Classroom Discipline Theories
New teachers are well-advised to go into the classroom armed with a solid behavior management plan. Yet, developing such a plan can be an overwhelmingly difficult task. In "Solving Discipline and Classroom Management Problems," author Charles Wolfgang points out that "there are many discipline and classroom management approaches, models and systems available for the teacher to deal with misbehaving students."
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History
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Before 1970, consistent formal academic theories about student discipline did not exist, in part because student misbehavior was not a big problem for teachers, writes Thomas H. Allen, Ph.D., in "Developing a Discipline Plan for You." But in the 1970s, concern grew among teachers as they found themselves increasingly unable to teach due to unruly student behavior. In response to this new problem, academics in the field of education began developing theories about student discipline and classroom behavioral management.
Significance
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Research indicates a behavior management plan is critical for the success of teachers and students. According to University of Pennsylvania's Richard Ingersoll, who has conducted several studies on teacher attrition rates, 25 percent of U.S. teachers who choose to leave the education system due to job dissatisfaction, cite classroom management and discipline concerns as their top reason for leaving. As for the importance of behavior management for students, a comprehensive study by the Educational Testing Service's Policy Information Center confirmed a strong link between order in the classroom and academic achievement.
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Discipline Philosophies
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Three broad philosophical categories about student discipline exist across educational literature. The first philosophy is referred to as Relationship/Listening and rests on the belief that students are capable of controlling their own behavior. Within this philosophy, misbehavior is understood as the result of inner emotional turmoil, and key to disciplining students is talking with them about the feelings causing their misbehavior.
The Confronting/Contracting philosophy espouses that teachers should confront and stop student misbehavior. But the teacher should then grant the misbehaving student a chance to elect a means for changing his behavior, and hold the student accountable to the behavioral contract he has made with the teacher. The Rules and Consequences philosophy of discipline, however, gives all disciplinary authority to the teacher. The teacher sets the behavioral expectations, rules and consequences for the classroom, and she is responsible for teaching positive behaviors to her students.
Types of Discipline
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Carol M. Charles, a leading expert on classroom management, defines three types of student discipline: preventive, supportive and corrective. Preventative discipline attempts to lessen the chances of misbehavior occurring in the classroom, by posting class rules and verbally praising positive behaviors, for example. Supportive discipline refers to techniques used to help students maintain self-control and warn them when they're starting to misbehave, such as by making direct eye-contact with and increasing physical proximity to a student. Corrective discipline refers to the consequences a teacher administers after a student misbehaves, which might include taking away a privilege or putting a student's name on the board.
Communication and Consistency
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All theories of student discipline stress the need for clear communication and consistency. The first few days of any class are a critical time for establishing disciplinary policies. Behavioral expectations, rules and the consequences for breaking those rules need to be communicated early, clearly and frequently. But teachers must also strive to be consistent with classroom discipline throughout the school year. A 2005 study by the Department of Justice found that 93 percent of U.S. public schools do a satisfactory job initially communicating behavioral expectations to students, but only 48 percent are satisfactorily consistent in maintaining and enforcing those policies.
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References
- "Solving Discipline and Classroom Management Problems"; Charles Wolfgang; 2009.
- Keane University, Department of Education: Teaching Performance Center
- "American Educational Research Journal": Turnover and Teacher Shortage: An Organizational Analysis; R. M. Ingersoll; 2001.
- Educational Testing Service: Order in the Classroom: Violence, Discipline and Student Achievement
- Columbia University Interactive: Identifying Discipline Tools
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