School Administration and Student Discipline

1. How should an administrator respond to a teacher who, during the first week of use, refers a student who demonstrates an Intensity I Offense on the Behavioral Matrix to the office? How should an administrator respond to a teacher who continually does this, even after specific feedback and correction?

One of the most important aspects in the learning environment is student discipline through appropriate behaviors. As a result, the Behavioral Matrix has been developed and widely used in learning environments since they specify behavioral expectations for all students within the classroom and school setting. Intensity I Offenses are described as annoying behaviors that teachers can address using minimum intervention or interaction. School administrators play a supporting role to teachers and students in today’s learning environment to help in achievement of learning objectives and establishing a suitable environment for learning. For a teacher who refers a student who demonstrates an Intensity I Offense on the Behavioral Matrix, an administrator can respond by correcting the teacher on how to handle such offenses. For a teacher who continually does this, even after specific correction and feedback, the administrator can respond through recommending training of classroom management and student discipline (Meador, 2017).
2. How can a school’s administration and discipline committee maximize the entire staff’s consistent use of the social skills program, the Behavioral Matrix, and the time-out process?
Enhancing student discipline is critical towards creating a suitable learning environment for all students within the classroom and school setting. While teachers play a crucial role in this process, the school’s administration and discipline committee also has an important role in enhancing student discipline. The administration and discipline committee can achieve this through maximizing the consistent use of the social skills program, the Behavioral Matrix, and the time-out process. One of the ways this can be achieved is for the school administration and discipline committee to utilize a hands-on approach for ensuring these various components are applied by teachers in dealing with behavioral issues in the classroom (Knoff, 2012). Through this, the school administration and discipline committee should regularly assess the use of these components by the entire staff. Secondly, the administration and committee should ensure that these components are incorporated in staff training and development programs. This will help in reinforcing the significance of these measures in handling student discipline and promoting their consistent use in the teaching and learning process.
3. How can a school’s administration and discipline committee move a school faculty from wanting to punish student misbehavior to focusing on the use of strategic interventions that eliminate the misbehavior and replace it with prosocial behavior?
The use of strategic intervention that eliminates misbehavior and replace it with prosocial behavior is crucial towards creating a suitable learning environment as well as enhancing classroom management and student discipline. A school’s administration and disciplinary committee can achieve this through establishing student discipline policies that focus on promotion of prosocial behavior among students. Such policies would provide the foundation and framework through which the school faculty models prosocial behavior rather than focusing on punishing student misbehavior. These policies should contain guidelines that teachers can utilize to develop strategic interventions to eliminate misbehavior and replace it with prosocial behavior. Secondly, the school’s administration and discipline committee should create a learning environment that fosters positive interactions between teachers and students. This provides a framework for teachers to better understand students and model desired behaviors.
References
Knoff, H.M. (2012). Implementing Project ACHIEVE at the School and District Levels: Positive Behavioral Support System (PBSS) Implementation Fact Sheet. Retrieved September 6, 2017, from http://projectachieve.info/assets/files/pdfs/PBSS%20Proj%20ACH%20School%20Implemt%20Fact%20Sheet%20412.pdf
Meador, D. (2017, June 9). The Ultimate Teacher’s Guide to Discipline Referrals. Retrieved September 6, 2017, from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-ultimate-teachers-guide-to-discipline-referrals-3194620