¶ … teaching tool -- Fredric H. Jones's model. The model will be defined, and its advantages and disadvantages considered. The paper will also address the model's application to classroom settings, its pros and cons in these settings, and the model's personal adoption. Teachers have to balance discipline theory with its practical application in classroom settings. This is particularly essential in the current educational climate, wherein the demand for educator accountability has increased significantly. Tauber's (2007) book is directed at inexperienced as well as seasoned teachers, with minimal or no coursework in the area of discipline. The book offers a number of reliable frameworks, which can be utilized by readers for evaluating a total of 6 tried and tested models of discipline (Eric- Classroom Management: Sound Theory and Effective Practice, n.d). A teacher must choose, understand and apply a classroom discipline model most closely aligned to how students ought to be treated, in their opinion. The author studies numerous topics, all of which are fairly relevant (though some are controversial in nature), dealing with how a teacher may be able to check and tackle problem behaviors. Fredric H. Jones' model is one among these six models.

The clinical psychologist, Jones, started his career with the University of California's Neuropsychiatric Institute, situated in Los Angeles. Since the year 1978, Jones has been working directly as an independent school consultant with several school districts (Tauber, 2007 page 89). Two of his most popular works, both published in the year 1987, are "Positive Classroom Instruction" and "Positive Classroom Discipline." "

Definition of Model

Jones' classroom discipline model represents a teaching system for inculcating positive discipline among students. It takes up the issue of loss of teachers' valuable time to misbehaving pupils, and how such misbehavior can be checked. This 7-part model necessitates explicit description of every expectation and rule, and their placement in a position within the classroom where every child is able to see them. Teachers must explain as well as demonstrate the consequences of misbehavior beforehand (Finch, 2012). They must also have in place a timely response procedure to handling problem behavior, set limits, and issue a warning. Consistency must be maintained -- the teacher must follow through the very same way, each time, with every different pupil. Time-outs must be ordered effectively by teachers to pupils who resist. Moreover, teachers must remember to have in place sound responses to issues misbehaving pupils may cause during time-out. Jones' discipline model appears in the domain of Raven and French's bases of social power. It is linked to management and control (Tauber, 2007 page 90).

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Model

Fredric H. Jones' Model has the following advantages (Writer Thoughts):

Creation of a positive classroom atmosphere

Improved teacher-student relationships

Increased student participation and involvement in classroom activities and lessons

Limited discipline issues

Decrease in frequency of students being sent to the principal's/headmaster's office

Jones' Model has the following disadvantages (Writer Thoughts):

It requires extra time

It doesn't work for problems which may happen outside of the classroom

It requires going from class to class

An attempt has to be made to stay positive in all situations, which is a trying task for both students and teachers

Applications to the Classroom

Jones came up with a program centered on five teaching skill clusters, which keep pupils productive and at work in the classroom, thereby preventing misconduct, or enabling teachers to successfully handle it. These 5 skill clusters deal with: structure of the classroom for discouraging misbehavior; setting limits via body language; responsibility training using incentive systems; application of the say-see-do method of teaching; and providing individual pupils with efficient support (Larson, n.d).

According to Jones, teachers ought to develop classroom structures that are capable of averting behavior issues via (Larson, n.d):

Classroom Arrangement

Classroom Rules

Opening Routines and Classroom Chores

Physical mannerisms must be utilized in establishing and imposing behavior limits (Larson, n.d):

Physical Nearness - Presence -- Teachers must take the aid of nonverbal communication cues (i.e., body language) for checking misbehavior among pupils instead of adopting such a technique that wastes teaching time. Gestures, signals, eye contact, posture, physical proximity, and facial expressions can help curb misbehavior and prevent verbal confrontation.

Integration of sound incentives for students into the classroom is imperative for educators. Some effective incentives are as follows (Larson, n.d):

Student Responsibility

Grandma's Rule,

Group Concern

Genuine Incentives

Omission Training

Implementation Ease

The program's general classroom applications include (Larson, n.d):

Acknowledgment: Misbehavior must never be overlooked, but addressed promptly for ensuring lessons do not get disrupted.

Teaching: Minor misconduct in the class shouldn't be dealt with by halting lessons....

However, although teaching ought to be continued, teachers must make sure they use non-verbal cues or call out the misbehaving child's name and express their displeasure with him/her.
Escalation: In case of kids who persistently misbehave, the teacher should react by physically moving nearer to the student with every escalation.

Support: Teachers must interact positively with all students in class.

Consequences: The teacher needs to set out and make students aware of a sequence of consequences linked to misconduct, including backup outside of the classroom (for instance, another adult, the child's parents, or a ministry leader).

Appropriateness: Teachers must ensure their response to student misconduct is appropriate and not excessively harsh. It must be borne in mind that every child pushes one's limits, as it is only natural. How a teacher reacts to this pushing is what sets the tone for his/her approach to student discipline.

Clarity: Rules must be communicated to students with the same care as one communicates key points of a lesson.

Simplicity: Rules should be few, but explicitly set out. Only rules that will be enforced whenever they are broken should be included.

Respect: Teachers must note that students prefer studying in an effectively-managed classroom environment. Thus, teachers must seriously cultivate an education-friendly classroom climate.

Personal Adoption of Model

Preferred Activity Time (PAT) denotes an incentive-centered tool for motivational learning, wherein, if a child accomplishes classroom tasks within time, the spare time can then be utilized for performing any recreational activity of their choice (e.g., art, computer time, etc.) Positive reinforcement practice is an efficient means for educators to establish simple classroom techniques for behavior reinforcement, through which pupils learn acceptable behavior. I have personally observed that this is achieved rather successfully in classroom settings (Mason, et.al). Jones provides some simple, but highly effective, classroom tips for educators, namely: Teaching: minor misconduct in the class shouldn't be dealt with by halting lessons; although teaching ought to be continued, teachers must make sure they use non-verbal cues or call out the misbehaving child's name and express their displeasure with him/her. Acknowledgment: Misbehavior must never be overlooked, but addressed promptly for ensuring lessons do not get disrupted. Escalation: In case of kids who persistently misbehave, the teacher should react by physically moving nearer to the student with every escalation. Support: Teachers must interact positively with all students in class. Consequences: The teacher needs to set out and make students aware of a sequence of consequences linked to misconduct, including backup outside of the classroom (for instance, another adult, the child's parents, or a ministry leader). Appropriateness: Teachers must ensure their response to student misconduct is appropriate and not excessively harsh. I have observed within my class that this technique works best. Conflict incidents have reduced to a never-before-seen degree (Mason et.al., 2013).

Pros and Cons in Classroom

Pros

Behavior change can commence, steps to deal with problems are provided, both teachers and students learn "Know about" vs. "Know how to," and the notion of collaboration is introduced.

Cons

The model has its drawbacks as well. Aggression among high and middle school pupils is its greatest drawback (Chen, n.d). With transition from middle to high school, a number of parents see their kids displaying problem behaviors as they attempt to assert greater independence and freedom. Behaviors like lying, poor academic performance, stealing, general disruptive conduct, and skipping classes are quite common among adolescent children.

Adolescent years constitute a formative portion of every person's life. The continuous transformation experienced by teenagers frequently elicits behavioral issues like negativity, lack of hard work, and a poor attitude. Accompanying these issues are the problems related to poor self-esteem and anxiety, among a number of teens. To mask the uncomfortable phase of transition and change, adolescents create facades that internally distress them further (Chen, n.d). Besides self-confidence problems, several teenagers struggle with building positive coping abilities. Parenting Teens explains that teenagers' coping skills are only partially-developed and hence, they are unable to look far ahead and consider the potential outcomes of their rash actions. Hence, they usually trip over several more hindrances than may appear reasonable, as they simply lack the skills needed to circumvent them. This occasionally makes working towards improving teens' behavior slightly more difficult. Therefore, something more than Jones' model is definitely required rather than absolute reliance on it alone. Teachers might have to consider other options as well for high and middle school students.

References

Chen. (n.d.). Public School Review - Profiles of USA Public Schools. Dealing with Behavioral Issues in Middle and High School -- PublicSchoolReview.com. Retrieved April 17, 2016, from http://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/dealing-with-behavioral-issues-in-middle-and-high-school

(n.d.). ERIC - Education Resources Information Center. ERIC - Classroom Management: Sound Theory and Effective Practice. Fourth Edition, Praeger,…