What do you do for 15 minutes with the detained students?
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The default setting on detention time is have the students just sit silently or copy the rules if they had that added on. There is value in having a student sit silently; it may be the only time they learn to do so that week, and time alone with their thoughts doesn’t hurt.
I tell them if they talk or distract the clock resets–it is 15 minutes from the time they stop talking.
If they are squirming it makes detention that much more effective because they don’t want to return. Though sometimes I let them read and/or do homework. Other times I engage them in a little conversation to indicate how un-evil I am in real life, just that they are merely paying a consequence for a rule broken doesn’t make them a bad student either.
This is all a judgement call–do what you think will help your classroom environment in the long run. In other words, if a student really likes coming after school to talk to you, then chatting with them isn’t going to help your case.
I never have less than 2 or 3 students in the room for my own protection against any accusations. There have been cases where students conspire to accuse teachers of various things; were I wary of that, I would simply stand in the doorway marking papers or reading or keep myself visible somehow.
My students know that while teaching and quick 3 taps on their desk means detention. They fear it. The class knows when someone is off task and as I calmly walk over to that student’s desk, every students watches…..what a dream!!!!! I don’t even say ANYTHING…just 3 taps on the desk….Total Silence. They all look at his student who usually knows he is in for missing part of his lunch….for a middle school student…torture! I do use this time to get acquainted with the student. I keep their rules and they write the date, name and reason for staying in detention for 15 min. in my desk drawer. Before the student leaves, I kindly tell them, “I know that this won’t be a problem again…but I will keep this in my drawer and we won’t have to show it to your parents or the principal if we don’t have this problem again.” They don’t come back! I have only had 1 or 2 students all year that have.
Craig, your plan works so great! I was not going to teach this, my fifth year, due to classroom discipline problems. Discipline was almost non-existent in my room. I tried and failed at everything I had been taught or shown. Nothing seemed to work for me. I love my students, I love teaching, but it was out of control. I actually hated it! As a last resort I got on line prior to this year. I purchased and tried the system. WOW!!!!
While printing copies in the teachers lounge I was mentioning it to one of the teachers and and her sister who also teaches, how I loved teaching this year. One, a veteran teacher of 26 years looked into the process, purchased the CD and listened to it on the way to school. (She still does.) This is a teacher all of the students love! The program has worked so well, that when our principal came to observe and report our classroom this year he asked her….”what are you doing different?” She told him and before you knew it we were the presenters at faculty meeting!!!! Within minutes after the meeting all the teachers wanted to know more! You now have some very attentive teachers from our school! This system WORKS! It is the best that money can buy! EVERY institution of Higher Education should be teaching these techniques! We would have a return of professionalism across the board!
Thanks for saving my career allowing me to teach what I love to teach….students. I now have the respect to actually teach these students and have FUN doing it!
My students spent an hour yesterday copying out your/my classroom rules. I had planned to spend most of a period today going over them thoroughly. I had a phone call from a parent complaining that she did not want her daughter wasting class time this way. I explained to her that getting on top of the discipline problems in class will mean we have more time in future for teaching and learning. She didn’t buy it and has given her daughter permission to go home and work rather than “waste time” in my class. Any suggestions as to how I deal with the next parental complaint like this?
I am subbing for a middle school class for about three weeks. The kids have had subs all year as their teacher has been ill since almost the first week of school. The kids have become accustomed to the lack of structure so there have been many behaviors. I had the class for four days last week before I decided to buy your book because I needed to become more strict. I have been using your 15 min. detention this week, but most of the kids do not show up to the detention. I tried to react to this with the paired phone call and a referral. However, administration has complained to me that they cannot keep up with the amount of kids I write referrals for and they tell me they never want to see this many referrals again. So now it is down to just the phone calls home, which has not been nearly as effective because many numbers are disconnected or no one answers. I feel as if I have no real power over those have been disrespectful towards me and am extremely frustrated. Any suggestions? I have one teacher telling me to assign standards but I’m sure they will refuse to do it just like they refuse to do anything else in my class. At least most of them are sitting in the seat I assign them this week. Last week, some of the more difficult classes would not even sit down. This week, they have been more productive, but if my detention is not reinforced they will know I have no real power and chaos will reign again. Are there other ways to reinforce your 15 min detention?
I make good use of detention time. The 10-15 minute detentions are for minor things like a first-time tardy. But a detention for “forgotten” homework (forgot to do it, forgot it at home, forgot to stop at my locker, etc.) are more substantial and end up being like Carol’s homework help. The best of them, though, is a detention for being disorganized (math binder in disarray, no pencil, no cover on the textbook, etc.). I actually use the time to teach students how to become organized. I have tips for using planners, creating a homework place at home, remembering things, finding help on the internet and many other useful and success-oriented measures. I’m working on a self-study unit. Doing this day after day is getting a bit boring.
I also give the students a choice – they can sit quietly or get math help (yes, I teach math!) And I also reset the timer when they talk if they choose the quiet option. I find these kids are the same ones who ‘cannot’ stay for homework help, so the detention accomplishes two things. First, during the last 5 minutes I let them vent, and it gives them a chance to see me as semi-human when I can respond to their complaints rather than react to their behavior. Secondly, many of those who have to stay three or four times and take advantage of the math help end up coming on their own for help after that because they realize it actually helps! This past year I had 4 repeat offenders who ended up going from failing to solid B grades. They all said they had never understood math before, and became my best behaved students in that class!
I call detention “the recess club”. This is how it works for me when I sub in elementary schools. I say, next time I warn you – you can join the recess club. The kids stay in with me at recess and write about why they are missing recess. They have to use complete sentences and proper punctuation. I give their papers to the teacher when he/she returns from his/her absence away from the classroom. Having them write is “academic” so they are constructively employed during their time in the “recess club”.