Mrs. Cansler feels like she is in a Catch-22 situation. If she sends Cary back to his locker, she wastes class time; if she does not, Cary cannot do his work. Analysis -- Assertive discipline is a behavioral approach to home and classroom management that involves a high level of teacher or parent control. Sometimes it is known as a "take back control" approach, since instead of allowing students and extraneous events to control the classroom, the teacher is fully in charge. The underlying theory for this approach maintains that teachers must establish rules so that the learning process is uninterrupted by misbehavior or other passive-aggressive time wasters (McIntyre, 2008).

Part 1 -- Using assertive discipline in Mrs. Cansler's class would require that she place a structured and systematic approach in to classroom management philosophies. First, rules should be clearly stated. For example: "Class, I want you to understand how important it is that you come to class prepared to work. You will need paper, pencils, and your text for every class. When you do not bring these, the time it takes to get them disrupts the entire schedule, and is unfair for students who are prepared." Then, a written classroom constitution should be published - the context shared by the students. This constitution should then be signed by both parents and students and should have consequences for inappropriate behaviors. In this case, use a discipline hierarchy for offenses or number of times the offense is handled.

In the case of Cary, every time he has to go back to his...

or, each student that comes to class prepared gets a chit (see above) that can be used to trade for points or special events. When Cary forgets an item, the instructor should say, "Cary, it is important that….." If the habit persists, the consequences need to escalate: from time outs to lost points to visits with the principle to meetings with parents (Canter, 1990).
Part 2 -- There are potential negatives to this approach. It is possible that the student simply has no thought or care about classroom performance. Using assertive discipline will improve the classroom climate, and it will also formalize the rules and consequences. However, because Cary is so habitual about this, the instructor must find out what motivates him. Would after school or lunch period make ups be the right choice? Would a conference with his parents (that he attends)? Finding the right motivational button will be key to ensuring success in using assertive discipline.

SOURCES

Canter, L. (1990). Assertive Discipline: More than Names on the Board and Marbles in a Jar. Dyc.edu. Retrieved April 2013 from: http://campus.dyc.edu/~drwaltz/FoundLearnTheory/FLT_readings/Canter.htm

Huitt, W. (1996). Classroom Management: A Behavioral Approach. Educational Psychology Interactive. Retrieved April 2013 from: http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/manage/behmgt.html

McIntyre, T. (2008). Assertive Discipline. Behavioradvisor.com. Retrieved April 2013 from: http://www.behavioradvisor.com/AssertiveDiscipline.html