Discipline exercises and their applications

Discipline Exercises

"Missing Money." My first reaction is to look at all the students involved and at their reactions. Eileen looks shocked, but does Carol look guilty? While Carol may have behavior issues, I cannot make snap judgments about her and the missing money. Other options would be to talk to Carol and Eileen, and try to get to the bottom of the missing money from them. Talking to Carol might frighten her enough for her to confess. I would talk to them privately, and I would also talk to the student who called out "Carol took it," and find out if he or she actually saw Carol take the money from the wallet. If no one confesses, there is not a lot I can do, but I can ask the class if anyone saw anything, and weigh their answers. I cannot accuse Carol of something I didn't see, just because she has a bad reputation in the classroom. I have to depend on eyewitnesses and concrete information. I could also check Carol's wallet and see if the money was there. My long-term solution would be to tell students not to bring money into the classroom, and to keep an eye on their possessions. I would also work to find out the truth, and then discipline whoever was responsible.

"Rest Room Caper." My reaction is that I have found some of the vandalism culprits, but how will I get them to obey me? I have to appear strong and in control, and let them know who is in charge. Other options would be to call in some backup from other teachers on duty on my cell phone, so I have some support with these unruly students. I would tell them that I knew who they were (even if I didn't), and that they couldn't get away with this. I would also tell them that what they were doing was damaging the school, but more, it was damaging their lives, because they could go to jail for their behavior, and they were responsible for the damages -- their families would have to pay for it. I would tell them they needed to be responsible for their actions and come with me to the office. I would try to convince them to come on their own, without force, but I would call other teachers if I had to. If they threatened me I would retreat, but I would call for help, and I would make notes about who they were, what they were wearing, etc., so that I could find them in the classrooms and make sure they were disciplined. I would not leave myself in the way of harm, but I would make sure I knew who they were.

"Vocabulary." My first reaction is to back off and try to calm him down, as he has a history of violence. Other options would be to call for help from another classroom if he continues to threaten me, and to talk to him and tell him that I should not have told the lowest score, and that was wrong of me, and that I apologize. Preventing this in the future would be to help Sean get counseling for his anger, and to talk to his parents to find out what is causing his anger and his explosions. The behavior is not acceptable in the classroom, and Sean might have to be suspended from school or homeschooled until he can manage his anger. If I need help I will call for help from a nearby classroom or call for help on my cell phone. I would also put as much distance as I could between myself and Sean, and place some kind of barrier between us, like a desk, a chair, or something else.

"Affection." My first reaction is to talk to the two students and tell them their behavior isn't appropriate in the classroom, and they should get back to work. Other options include separating them in future projects to make sure they do not work together and disrupt the classroom. Another option might be to keep them after class for a few moments and discuss the problem with them, letting them know that their displays of affection are noticeable to the other students, and that if they want to work together they need to keep the displays out of the classroom. Involving them in the process is a good idea.