Standard #6- Know and apply various disciplinary models to manage student behavior
Good behavior and consistent disciplinary actions are crucial in order to maintain a healthy and successful classroom environment. First, it is the ELA teacher’s job to familiarize themselves with the disciplinary procedures already in place at a school in order to be consistent with other faculty. The teacher can then work from this to create an individual classroom discipline model. As each class is different and has individualized needs, the classroom model may vary from class to class.
Since the models used will be dependent on the students that are in my classroom, the approaches used will also vary from year to year based on what I know about the students and what will work with them. Consistent to each class and each year, however, should be the relationships teachers form with their students in order to establish a foundation of mutual respect. When this mutual respect exists, students are more likely to practice good behavior.
On day one, teachers should work with the students to develop a set of class rules that foster optimal learning and safety. By taking part in the process of deciding rules and consequences, students are more apt to feel a sense of belonging and ownership. They are also more likely to follow rules that they had a hand in making and the responsibility for positive behavior becomes student centered.
District wide at Whitney Point Schools, students are placed in ‘ten minutes,’ which is a ten minute lunch detention, for any type of misbehavior. Therefore, we devised a rule in our classroom that if students came unprepared, showed up late, or were disruptive, they would sign the ’10 minute’ list and have to serve the lunch detention. The students became trained to sign the list if they walked in late or didn’t have their materials. On the days when the class would start getting out of hand, I would prop the list up on the chalkboard. Without saying a word, it acted as a reminder to the students to shape up or there would be
consequences.
One of the most effective techniques I used while teaching my eighth grade class was ‘wait time.’ When the students started getting out of hand or were extra chatty that day, instead of trying to talk over them, I would merely stop talking and wait for the students to become quiet again. Until all students were quiet, I remained silent. The trick to this technique, I found, was to wait until you could actually feel the awkward tension in the room. The uncomfortable feeling resulted in students asking their fellow classmates to straighten up so we could move on. Again, the responsibility fell back onto the students.
Another method that I implemented in the eighth grade to control student behavior is the use of marbles. On particular days when the students had a lot of freedom, I would announce that today would be a‘marble day.’ Each of the classes had a jar in the back of the room that corresponded with their class period. If everyone in the class behaved well, the class got thirty marbles added to their jar. When the jar was filled, two 100% scores would be added to their averages. This gave the students incentive to be on their best behavior. If one student began acting out, the other students would keep them in check, wanting to improve their averages. I often found that putting the responsibility back on the students allowed them to feel more in control and willing to be on their best behavior.
When a student’s behavior has gone too far and needs to be addressed, the message needs to be delivered quickly and quietly. Within a close proximity, the teacher should let the student know that their behavior needs to be taken care of or there will be consequences. The student will respect not being called out in front of their peers and the teacher can move on with dignity. Embarrassing the student can cause them to feel attacked, and retaliate. All that will result is wasted class time and a power struggle between teacher and student.
Marbles
List of 10 min people
Good behavior and consistent disciplinary actions are crucial in order to maintain a healthy and successful classroom environment. First, it is the ELA teacher’s job to familiarize themselves with the disciplinary procedures already in place at a school in order to be consistent with other faculty. The teacher can then work from this to create an individual classroom discipline model. As each class is different and has individualized needs, the classroom model may vary from class to class.
Since the models used will be dependent on the students that are in my classroom, the approaches used will also vary from year to year based on what I know about the students and what will work with them. Consistent to each class and each year, however, should be the relationships teachers form with their students in order to establish a foundation of mutual respect. When this mutual respect exists, students are more likely to practice good behavior.
On day one, teachers should work with the students to develop a set of class rules that foster optimal learning and safety. By taking part in the process of deciding rules and consequences, students are more apt to feel a sense of belonging and ownership. They are also more likely to follow rules that they had a hand in making and the responsibility for positive behavior becomes student centered.
District wide at Whitney Point Schools, students are placed in ‘ten minutes,’ which is a ten minute lunch detention, for any type of misbehavior. Therefore, we devised a rule in our classroom that if students came unprepared, showed up late, or were disruptive, they would sign the ’10 minute’ list and have to serve the lunch detention. The students became trained to sign the list if they walked in late or didn’t have their materials. On the days when the class would start getting out of hand, I would prop the list up on the chalkboard. Without saying a word, it acted as a reminder to the students to shape up or there would be
consequences.
One of the most effective techniques I used while teaching my eighth grade class was ‘wait time.’ When the students started getting out of hand or were extra chatty that day, instead of trying to talk over them, I would merely stop talking and wait for the students to become quiet again. Until all students were quiet, I remained silent. The trick to this technique, I found, was to wait until you could actually feel the awkward tension in the room. The uncomfortable feeling resulted in students asking their fellow classmates to straighten up so we could move on. Again, the responsibility fell back onto the students.
Another method that I implemented in the eighth grade to control student behavior is the use of marbles. On particular days when the students had a lot of freedom, I would announce that today would be a‘marble day.’ Each of the classes had a jar in the back of the room that corresponded with their class period. If everyone in the class behaved well, the class got thirty marbles added to their jar. When the jar was filled, two 100% scores would be added to their averages. This gave the students incentive to be on their best behavior. If one student began acting out, the other students would keep them in check, wanting to improve their averages. I often found that putting the responsibility back on the students allowed them to feel more in control and willing to be on their best behavior.
When a student’s behavior has gone too far and needs to be addressed, the message needs to be delivered quickly and quietly. Within a close proximity, the teacher should let the student know that their behavior needs to be taken care of or there will be consequences. The student will respect not being called out in front of their peers and the teacher can move on with dignity. Embarrassing the student can cause them to feel attacked, and retaliate. All that will result is wasted class time and a power struggle between teacher and student.
Marbles
List of 10 min people