures of enforcement.
c. Teachers can change aspects of their programs when the need to do so
becomes evident.
Deborah Sund’s Third Grade Discipline Program
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This program is how a present-day teacher uses
the rules and consequences procedure protocol,
adjusts to her needs.
Ms. Sund clarifies her students’ needs, her needs,
her special dislikes, then build her discipline
system so all are taken into account.
My Student’ Needs
 A teacher who is helpful attentive, and kind.
 To be accepted and feel part of the group.
My Own Needs
 Orderly classroom appearance
 Enthusiasm
My Dislikes
 Inattention to speaker, teacher, other adult,
or class member
 Abuse of property
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Class Rules
 Do our best work
 Use signals to request permission to receive
help
Positive Consequences
 Whole class: special privilege
 Wink, nod, pat on the back
Negative Consequences
 Stern glance
 Tell them exactly what they are doing wrong
To Prevent Misbehavior
 Take time to know each student better on a
personal level.
 Communicate with parents
Intervening When Students Misbehave
 Move close to the student
 Show close attention to the student’s work
Continued…
 Sample 2: An approach that Emphasizes Prevention and Teacher-Student
Cooperation
Emphasizes preventing misbehavior through meeting student needs and building
personal relationships. The rationale for this approach is that it promotes a greater
sense of satisfaction and enjoyment in the class, while removing student resentment
and reluctance to cooperate. This plan emphasizes the following:
- Attending continually to student’s needs for security, hope, acceptance, dignity,
power, enjoyment, and competence.
- Communicating effectively and regularly with students and their parents.
- Making sure to give all students attention, encouragement, and support.
- Involving all students meaningfully in the operation of the class
- Dealing with misbehavior by attending to its causes.
- Teachers who employ this discipline approach feel it allows them to relate with
students in a way that builds positive relationships with relatively little stress.
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Gail Charles’s Discipline Plan – Eighth Grade
English
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Winning My Students Over
 I forbid all ridicule and sarcasm.
 I give my students a voice in class matters and
listen to them sincerely. I allow them to make
decisions about where they sit and with
whom they wish to work. I do this as a part of
trying to make learning enjoyable. They like
to work with each other, participate, talk, and
cooperate.
Meeting My Needs
 I tell students up front that I want the tone in
the class to be positive, with everyone
showing patience, tolerance, good manners,
and mutual respect.
 I ask for enthusiasm. I want them to help care
for materials and keep the room clean.
 I promise to treat them with respect
Rules and Student Input
 When I meet a new class I discuss their needs
and mind and focus on how we can meet
those needs and make our class productive.
 For their first homework assignment, to
think back on previous years in school a write
a short response to the following questions:
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When have you felt most successful in school?
What did the teacher do to help you feel successful?
What kinds of class activities have you found most
helpful and enjoyable?
What suggestions do you have for creating a classroom
in which all can work, learn and do their best?
Prevention
 I try to interact personally with the students. I
write a letter at the beginning of the year to my
students, and ask for on in return. I keep a
birthday calendar. I try to comment on new
hairstyles, clothing etc. I chaperone.
 In the classroom I like to involve students in being
librarian, bulletin board designer, etc.
Interventions
 A simple reminder usually works or I ask the
counselor to set up a meeting with the student’s
parent, and sometimes with other teachers. We
discuss the problem and explore how it can be
resolved.
Finalizing Your Personal System of Discipline
 Step 1: Specify How You Will Present and Conduct Yourself
 Must exercise due diligence over students
 Shall not intentionally expose students to embarrassment
 Shall not disclose information about students obtained in the course of professional
service unless disclosure serves a compelling professional purpose or is required by
law.
 Dress professionally
 Use appropriate language ( Correct Speech Patterns)
 Treat others with respect and courtesy.
 Step 2: Specify the Behavioral Goals for Your Students
 Show positive attitude
 Behave considerately toward others
 Take initiative
 Show self – direction
 Make a strong effort to learn
 Assume personal responsibility for behavior.
Finalizing Your Personal System of Discipline
 Step 3: Describe the Classroom Conditions You Will Provide
 Comfortable physical environment
 Sense of community
 Positive attention
 Good communication
 Consideration for others
 Trust
 Interesting Activities
 Students knowledge of expectations
 Continual helpfulness
 Preservation of dignity
 Minimizing causes of misbehavior
 Teaching charisma
 Students involvement in decisions about the class.
Finalizing Your Personal System of Discipline
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Step 4: Specify How You Will Help Students Conduct Themselves Appropriately
 Give each students personal attention as often as possible
 Seek parental support for the class program
 Develop trust with and among class members
 When students misbehave, help them assume responsibility for correction and self restitution,
use established interventions that preserve personal dignity
Step 5: Indicate How You Will Intervene When Misbehavior Occurs
 Show interest in student’s work and ask cheerful questions, make favorable comments, or
provide hints
 Provide a light challenge
 Catch students’ eyes, send private signals, or move close to students
 If the work is boring or too difficult, restructure it or change the activitiy
Step 6: Think Through and Write Out How You Will Introduce and Explain the System to Your
Students
 Write, in outline form, what you will say, demonstrate, explain, and discuss with students when
introducing your system.
 Identify behaviors and procedures you want students to understand clearly and describe how you
will have students practice sufficiently to familiarize themselves with expectations.
Your Formula for Success Is in Your Hands
 After following the six steps you will have your developed a system of
discipline.
 You can confidently gain students’ respect and cooperation through
establishing personal relations with them, tending to their concerns,
supporting their efforts, and helping them overcome obstacles.
 Mistakes are a natural part of the educational process. When you make
mistakes, learn from them and ask your students to do the same.
 Ask students to work together with you and reassure them you will always
help them the best way you can.
 The resultant attitude of cooperation will allow you to make full use of your
teaching skills and will help ensure an educational experience of high
quality for everyone involved.