Classroom Discipline 101 Blog: Classroom Management

The main problem I’m finding is using this method in a 4th grade classroom with district people coming in and out all the time.

My school is very new and has a new staff with many first year teachers. In order to “help” such a new staff they have an individual in the school who’s specific job is to observe and comment on our classrooms. I believe she is also around to make sure we are using all of those things the district want us to. Like cooperative learning and creating a certain atomosphere of the room. She has good ideas, don’t get me wrong. I just find it hard to incoorperate this technique and not have a lot of negative comments from the administrative staff. We also have people from the district offices showing up all of the time. I get annoyed having people show as sparatic as they do, and I still believe in doing my job to the best of my ability, which means having control of my class. I can’t let my students go and be off task in groups when they are still working on being on task alone. I know they need to move they’re 9 years old but they also need to pay attention and respect me. What do I do?

Is anyone out there using this approach in an elementary school setting? (especially if you teach 2nd or 3rd) If so, what consequence do you use?

Have you altered the approach at all based on the needs of younger students?

It is so radically different from the “positive discipline” approaches I’m used to. At times I feel that I’m being harsh, but then at the same time, I notice it works and more gets done. Those days when I don’t follow it consistently (I just recently started), I end the day frustrated and wonder why I allowed so much time to be wasted on warning after warning.

I’ve already read through all the material. There’s a lot of interesting information in there.

One question though. At my school we don’t have a full time counsellor who we can send students out to. The role is performed by various classroom teachers who have their own lessons to teach.

The only places to really send a student are to another teacher’s class or to the office.

The office only has two chairs and also serves as an entry point for parents, so it is not really a place where several disruptive students can be sent to.

Also, at my school students are never sent of of class, no matter what they’re behaviour is like. The usual procedure is to give them a demerit (a penalty-point system that operates on a whole-school basis) and afterwards write up a referral to their Year Coordinator.

Is there a way to make the discipline system work with these constraints.

There are seveal of us teachers that have banded together to use our classrooms for suspensions.  When I give a student a suspension for not coming to detention; I have the students write a Time Out Lette during the detention (see copy). I send the student to my administrator and write on the school’s Discpline Referral Form the following. “Defied classroom rules and refused tp show up for 15 minute detention-will not be admitted to my class until they copy “Time Out Letter” get required signatures and come to detention. Student to serve suspension in room####. Will call parents to notify.” I send them to the administration so administration will know where the student is in case there is call from parents during the class period.

TIME OUT LETTER

(To be reinstated to your class you are to copy this letter, word for word, get the required signatures and return both copies to the teacher who gave you the suspension)

Student Name _________________________________ Date: __________

I understand that Carver Academy Middle School is a place for learning. Every student in the United States is offered 12 years of free education. Not many other countries in the world offer this to their students. I understand that I choose how to use this time. I can get an education and learn more about myself and the world around me, or I can waste this time.

I understand that my teacher, Mr. Treadwell, is responsible for many things. He has to plan the lessons and then do everything possible to help students understand the material. Mr. Treadwell has a big job because it is not easy to help a class full of students. When I behave disruptively, I am making it hard for my teacher to do his job. This isn’t fair and I don’t have the right to do this.

I understand that the other students in my class have a right to the best education possible. When I behave disruptively, I not only keep Mr. Treadwell from doing his job, I am also keeping students from getting the best education possible. This is not fair and I don’t have the right to do this.

I understand that right now I am missing out on valuable learning time. Instead of learning, I am copying this lesson. I understand that I made a decision to behave unacceptably in class and continued misbehavior will not be tolerated. I understand that I have the power to make good decisions or bad decisions. When I make good decisions, I am rewarded. This means getting a good education and feeling good about me. I understand that I deserve a good education and I have the power and responsibility to make this happen. When I return to class from this suspension, I will abide by the 12 Rules for the Classroom.

Parent Signature Student Signature Principal Signature

I went back to public school teaching after having attempted it 3 years ago and having quit 6 months into the school year, I was teaching in an inner city Boston school and I didn’t have the tools for discipline that I’ve gotten from this book.

That said this year I am at a less difficult school, implementing the rules and it’s still pretty tough. I issue multiple 15 minute detentions daily as well as sending students out of class during class time. Understandably it is only the 2nd full week of classes but how long does their rebellion last?

At this point I am planning on applying to private prep schools for the 2008-2009 academic year even if it means a salary cut. Working with discipline is not why I decided to be a teacher. Can anyone give me hope that their is light at the end of the tunnel?