Discipline is no different than any other aspect of education. You learn from doing. Sometimes you find things that work, and sometimes you find things that don’t. Here are some tactics that have proven to be successful throughout the years.
Begin the year strong and in charge. Even with the youngest students you have to establish who is in control. If you do this from the start, you will thank yourself at the end of the year. At first, it may seem as if the only thing you are accomplishing is taking care of discipline issues. Hang in there. Once the students understand your expectations, you will be able to get to the finer points. There is nothing worse than trying to gain control of a classroom halfway through the year.
Each year for a student is a new one. Never assume that they are going to remember how to walk in line or raise their hand from the year before. In all honesty, the teacher from last year may not have had those rules. From day one, teach your students how you are going to line up, answer/ask questions, give a restroom break, and any other thing you are going to want them to do during the day. Of course, don’t try to teach everything in one day.
Establish classroom rules from day one. This does not mean to outline every single thing a student can do wrong during the day. Have your students help you devise a few broad rules that will cover all areas. If they are not coming up with the rules that you want, guide them. By having your students help, they will feel ownership and feel more responsible for their actions.
Outline your system from the start. Send a copy home, and have the students and their parents sign it. This helps a lot with the parent that wants to say, “I never saw that.” Periodically send home a reminder of those rules after a long break, when the weather starts to change, right before the end of the year or any other time you feel your parents and students need it.
Stick to your rules and consequences. In other words, “Mean what you say and say what you mean.” If you have a three-warning system, do not give four warnings. If you have no intention of taking away a field trip to punish bad behavior, do not use that as a threat. If you are a pushover, even the youngest students will realize it.
Have a designated area for time-out. Even the best student needs a break from the group on occasion. In this time-out area, have nothing but the classroom rules posted on the wall. This gives the student the opportunity to reflect on what he or she has done and why they are sitting in time-out.
Always talk to the student about why they are in trouble. Once the punishment is over, try to dismiss the incident. Let the student feel like they can start over and still have a good day. Keep the parents informed and involved. You do not want to send a student to the office for a recurring problem only to have the parents say that they knew nothing about it. Often, the parents are able to shed some light on the situation. If you are lucky, they will reinforce your actions at home. Don’t always count on that though.
Remember that you are in charge. Your classroom will be what you make it.
