Discipline Plan

This is a general idea of how I plan to run my classroom as a teacher.

Descriptive Statement

            This paper is to reflect my theories on discipline in the classroom.  My discipline plan will explain which philosophies I believe in, how to handle certain procedures and routines, and how I will implement management practices.

Philosophy

            It is hard to pinpoint exactly what I feel would make up the perfect classroom.  Through the help of some theorists and their ideas, I have been able to figure out the general idea of what I am looking for in my room.  These ideas are what I would call my “Top Ten Beliefs/Practices.”

            1. Noncoercive Discipline (William Glasser):  William Glasser says noncoercive discipline is the best way.  This means that teachers should discipline not in a threatening way, but in a way that lets students see why they behaved the way they did.  I think this is an important thing for students to realize.  They should understand that they are responsible for their behavior and that they can control it.  They shouldn’t be punished for it but informed of what they have done wrong, and they should be given time to see what they can do to fix the problem so it doesn’t happen again.

            2. Positive Discipline (Jane Nelsen):  Positive discipline is done by accepting responsibility and respecting others.  Students are not to feel humiliated when they make mistakes but instead should learn from them.  Nelsen says that it is important for students to learn these things in order to develop good relationships both in- and outside of school.  I feel this is important because this approach teaches life skills that are important for all students to learn.  If it can be demonstrated in the classroom, then it will make a major impact on the students’ lives in the future.

            3. Positive Classroom (Fred Jones):  Having a positive classroom can influence good behavior.  Jones believes that both verbal and nonverbal cues, classroom arrangement, and the teacher can all help to create a positive classroom.  By doing these things, the students are able to manage behavior and are rewarded for it.  I think this is important for students because they should be rewarded for the good things they do.  If they are shown proper behavior, then they will continue it.  Starting this process early will allow for smooth years both now and in the future.

            4. Inner Discipline (Barbara Coloroso):  Inner discipline is to use discipline instead of punishment.  By using discipline, students can see what they have done wrong instead of just getting in trouble for what was done.  Barbara Coloroso believes that students should take responsibility for their decisions.  By doing this, they can create an inner discipline to solve their problems.  I think this is important because it allows students to see what exactly they have done and what they can do to fix it.  It gives them the opportunity to fix the problem themselves instead of having the teacher or someone else solve it for them.

            5. Honor Level System (Budd Churchward):  Budd Churchward believes in using honor levels for discipline.  These levels are 1-no infractions, 2-one-two infractions, 3-three or more infractions, and 4-frequent behavior issues.  The students strive to reach the first level, and they keep track of their behavior themselves.  After 14 days, the written warnings they receive for their behavior are erased, and they start over with a clean slate.  I think this is important for students because it helps those students who constantly misbehave have a second chance in doing the right thing.  It helps them to not have that “misbehaving student” label placed on them.  I have seen something similar to this done in a classroom, and it has worked out very well.  As a future teacher, I can see using the honor level system for my students as a way to get them to start doing the right thing.

            6. Cooperative Discipline (Linda Albert):  There are four categories of consequences that Linda Albert came up with.  These consequences are to be implemented after any discipline problem.  The students are to lose a privilege, lose a freedom of interaction, replace or repair a damaged item or help students that have been offended, and relearn appropriate behavior.  No matter what the behavior is that occurred, one of these four consequences can be done.  I feel as though these are all appropriate, and any student can do them.  All students should do these things anyway, but the only way to get them to do it is to push them. 

            7. Synergetic Discipline (C.M. Charles):  In order to maintain a good classroom, Charles believes that these nine things must be present at all times: trust, ethics, charisma, communication, interest, class agreements, coopetition, human relations, and problem resolution.  If one of these is missing, then a classroom can not function properly.  I completely agree with this idea.  All of the things that Charles looks for in a classroom are things that every teacher should look for.  These are basic things that can turn into major life skills for students to learn.  This idea helps the students to gain respect for one another, and that in itself stops misbehavior.  I will definitely be using this idea in my classroom.

            8. Positive Discipline (Jane Nelsen):  Class meetings are meetings held by the teacher and the class.  The teacher starts the meeting, but the students run it.  The point is to show the students that they are cared for by everyone, and the meetings help to erase barriers that could hinder good relationships.  Class meetings can be very beneficial in a classroom, and I can see myself using them.  I think that these meetings will help to ease fears that the students have about class itself or how other students are feeling.  As long as the students are able to be open about their feelings, then I think this will help to decrease the behavior problems and the lack of respect for one another in my room.

            9. Raising Responsibility (Marvin Marshall):  I feel that it is important for students to be responsible for their own behavior.  Marvin Marshall identified four levels of social behavior that the students can assess themselves on.  These levels are: A-anarchy, B-bullying, C-cooperation, and D-democracy.  In level A, the students are noisy or out of control, and in B, the students are breaking the classroom rules.  These two levels are considered to be unacceptable.  In level C, the students are cooperative and do what is expected of them.  In D, they develop self-discipline and are kind to others.  These two levels are what the students should always be doing.  I can see myself using this in my room to help give my students a self-check on where they are at on the hierarchy for the day.  I think that these levels will help them to realize when they are and aren’t displaying appropriate behavior.

            10. Positive Classroom (Fred Jones):  Classroom rules, according to Fred Jones, can make or break a classroom.  He suggests that general rules be broad while specific rules are more for procedures.  These need to be practiced at the beginning of the school year and demonstrated by the teacher.  I feel as though I will use this strategy in my classroom because I have seen it work in many other classrooms.  The students are able to grasp what is expected of them right away, and that will last for the rest of the school year.  Using classroom rules will help to manage the classroom as the teacher does not have to constantly remind the students what is expected of them after they have learned the rules themselves.

Procedures/Routines

            Something that all teachers must do is create classroom procedures and routines.  These are what make a classroom run smoothly.  If a teacher has taught procedures and routines to students, then when a child misbehaves, they will understand what they did wrong.  I have chosen six procedures that I find to be important.

            1. Turning in student work:  Students are constantly turning in work both from home and from in the classroom.  Sometimes there are trays or folders for assignments.  Some teachers also require specific headings on papers.  I find this procedure to be important because this one small area can cause mass chaos.  In my room, I plan on having each student turn in their work in one tray.  They must include their name and specific number (based on alphabetical order of last names).  For older students, I will require them to also include the date and the title of the subject.  The only thing the teacher will have to do is hand out numbers and show the students the designated tray.  It will be important to show them exactly where the tray is and what is expected on their papers during the first weeks of school until the students get the hang of it.

            2. Beginning of the day:  In most classrooms, the beginning of the day is very full.  Students have to hang up coats and backpacks, turn in homework, do classroom jobs, and work on morning work.  By having students do these things, they develop a sense of responsibility and time management.  These are important life skills for everyone to learn.  Without this procedure, the teacher may not know exactly what the children are doing, and the children will be very confused and unorganized.  In my room, the children will be required to walk straight to their lockers/hangers, hang up their coats and backpacks, and bring everything they need into the classroom.  From that point, the students will turn in their homework, put their books away in their desks, look to see if they have any jobs to do, and begin working on the morning work.  The teacher will need to have a designated place on a board to write what the morning work is so the students know what to do.  The teacher will also have to assign each student a specific locker/hook so they know which one is theirs.  Once again, it is important for the teacher to go through all of these steps numerous times so the students understand what to do.

            3. Getting attention/signaling for quiet:  Without a signal, many students would have a hard time quieting down.  It is important for students to learn a signal so they do not miss important information.  Not only will the teacher have information to share, but announcements may be said over the intercom that, if not listening, the students could miss something of importance.  A signal that I plan on using is to put my hand in the air.  The students will be expected to stop what they are doing and saying when they see my hand.  If I have a student who has a hard time seeing, I will be sure to verbalize the fact that my hand is in the air.  The only thing the teacher really needs to do is practice this procedure by having students talk and putting a hand up.  This is a rather simple procedure that all students can grasp quickly if it’s done the right way.

            4. Classroom helpers:  Classrooms are always a mess.  I feel it is important for the students to be classroom helpers.  Not only can they help to clean up around the room, but they can learn how to be responsible and on-task.  They are responsible for more than just themselves, too.  Some classroom jobs that I would like to have are paper passers, board erasers, lunch counters, homework organizers, and pet feeders.  The children will be expected to do their jobs either in the morning before doing their bell work (if applicable) and throughout the day.  The teacher will have to make sure each student gets a turn at each job.  The teacher is also required to show the students how each job is done.  If this is done correctly, the students will learn a lot of responsibility, and the classroom will run in a smoother fashion. 

            5. Community circle:  Students love to constantly share things about themselves.  By having community circle time each day, students can be given that opportunity.  They can sit in a circle and share something exciting that has happened, something fun they got, or their thoughts on a question the teacher asks them.  I feel this develops good listening and speaking skills for students.  It helps the shy students to open up to their classmates, and it allows students to learn more about one another.  In community circle, the students should be expected to sit quietly as each person is given a turn to talk.  It works best if an object is passed around the circle so that only the person holding the object may talk.  If a student speaks without the object, they are given a warning and reminded that they don’t have the talking object.  Not all students are required to share, but it is highly encouraged that they do.  The teacher needs to make sure to model good listening and speaking skills while participating in community circle.  The teacher also needs to show how the talking object works so that students understand what is expected of them.

            6. Dismissal:  Many times dismissal can be the most hectic part of a teacher’s day.  Not only are there bus numbers to remember for each student, but some students may be picked up by a parent that day, riding a different bus, or they normally walk.  It is important to make sure you know exactly where each student is to be before dismissing the class.  The children should be expected to know their bus number.  If they need to be picked up, a note should be sent to school and hung by the door so the teacher is reminded of that change.  Walkers need to be given a special pass so that other teachers in the building know that the student really is walking and doesn’t belong on a bus.  The teacher will need to make a list of bus numbers with each child’s name listed under the specific bus number so that students can refer to it if they forget.  The teacher also needs to have a designated place by the door for notes, and passes need to be made for students who walk.  It is also important for the teacher to send a note home explaining how the procedure of picking students up from school goes.  This procedure may take awhile to learn, but once the students have done this a few times, they will get the hang of the idea.

Implementation

            In my classroom, I plan on having a few ground rules.  The other rules will be created by the students.  It is important to keep these rules to a minimum, though, or the students will get in trouble for everything they do.  The classroom expectations should be clear and understood by each student.  They will be posted in the room as a constant reminder.  I plan on having a card system in my room, so if the students decide to break a rule, they will have to turn a card.  They will be warned the first time because accidents happen, but if it continues, the consequences will become more serious.

            To ensure that learning really is happening, my classroom will be very hands-on.  I will constantly call on students to answer questions, read, and explore.  They will have the opportunity to do various projects based on what works best for their style of learning.  The students will be assessed not just by paper and pencil tests but through observations, projects, and written papers.  Many of these things will be compared to past assignments so that I can see improvement.  If improvement is not there, I will work to make sure that the students understand what is going on.

            In classroom management, three different styles are present: preventive, supportive, and corrective.  In preventive, I will have to keep in mind the fact that younger children may need extra help in learning the procedures and rules.  It is a good idea to keep morning procedures posted either on desks or somewhere that everyone can see as a constant reminder of what is expected.  Sometimes these things can be overwhelming to children, and they may forget something, but if the procedures are visible, it will help them to remember.  In supportive, I will have to keep in mind the fact that not all of the material is exciting, and some of the material may hit home for some students and not others.  I need to make sure that I can do things that will make the lessons more exciting and appealing to each and every student.  This is where my creativity needs to flow.  For a corrective style, I need to hold my ground.  I need to make sure that I help my students without feeling bad for them.  It is hard to not have an emotional relationship with students, but in order to be fair to every student, a teacher has to push those feelings aside.  Sometimes giving the answer just seems like the best idea, but the child will only learn if they work through it themselves.

Parent Letter about my plan