Discipline in Classroom Problems and Solutions

Teaching -- Classroom Management

Discipline in Classroom - Problems and Solutions

Classroom management is the phrase that teachers use to explain the act of managing their classroom and students to make sure those stressful and non-educational circumstances are avoided and students learn subjects successfully. Classroom management entails more than the management and discipline of the students but also the accessibility of additional information on topics. Effective classroom management will make life less traumatic for teachers and make sure that students are given the right tools and a calm atmosphere in which to learn (Diamond, 2011).

Classroom management often differs from one teacher to another for the reason of the teacher's qualities, teaching methods, vigilance and amount of students in the classroom at any given time. Effective classroom management entails teachers being ready for lessons, inspiring students, offering appropriate and effectual discipline, making students feel contented, enhancing student self-esteem and conniving positive and entertaining lessons (Diamond, 2011).

The key to beginning a school year off with successful classroom management is to start the year by teaching the students the behaviors and conduct expected of them in the classroom. Teachers should convey a syllabus to older students or give details about procedures to small children. By making rules and procedures the main concern the first few days of school and making clear each rule and procedure with authority, teachers can successfully enforce their needs for an appropriately managed class (Diamond, 2011).

Another effective classroom management practice is displaying assurance in all actions. A teacher who demonstrates confidence rather than nervousness will achieve more in the classroom and gain the admiration of the students. Confidence helps teachers in terminating needless conversations, off-topic discussions and troublesome behavior (Diamond, 2011).

Students act and learn in dissimilar manners for the reason of hereditary factors, the surroundings in which they live, or their own personal or psychological requirements. A lot of times, when a student feels that their needs are not being met, such as the need for notice, they often act up. As a result, teachers need to comprehend why students behave as they do so that we can try to avert misbehavior before it takes place and use an assortment of dissimilar ways to steer their behavior in a positive way. Classrooms can then become comprehensive, friendly, and pleasurable places for all students to learn, and ones in which misbehaviors are uncommon. Teachers can therefore spend more time teaching and learning with their students (Positive discipline in the inclusive, learning-friendly classroom: a guide for teachers and teacher educators, 2006).

Every classroom brings its own exclusive set of challenges and experiences with students and parents, as well as with other school personnel. New instructors achieve classroom management knowledge by practicing methods, being willing to learn from their errors, and getting feedback from other professionals. Even experienced instructors face unforeseen and difficult challenges. Consistency, equality, and common sense unite to rule the day, when an instructor faces the most troubling situations (Hoy, 2010).

Teachers should make sure that they set expectations early on and frequently. They should communicate school rules and procedures, as well as classroom etiquette, occasionally throughout the school year. They should continually watch classroom discussions, both officially and unofficially. The environment needs to be structured so that it endorses cooperative behavior. Teachers need to avoid laying down rules and penalties that they are unable to put into effect. Students are more apt to assist when they feel they are part of the decision-making procedure (Hoy, 2010).

Teachers can improve behavior management know-how by practicing skills that diminish misbehavior. It is important to detect and redirect misbehavior at the first onset, before it becomes a serious disturbance. Teachers should move close to the offending student, having constant eye contact, while giving a nonverbal sign to discontinue the behavior. They must give a short verbal cue or call out the student's name. The applicable rule should be restates or the proper behavior should be stated in order to redirect the student's behavior. The teachers should always be firm and direct while being respectful to the student (Hoy, 2010).

Teachers can have achievement with children in their classrooms. In order to do this they have to have support from co-workers as well as continually put into practice behavioral plans and classroom management methods. This research project aims to find out the most effective techniques for managing students and to provide support for the teachers educating them. The main research question, which is going to be looked at in this research paper, is the following:

What is the most effectual classroom teaching strategies dealing with discipline?

In this research an overview of works will be examined. These will include the books, newspaper articles and results of previous research. These sources will help to identify a best individual teaching strategy and to give essential explanation and support for the data.

Literature Review

The matters of school aggression and discipline have acquired popular awareness in the United States in recent years because of the passage of the Gun Free Schools Act of 1994 and the school shootings at Columbine, Colorado and Paducah, Kentucky (Austin, 2003). As a consequence, many discussions and ponderings related to student discipline have been produced in the educational arena across a variety of parts of the United States. For example, George, Harrower, and Knoster (2003), Hester, Gable and Manning (2003), Lapointe and Frederic (2004) and Newman-Carlson and Horne (2004) have highlighted that bad student discipline at the middle school level is a mounting dilemma. These researchers pointed out that teachers, administrators, and other educators grumbled that bad discipline in public middle schools has a pessimistic effect on the procedure of teaching and learning. This was particularly evident in schools where there were no effectual behavior involvement or discipline support schemes (George, Harrower & Knoster, 2003; Hester, Gable & Manning, 2003; Lapointe & Frederic, 2004; Newman-Carlson & Horne, 2004). Additionally, American educators think that bad discipline and other appearances of disorderly behavior in America's public schools are serious, all-encompassing problems that compromises student learning. It has been alleged that such troubles were driving a considerable amount of teachers out of the profession (Public Agenda Organization, 2004).

Reports put out by the Public Agenda Organization (2004) have shown that students' misbehavior, which comprises disorderliness, disregard, intimidations, threats, bullying, talking out, tardiness, and rudeness, were frequent and classic behaviors that were influencing the learning environment of public schools. As a result, the suspension rates have augmented considerably over the last few years (Sullivan, 2008). For instance, between 2000 and 2005, suspensions for more serious things lasting for six days to one year rose by more than seventy-six percent, from 8,567 to 15,090, and the ensuing penalties can be overwhelming for the academic expansion of students (Sullivan, 2008). This is for the reason that the stakes were greater for students' performance on achievement assessments. The fact lingered though that students who habitually challenged genuine school rules and power were stopping the bulk of students from learning and teachers from teaching (Sullivan, 2008).

Additionally, just about eight in ten teachers have noted that in their pursuit to preserve order and discipline, they were frequently told by students that they have rights and that their parents can sue (Public Agenda Organization, 2004). As a consequence, the current legal system and probable repercussions for teachers damaged the course of maintaining order in schools by facilitating parents and students to cash in on the system. Supporters and educators has said that the legal system must struggle to attain a balance between the asserted rights of people and the rightful interests of humanity (Public Agenda Organization, 2004).

In a study done by Akin-Little, Little and Laniti, (2007), a survey was undergone with teachers' classroom management practices in the United States and Greece. The United States sample was made up of one hundred and forty nine teachers in Arizona, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Greek sample consisted of ninety seven teachers in Athens and the surrounding region. The survey asked questions in regards to teachers' utilization of important classroom management principles like rules and other classroom management procedures. Answer of the teachers in the two samples were extremely alike which indicates that; in general, teachers are reporting the utilization of empirically authenticated classroom management practices like rules and positive reinforcement in comparatively high amounts.

For most new teachers in the Netherlands, troubles with discipline in the classroom are their first apprehension. Throughout the first couple of years of their career they either expand sufficient strategies for classroom management which will assist them to generate and uphold an affirmative working environment in their classrooms or leave the profession. In a study done by Bradley, (2011) it is examined to see how interactive cognitions relate to teacher insights of student behavior and how these cognitions influence teacher behavior. The consequences of this project contributed to efforts intended at assisting student and new teachers in figuring out a more positive working environment in their classrooms. Data was collected using approaches like interviews based on the watching of video vignettes, interviews after acting in response to these vignettes, surveillance in the classroom, enthused recall interviews, and questionnaires. Theories on social cognition were united with the system's advance to communication and was then be interpreted or applied to the field of teacher's interactive cognitions and classroom communication procedures. The project was based on twenty five years of long tradition of research in the Netherlands, in which communication procedures between teachers and their students in secondary classrooms were studied. In this research it was found that students' perceptions of their teachers' interpersonal approach were not only related to the working atmosphere in classrooms, but also to students' cognitive and affective learning outcomes. In addition, this research showed significant differences between new and expert teachers' behavior, resulting in a more optimistic working environment in expert teachers' classrooms (Bradley, 2011).

Methods

This study utilized a secondary research method of academic investigation. Various existing literature was examined in order to answer the research question at hand. This method allowed for gathering current knowledge available in order to define the issues surrounding classroom discipline and explore the solutions that work the best.

Results

The attraction is forever there to take the fast way out by way of severe penalty in order to try and stop, but not automatically correct, a student's misbehavior. It has been found though, misbehavior and the use of punishment can be prohibited when one creates a well put together learning atmosphere in which the students are concerned and energetic in their learning (Positive discipline in the inclusive, learning-friendly classroom: a guide for teachers and teacher educators, 2006).

One way to create this learning environment is by way of an inclusive, learning-friendly classroom. The objective of an inclusive, learning-friendly classroom is lively students. Students who vigorously and pleasantly contribute in classroom learning have less disciplinary troubles. They want to be there, and they will do anything necessary to stay there (Positive discipline in the inclusive, learning-friendly classroom: a guide for teachers and teacher educators, 2006).

Consistency Management & Cooperative Discipline (CMCD) is a research-based, classroom and school reform mold that builds on collective accountability for learning and classroom organization amid teachers and students. The program works well with geographic feeder schools from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade that comprises all students, teachers and administrators in one specific area of the city. The program offers constant messages to students about what it means to be self-disciplined. Messages that are altered every year or are not in agreement for every classroom reduce discipline and accomplishment (Consistency Management & Cooperative Discipline, 1998).

Consistency Management & Cooperative Discipline also offers a sustainable message for all who work with students: administrators, teachers, specialists, aides, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers. The project gives support to educational professionals and staff over a three-year period by way of staff development, school-based facilitators, and continuing research data on student and teacher viewpoints of school environment and discipline recommendations to the office. The teacher is capable to generate a reliable but supple learning atmosphere and unite with the students in setting up a supportive plan for classroom rules, measures, utilization of time, and academic learning that governs the classroom, all within an emergent democratic arrangement. Classrooms and schools are characteristically the last place one finds democratic philosophies, but they should be the first (Consistency Management & Cooperative Discipline, 1998).

The Consistency Management & Cooperative Discipline idea is made up of five themes in order to build resilience:

Prevention - classroom management is trouble avoidance rather than problem solving, therefore dropping the necessitate for intervention

Caring - a caring atmosphere is the basis for school reform. Students want to know how much teachers care, not how much they know

Cooperation - moving from tourists to citizens leads to ownership, participation and bigger occasions for student self-discipline

Organization - classroom organization is a shared accountability that adds important teaching and learning time and builds student ownership and self-discipline

Community - a group of parental and community participation activities and events are essential to link school with home and meet the requirements of the changing American family.

Each of these themes comprises strategies and activities that permit students to become real associates in the classroom. The definition for the Consistency Management & Cooperative Discipline program is developing. It is being extended by those most intimately affected by the program teachers, students, administrators and parents. This development is also being fashioned by longitudinal research studies of classroom atmospheres, discipline and learning (Consistency Management & Cooperative Discipline, 1998).

Another approach is the Positive Discipline Parenting and Classroom Management model which is intended at developing equally respectful associations. Positive Discipline teaches adults to make use of compassion and determination at the same time, and is neither disciplinary nor lenient. The utensils and notions of Positive Discipline include:

Mutual respect - adults' mold firmness by respecting themselves and the needs of the circumstances, and compassion by respecting the requirements of the child.

Identifying the belief behind the actions - effective discipline distinguishes the reasons kids do what they do and works to alter those beliefs, rather than simply attempting to alter behavior

Effectual communication and problem solving abilities

Discipline that educates and is neither lenient nor disciplinary

Focusing on answers instead of penalty

Support instead of honor - support notices effort and improvement, not just achievement, and builds lasting self-esteem and empowerment.

Exclusive characteristics of the Positive Discipline Model also include:

Teaching adults and students by way of experiential actions. Producing opportunity to put into practice new skills and to have fun learning by doing

Classroom discipline programs and parent teaching programs that are reliable. Parents, teachers, and childcare providers can work jointly to offer a safe, reliable atmosphere for students

Reasonably priced training and ongoing support so members of societies can teach each other affirmative discipline skills

Certified trainers across the nation who can work with schools and communities

The Positive Discipline Parenting and Classroom Management Model are founded on the works of Alfred Adler and Rudolf Dreikurs. Dr. Adler first initiated the idea of parenting education in the United States in the 1920's. He supported caring for children respectfully, but also disputed that spoiling and pampering children was not encouraging to them and resulted in social and behavioral dilemmas. The classroom methods, which were initially introduced in Vienna in the early 1920s, were brought to the United States by Dr. Dreikurs in the late 1930's. Dreikurs and Adler refer to this kind and firm advance to teaching and parenting as democratic in nature (What is Positive Discipline, 2011).

Discussion

The concern about discipline is almost always on a separate path in the public arena. But it is innermost to the matters of raising student accomplishment, meeting national education objectives, and enhancing U.S. achievement in international evaluations. In modern years, many policy proposals have come out to deal with the dilemma of disorder in America's schools. While the offending behavior of students has been an apprehension for many years, it established particular attention with the expansion of the National Education Goals. In reply, policymakers have planned various and assorted reforms, comprising requiring students to wear uniforms, showing zero tolerance to gangs, placing students in small schools or schools within schools, hiring more security guards, and sustaining efforts to prevent school violence before it takes place (Order in the Classroom Violence, Discipline, and Student Achievement, 1998).

Discipline issues are listed as the main concern for most new teachers. Classroom management united with an effective discipline plan is the answer. There are several steps that teachers can use to deal with discipline issues that may arise in the classroom.

1. Teachers should start each class with an affirmative outlook and high expectations. If they expect their students to act up or they approach them pessimistically, they will get misbehavior. This is a frequently ignored aspect of classroom management.

2. Teachers must come to class ready with lessons for the day. In fact, they should over plan their lessons. Reducing downtime helps sustain discipline in the classroom.

3. Teachers should work on making changeovers between parts of lessons even. In other words, if they move from entire group discussion to autonomous work, they should try to reduce the disturbance to the class. Many disruptions take place throughout transitional times during lessons.

4. Teachers should watch their students as they come into class. They should watch for signals of possible issues before class even starts. For instance, if one should notice a heated discussion or problem before class starts, it should be deal with right away. Students should be allowed to talk with the teacher for a few moments or with each other before starting class in order to try and work things out. If needed they should be separated and the teacher should try and achieve agreement that during the class period at least they will drop whatever problem they have.

5. Teachers should have a posted discipline plan that they go by consistently for effective classroom management. Depending on the harshness of the offense, this should permit students a warning or two before punishment starts. The plan should be simple to follow and also should cause the smallest amount of disturbance in the class.

6. Teachers should meet disturbances that arise in the class with kind actions. In other words, teachers shouldn't promote disturbances above their present level. The discipline plan should afford for this, nevertheless, sometimes ones own personal issues can get in the way.

7. Teachers should try using humor to disperse situations before things get out of hand.

8. If a student becomes verbally challenging with the teacher, they should stay calm and remove them from the situation as rapidly as possible. They should not get into yelling matches with their students. There will forever be a winner and a loser which sets up a power fight that could carry on throughout the year. Furthermore, they should not bring the rest of the class into the circumstances by involving them in the discipline or the writing of the referral.

9. If a student becomes physical, teachers should keep in mind the safety of the other students is supreme. They should stay as cool as possible; their demeanor can sometimes diffuse the situation. They should have a plan for dealing with aggression that has been discussed with students early in the year. They should utilize the call button for help. They could also have a student chosen to get help from another teacher. Teachers should send the other students from the room if it emerges they could get hurt.

10. Teachers should keep a subjective record of key issues that arise in their class. This might be necessary if they are asked for a record of classroom disturbances or other certification.

11. In the end teachers should let it go at the end of the day. Classroom management and disturbance issues should be left in class so that they can have time to renew before coming back to another day of teaching (Kelly, 2011).

Understanding learning styles is one of the keys to successful behavior management. If one can appeal to the learning styles of all of the students in the classroom then one has a much greater chance of appealing to all their students in their learning, rather than dealing with behavior issues. Being conscious for example that many boys are physical and inter-personal or discussion-based learners will permit one to vary the kind of learning activities that one uses in class, rather than deliver lesson content by way of a one style fits all approach (Learning Styles are the key, 2009).

Punishment is an act that is forced on a person for breaking a rule or demonstrating inappropriate conduct. Punishment aims to manage actions by way of negative ways. Two kinds of punishment are usually used with children:

Punishment linking negative verbal warnings and condemnation; this kind of punishment is also known as negative discipline.

Punishment connecting severe physical or emotional hurt, as in corporal punishment.

Regrettably, both types of punishment center on the misbehavior and may do little or nothing to aid a child act better in the future. Furthermore, the child learns that the adult is greater, and the use of power, be it verbal, physical, or emotional, is acceptable, particularly over younger, weaker people. This lesson can lead to events of bullying and aggression in school, where older children control younger ones and force them into giving the bullies money, food, homework, or other items of value. In addition, rather than leading to a child with inner control, such penalty makes the child irritated, angry, and afraid. It also causes disgrace, fault, nervousness, augmented aggression, a lack of autonomy, and a lack of caring for others, and therefore greater troubles for teachers, caregivers, and other children (Positive discipline in the inclusive, learning-friendly classroom: a guide for teachers and teacher educators, 2006).

Negative discipline is a type of punishment meant to manage a student's behavior, but frequently it involves only short verbal commands or statements and does not lead to an absolute, severe punishment. Teachers who do not use corporal punishment may use negative discipline advances as an substitute. But like corporal punishment, these also can cause children to become irritated and hostile or have low self-worth. Negative strategies include:

Commands

Forbidding statements

Explosive, angry statements

Criticizing statements

Threatening statements

Belittling statements

Often, teachers we use these negative strategies, when they are mad or aggravated. Yet, there are a diversity of affirmative ways to deal with irritation and aggravation. A number of teachers tell their students that they need a minute to calm down because they are very annoyed at the moment. Others calm down by counting to ten or by leaving the room for quite a few minutes. A number of teachers explain their feelings to their students in order to help them comprehend what annoys them. The children then learn what not to do and why. They might do it again, but they are held accountable for their dealings and will have to deal with the penalties (Positive discipline in the inclusive, learning-friendly classroom: a guide for teachers and teacher educators, 2006).

Discipline forms a student's behavior and assists them to learn self-control when it offers support, not hurting, worthless penalties. A few teachers use a technique like showing through example, also known as modeling, as well as giving praise and occasions to practice; not yelling, spanking, insulting, or threatening. This support is a kind of reward that inspires the student to work, learn, and accomplish. It builds self-worth for the reason that the student learns that they were directly responsible for earning their praise or other reward. Children can opt to earn it, or not to earn it. This gives them a sentiment of power over their lives, which is a key component of healthy self-esteem. Similarly, not giving support for misbehavior, such as disregarding attention-seeking behaviors like fits or being late for class, will, over time, teach the child self-discipline if they don't get the notice they are trying to get by way of their misbehavior. The child learns that they only get attention when they behaves calmly or enters punctually; that is, when the teachers catch them being good (Positive discipline in the inclusive, learning-friendly classroom: a guide for teachers and teacher educators, 2006).

Students have to be taught so that they comprehend and follow social rules. Evidence shows that children react better to positive advances, including compromise and systems of rewards, rather than punishment by way of verbal, physical, or emotional abuse. While punishment is a single measure, positive discipline is a four-step procedure that distinguishes and rewards suitable actions in the following ways:

The proper behavior is described: the teacher asks everyone to quiet down

Clear reasons are given: the teacher explains that quieting down is respectful to others

Acknowledgement is requested: reinforcing why quieting down is important

The correct behavior is reinforced: eye contact, a nod, a smile, and an extra five minutes of play time at the end of the day, extra credit points, having an achievement talked about in front of the class or school.

When rewards are utilized, they should always be instant and little, yet flattering. This procedure is successful for individual children. Furthermore, for those who are working in big classes, it can also be effectual for groups of students. The trick is to make the kids feel they are on a winning team and to commend each child's efforts in being a good team member (Positive discipline in the inclusive, learning-friendly classroom: a guide for teachers and teacher educators, 2006).

Positive Discipline on the other hand is an agenda intended to teach young people to become accountable, reverent and practical members of their communities. Current research has shown that children are hardwired from birth to join with others, and children who feel a sense of association to their community, family, and school are less likely to misbehave. To be victorious, contributing members of their neighborhood, children must learn essential social and life skills. Positive Discipline is founded on the considerate that discipline must be taught and that discipline teaches (What is Positive Discipline, 2011).

Research has shown that there are five criteria for positive discipline including:

1. Helping children feel a sense of association - belonging and importance

1. Is jointly respectful and hopeful - kind and firm at the same time

2. Is effectual in the long run - considers what the child is thinking, feeling, learning, and deciding about themselves and their world and what to do in the future to survive or to flourish

3. Teaches significant social and life abilities - admiration, apprehension for others, problem solving, and collaboration as well as the skills to add to the home, school or larger neighborhood

4. Invites students to find out how competent they are - gives confidence the constructive use of personal power and autonomy

Conclusion

Classroom management and discipline are closely connected. Management entails an overall plan to address a diversity of conditions. Discipline is more personal. The task of upholding control of a group of student's takes preparation, information, and understanding. Some teachers are very good in their abilities to manage both behavior and instruction at the same time. Others are less accomplished and display extremes of nervous unwillingness and fierce pressure. The best classroom managers are proactive in that they have practiced what they will do to deal with different kinds of issues. This helps evade mass confusion when a major disruptions occur. Effective managers have an understanding of human behavior that helps them evaluate a circumstance quickly decide on what is suitable (Craft, 2010).

Sometimes classroom-management issues originate from very irrelevant situations and escalate because a teacher has not put into practice a preventative behavior-management plan. The most essential part of classroom management is orally reviewing and then posting behavior and academic expectations. Then students must witness and personally experience consistently applied penalties. It is easy to see why the preponderance of teachers point out that teacher preparation programs should include more importance on classroom management (Bradley, 2011).

Teachers who use positive discipline believe in their students' capabilities and communicate liking and respect for their students. When teachers are willing to watch their students and react in manners that promote positive behavior, they help their students become accountable for their own behaviors, and they decrease the probability of misbehavior (Positive discipline in the inclusive, learning-friendly classroom: a guide for teachers and teacher educators, 2006).

A good teacher should continue to amend and enlarge their discipline plan to comprise more rehabilitative actions of discipline. These actions will equip educators with the pertinent knowledge to give students the essential support they need to deal with the discipline issues that they come up against. This may then minimize the levels of recidivism of unsuitable behaviors that take place in schools and permit teachers to efficiently teach their lessons geared at developments in academic principles (Samerson, 2010).

As recognized in the findings of this study, some of the representative inappropriate behaviors that take place in schools include fights, horse-playing, and verbal disregard for teachers. It has been noted that schools that adopt and implement some planned measures of guidance interference see obvious changes with student discipline. As such, the United Federation of Teachers continues their push for substitute options to deal with discipline by presenting prepared proposals with certification of some of the substitute intervention strategies that prove to be effectual in schools (Samerson, 2010).

As suggested by educators and supported by research, these executed programs must center on providing more inducements and positively driven reward systems instead of relying mostly on punishment. Such programs must comprise occasions for students to reflect on their unsuitable behaviors as well as provide proposals and alternatives for change or development. It must also integrate techniques to aid these students to deal with anger management, unbalanced emotions, stress, frustration, and other ill-fated events that they experience in their lives. Even programs enhancing the students' physical happiness, health, and nutrition, such as planned sports or exercise programs for endorsing relaxation and healthy living have been recommended by some. Educators have designated that these programs have had optimistic experiences in some city schools (Samerson, 2010).

These policies make certain practical assumptions about the causes and penalties of student delinquency. The National Education Goals, in relating a disciplined atmosphere to student learning, presuppose that school disorder is a major impediment to academic accomplishment. The assorted policies also take for granted that the chief benefit of reducing disorder is improving student accomplishment. In addition, these policies suppose that their own consequence will be to reduce disorder. For instance, the idea behind necessitating school uniforms is that students wearing uniforms will be less likely to engage in gang actions which involve wearing colors and the overall environment will emerge more disciplined and orderly. These alterations, in turn, will result in students learning more. Regrettably, the research base for testing these assumptions is weak. Most support for ground-breaking school discipline policies comes from subjective evidence or small-level evaluations of individual schools or school districts. Little national research has been carried out, mainly due to the lack of national data on schools, student wrongdoing and academic accomplishment (Order in the Classroom Violence, Discipline, and Student Achievement, 1998).

In recent years, Positive Discipline has grown to include things that address different age groups, family settings, and special circumstances. Positive Discipline is taught to schools, parents, and parent educators by trained Certified Positive Discipline Associates. Community members, parents, and teachers are encouraged to become trained facilitators and to share the ideas of Positive Discipline with their own groups. Positive Discipline parent education classes are taught across the nation, and Positive Discipline is productively used as the classroom management model in private, religious, and public elementary schools. A demonstration school program is presently being developed (What is Positive Discipline, 2011).

Formal assessment comparing Positive Discipline Schools with schools utilizing other discipline programs is just starting. However, studies of realization of Positive Discipline methods have shown that Positive Discipline tools do create noteworthy results. A study of school-wide execution of classroom meetings in a lower-income Sacramento elementary school over a four-year period showed that suspensions went down, vandalism went down and teachers reported enhancement in classroom environment, actions, approaches and academic performance. A study of parent and teacher education programs directed at parents and teachers of students with bad behavior that put into practice Positive Discipline tools showed a statistically important enhancement in the performance of students in the program schools when contrasted to control schools. Smaller studies looking at the impacts of precise Positive Discipline tools have also shown affirmative results. Studies have frequently shown that a student's awareness of being part of the school community or being linked to school decreases the incidence of socially hazardous behavior, such as emotional suffering and suicidal thoughts or attempts, cigarette, alcohol and marijuana use; aggressive behavior and increases academic presentation. There is also important evidence that teaching younger students social skills has a defensive effect that lasts into adolescence. Students that have been taught social skills are more probable to succeed in school and less probable to engage in problem behaviors (What is Positive Discipline, 2011).