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Houston we have a problem...


Resultado de imagen para school discipline
One of the biggest problems nowadays with our students is the discipline enforcement, it seems that students are not obeying some teachers and sometimes we don´t know how to manage some situations, to make it worse, if we implement a punishment, parents are complaining or the school´s authority can question our actions. So today I´m going to tell you some tips that have worked for me as a teacher in order to maintain the discipline in the classroom.


Prepare for Disruptions

A typical school day is loaded with disruptions, from announcements to a student acting out in class. Teachers need to be flexible and develop a series of plans to deal with anticipated classroom disruptions, which take students in-class time.
Prepare for transitions and potential disruptions. Consider the following suggestions:
Identify the typical times for student disruptions and misbehavior, usually at the start of the lesson or class period, when topics change or at the conclusion of a lesson or class period.
Defuse conflicts in the classroom with a series of steps: by re-tasking, by engaging in dialogue, by temporarily relocating a student to a designated  "cooling off" area or, if a situation warrants, by speaking to a student as privately as possible. Teachers should use a non-threatening tone in private talks with misbehaving students.

Be Fair and Consistent

Teachers must treat all students respectfully and equitably. When students perceive unfair treatment in the classroom, discipline problems are going to appear.
There is a case to be made for differentiated discipline, however. Students come to school with specific needs, socially and academically, and educators should not be so set in their thinking that they approach discipline with a one-size-fits-all policy.
Zero-tolerance policies rarely work. Instead, data demonstrates that by focusing on teaching behavior rather than simply punishing misbehavior, educators can maintain order and preserve a student's opportunity to learn.

Set and Keep High Expectations

Teachers should set high expectations for student behavior and for academics. Expect students to behave, and they likely will.
In contrast, lowering expectations will make that the quality of the class and the learning process starts to fall. On the other hand, as teachers, we need to really be careful on the expectations we are setting because if we set higher expectations than the ones they can afford, frustration will eventually appear and students will start not only having behavior issues, but also they can be afraid of the teacher and the teaching-learning process will be again affected.

Make Rules Understandable

Resultado de imagen para rulesClassroom rules must align with the school rules and establish clear consequences for rule-breakers.
In making the classroom rules, consider the following suggestions:
ü  Involve students in all aspects of creating the classroom rules.
ü  Keep things simple. Five simply stated rules should be enough; too many rules make students feel overwhelmed.
ü  Establish those rules that cover behaviors that specifically interfere with the learning and engagement of your students.
ü  Refer to rules regularly and positively.

Be friendly but not a friend

One aspect that some teachers will have difficulties is the issue of being a nice teacher but not crossing the line between teacher and students. If we establish a line of respect and we are friendly, our students will feel in a nice environment and they will respect us as teachers, making an excellent teaching-learning process. If we start to insult, making jokes offending students, then they will backfire and this teaching-learning process will decay. So again, be careful in how you relate with your students.

On the next article we are going to talk about this last tip, whether teachers should be loved or feared, so stay tuned folks!

What other tips would you like to add into this list? You can write it in the comments section and complement this list for better tips for you and your colleagues. Thanks!  

References
Bennett, Colette M. (2018, October 16). 7 Ways to Take Control of Your Classroom to Reduce Student Misbehavior. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/classroom-management-reduce-student-discipline-7803

Comentarios

  1. As I work with teenagers, sometimes I talk to them and place them on the other side of the story, but without implying they are teachers and I am the student because then they can make a joke about it: it’s a different environment with different people, but the same problem and ask them what they would do in a similar situation, asking them to think about it for a minute and then they come up with a solution to it, resulting on the correction of their own behavior and even apologizing for it. Thanks for sharing!

    ResponderBorrar
  2. Personally, I find it hard to understand why Mexicans find it difficult to follow the rules.

    And I speak of Mexicans because other cultures are really disciplined and they manage to do many things for the benefit and not only personal but also collective.

    Unfortunately from home we find it difficult to promote this important value, which is more difficult to work in the classroom.

    I'm pretty sure that if we really work on this we can get more things that we already have today.

    ResponderBorrar
  3. At preschool it is important to use short and clear rules because they can’t get many information and it’s hard for them to focus. Therefore, sometimes I create stories with the puppets and tell them about bad and good behavior, I act some situations with the puppet and they think about it so I can catch their attention and the children understand.

    Thanks for sharing =)

    ResponderBorrar

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