Discipline
As a teacher, it is very important to correct student’s misbehaviors. According to Wong, teachers should “reinforce a correct procedure and reteach an incorrect one” (Wong, 2009). Students will mess up. They will need discipline. But, through discipline, I want my students to learn from their mistakes. I will not discipline a student until they know what they did wrong and what they should have done instead. Through correcting misbehaviors, students can learn from what they did wrong, and hopefully make it right the next time it comes around.
In order for a classroom to fully function, rules are needed. Rules within a classroom are what the teacher expects the students to follow. If a rule is broken, a consequence must follow. If a student presents appropriate behavior, then a reward should be received. According to Wong, in order “to have a safe and effective learning environment, first establish firm rules that students are expected to follow” (Wong, 2009). The rules within my classroom need to be discussed and posted on a wall, so that the students will not have an excuse of not knowing what they are. In the beginning of the year, my students need to know what my rules are, what happens if they break a rule, and what their rewards will be if they follow the rules.
My classroom rules:
1) Be respectful—treat others like you would want to be treated.
a. I want my students to be very respectful, not only to themselves, but to everyone. If someone is talking, they need to refrain from interrupting them. If someone says something they disagree with, they should not mock them or laugh at them. I want my students to not only respect me, but to respect the rest of the students as well.
2) Raise your hand when you want to speak.
a. There will be many times when I will be teaching the class new material. If students have a question or an answer or a concern, they need to raise their hands and wait to be called on. This way, distractions are limited.
3) Come prepared
4) It is very important for my students to come to class prepared. This includes homework, activities, etc. My students need to come prepared to learn.
5) Have fun
a. There will be times for more serious discussions, but I want my students to enjoy learning. I want them to experience the fun activities and lessons that I will present. I want them to have fun. In order for everyone to have fun, all the rules need to be followed, especially respecting one another.
While these are only a few of my potential classroom rules, I am sure I would think of more along the way. While I experience teaching, I will discover more rules that will be needed and also what rules I should adjust.
In order to have an organized classroom, there needs to be consequences for the breaking of the rules within my discipline strategy. Because I haven’t taught a classroom yet, these rules and consequences are most likely going to change, according to what I see would work better. Within my classroom, I would use a “stop light” approach. In the upper corner of each of the student’s desks, I will tape a small pocket with three cards: a green card, a yellow card, and a red card. The green will be on top, facing the student, and the red will be on the bottom. If a student is being disruptive, my “level one” consequence would be to take away their green card. In this way, the student has a visual reminder that they are at the “yellow light”, or warning level. In this case, the students will know that they have one more chance until the consequence. If the misbehavior continues, I will take away the yellow card so that the red card is showing. When the red card is left, there will be a consequence that is determined by the teacher. The students and the parents need to be aware of the system, because if the student reaches the “red light”, along with the consequence, there will also be a note sent home to the parent that the parent has to sign and the student would have to bring it back the next day. It is important to let the parents know so that they can take further action if necessary. If the misbehavior continues even still, then there would have to be a meeting between me and the parents and the student to see what we can do to change the behavior. Apart from these different levels, there will also be a severe clause level. In this case, the student would have immediate removal from the classroom and to be sent to the principal’s office. For example, if a student is behaving great, they will have the green card facing up. If a student laughs at another student’s answer in a mocking tone, their green card will be taken away. If they do it again, their yellow warning card will be taken away. This means that there will be a consequence determined by the teacher, as well as a note sent home. A severe clause example would be for a student to intentionally harm another student, whether hitting or biting or kicking out of anger or rage.
3 Classroom Procedures
Critical procedures are another way in which the classroom environment can be created. Wong states, “Most behavior problems in the classroom are caused by the teacher’s failure to teach students how to follow procedures” (Wong, 2009). According to Wong’s view, there are three steps that are useful to teach procedures. They are to explain, rehearse, and reinforce (Wong, 2009). As a future teacher, I liked several of the examples that Wong gave that I want to use in my classroom. A useful example of these procedures that Wong gives is that of dismissing the class at the end of the day. First, the teacher needs to explain what she expects of the class before they leave. Then, rehearse the dismissal procedure before the day ends. Finally, reinforce the procedure by reminding the class. Another procedure that I like is a procedure for students that are seeking help. Because interruptions are very common within a younger classroom, it can be a good idea to have different methods to get the teacher’s attention without interrupting the class. Some ideas could be through hand signals, such as raising 1 finger for one thing and 2 fingers for another. A third procedure that I will use in my classroom is the “give me five” procedure. When the teacher puts up her hand, this could be a signal for a pre-determined anticipated result. This could be as simple as to look up, be quiet, be still, put things down, and listen. I think that this idea could also be beneficial within the classroom.
