Principles vs. Techniques
ByTeachers often approach me to ask how I would handle a specific classroom discipline situation:
“What about if a student is rolling his skateboard wheels?”
“What if a student ignores you?”
“What if a student’s hair is on fire and they use it to light up everyone’s homework?”
There are specific things you can do, of course (in the last example you would pull your fireman’s hose out of the top drawer and turn it on the class), but the point is to get the principles behind the techniques you will use to apply in all situations.
These principles are rooted in classroom management philosophy, but let’s talk here about leverage and accountability.
The idea is that you must have a consequence for every unwanted action, or action that does not contribute positively to your classroom environment, to give you leverage over controlling the unwanted behavior. And that consequence must be something that matters to the student.
So the problem is not the rolling skateboard or the student ignoring you, but the idea that they are not complying with your rules–therefore, these two come up under the category of classroom disruption, and if there is a ready consequence for this that matters to the student, and he or she knows in advance what it is, they will not engage in the behavior to begin with.
I have written an ebook, Classroom Discipline 101, which covers these principles in more detail and every other aspect necessary to control any classroom. You can download it at ClassroomDiscipline101.com.
Until then, whenever you have a problem in class, solve it with these principles rather than some ‘anti-skateboard-rolling’ technique.
Here’s to enjoying your teaching–
Craig Seganti
You made some decent points there. I regarded on the internet for the problem and found most people will associate with along with your website.
What are some other consequences if my middle school will not allow nor enforce after school detention? They use this time exclusively for tutoring.
I am replying to my own post asking for help, because, of course the philosophy is obvious. I got it from Craig’s “evolution of classroom discipline”.I nailed this class, too. Every time they tried these smart alecky tactics, pretending to be interested in working, or even began to start to try, I would do a “shut down ” of the class. I would give them independent seat work with a zero if they did not try, ending the lesson, video or whatever we were working on. I would stop all hand raised questions with ” I will help you all in fifteen minutes “,( they never realized that it was more like twenty-five) and then give them class participation points for respectful contributions after that.I was also terribly picky about little things. like pencil in hand when we were reading not writing, and binders on the table, even if the student was not using them, and of course, Craig’s list of things. Maybe they were sulky, whiny and pouty for a week. But now they do so get it, it is not funny. They now even seem relieved, that I took control and I now have few detentions , even from them. I can also teach “normal” lessons One of the girls I observed was being terribly rude to another teacher. When I asked her how come she had never been rude to me, she said. “Because you hand out detentions like they were pencils , infact youre less likely to give pencils.” This is a compliment to this method indeed. Thank You for this resource.
Craig,
I am now in the middle of my 2009 – 2010 year and have been having a better year thanks of course, to your book.
Yet, I have made some mistakes even during this year and I would like to share them, and get suggestions too.
Showing irritation, stress and worst, anger.
The students pick up on this and can use it as a cue to work in tandem or groups to disrupt. I have one class that tries this. Of course the rest are great.
Now this group is clever. They are subtle.Not in your face rude. Any suggestions for dealing with these monkeys? Read on…
Examples of disruptions:
Three or more pairs of hands up at the same time with the same brand of question. “I don’t get it”,
” I didn’t hear what you said” and so on and so forth, with many ways to try to engage you in a one on one tutoring session. My personal opinion is not that these students are seriously unable to do the assignment , but are looking for a venue to waste class time. This gets me irritated. And they are all smiles when that happens. And then the atmosphere is not a learning atmosphere anymore.And I can’t very well send five at once to the office and for what?
I have to rework with this group and actually have a structure with no hands up during independent work, maybe short open book quiz, with a discussion afterwards. Any suggestions?
Yesterday, I actually structured it so that they would leave the class room one by one. Because they show their dislike of my structure in the rude way they leave for the hallway. Whatever it takes to enforce discipline. I realize Craig that in addition to your paradigm, a lot of your method involves clarity of expectations and structure. Thanks.
Why wouldn’t they be able to stay an extra 10 minutes after?
I have 3-6th grade students in one classroom for our after school program. They are totally out of control–they were before I heard about Craig, that is. So when thinking of consequences for the disruptive or disrespectful student in this class, what would you think is an effective consequence for me to use? There can’t do detention, obviously.