What's the best way to deal with classroom discipline?

Read the discussion board since my details are little long. Thanks! Asked by musicholickgp 18 months ago Similar questions: deal classroom discipline Education & Reference.

Relationship is important I'm a special education teacher. For the last 15 or so years, I have been teaching high school students with learning disabilities. I read your message on the discussion board and it sounds like you are teaching elementary.

There's a big difference in the kids we're working with. The main thing I've learned over the years is that relationship is the most important part of classroom management. When I first started teaching, veteran teachers told me not to smile until Christmas and that if I was just tough enough, the students would respect me.

I think the changes in how I managed the classroom occurred naturally and as a result of raising children. I've noticed that it makes a difference when the kids know that I care about them. If they believe you care about them, they will still be disruptive, fight with their peers, and even rebel, but they won't hate you.

There's a big difference in dealing with a discipline problems with a kid you have a relationship with. It's also important for them to believe you when you tell them to do something. Before they will believe you, you have to believe that you can get the children to do what you tell them to do.

Raising your own children helps, but most of us start teaching before we have children. One of my teachers aides was never able to help with classroom discipline. She was helpful in working with students who were being compliant, but if there was a behavior problem when I was in a meeting, the principal usually had to go in.

The reason was because she did not believe that she could get them to do what she told them to do and she communicated that in her voice and her body language. That's not all she communicated. She seemed to feel some anger toward them when she thought they wouldn't comply with her request and she communicated that.It wasn't just anger that she communicated.

Her voice and body language seemed to say, "I know you won't do what I'm telling you to do because you're a bad kid and I don't have any respect for you. " It's also good to avoid giving direct orders. Try to say, "I need you to open your book to page 25 now," instead of just "open your book.

" If a couple of kids are visiting when you need them to get to work, you can say in a firm voice, "I need you to stop talking and open your books. " You can accomplish a lot by just walking close to students talking. Sometimes they'll just stop when you get close and you don't even need to make an issue about it.

As for kids fighting and not playing fair. That's pretty natural and I think you handled that well. Just put an end to it.

Let them feel that you're in charge and keep things moving without spending too much time trying to sort out who said what. I hope this is of some help..

2 I know this is a broad question, but it sort of is meant to be this way. I am working on getting my teachers license, but the one thing that I know I will have troubles with is dealing with discipline, especially because I have always been a people pleaser; I always want to make everyone, including kids, happy and like me, however, I do hear that when we do have rules etc. Kids will then respect the adult better. Of course I will have rules in my future class, but I seem to have the most difficult issue with helping children work out their issues together, when children argue or fight with other children.

I know sometimes it’s best to have children work out their problems on their own, but sometimes adults do need to step in and intervene. Yesterday when I was working at the summer school program where kids stay when their parents are working, a girl called her friend how she wasn’t a good drawer. Then the other girl told me how her friend said how she was not a good drawer.

The other girl then told me how she said how she told her friend that she was the good drawer but she, herself, wasn’t the good drawer. Is this confusing at all? I wondered if the other girl just got confused, but then she went on saying other things, and I was wondering if she was really tattle telling.

I told each girl to apologize and that we should not say things that will hurt other people. I also suggested that they move away from each other for at least a while to cool down. These girls do seem a little dramatic too, and maybe I’m judging too much, but they seem to be gossiping a little too.

Another boy in the school program also has a very bad temper. When he is playing a game in the gym he will sometimes run off crying when he gets out. I have never talked to him about it, but I wonder if I should, however, I think he is dealing with his anger a little better.

But there are a few boys who are very competitive when playing sports, which is no surprise, but I wonder how truthful they are if they say they didn’t get out and I didn’t see, but someone else says they got them out. Typically though, if I didn’t see it and someone says they got them out, I have them sit out until it’s time for them to go back in. There is a saying that goes, “without a doubt you’re out”.

I kind of have been following that.

I know this is a broad question, but it sort of is meant to be this way. I am working on getting my teachers license, but the one thing that I know I will have troubles with is dealing with discipline, especially because I have always been a people pleaser; I always want to make everyone, including kids, happy and like me, however, I do hear that when we do have rules etc. Kids will then respect the adult better. Of course I will have rules in my future class, but I seem to have the most difficult issue with helping children work out their issues together, when children argue or fight with other children.

I know sometimes it’s best to have children work out their problems on their own, but sometimes adults do need to step in and intervene. Yesterday when I was working at the summer school program where kids stay when their parents are working, a girl called her friend how she wasn’t a good drawer. Then the other girl told me how her friend said how she was not a good drawer.

The other girl then told me how she said how she told her friend that she was the good drawer but she, herself, wasn’t the good drawer. Is this confusing at all? I wondered if the other girl just got confused, but then she went on saying other things, and I was wondering if she was really tattle telling.

I told each girl to apologize and that we should not say things that will hurt other people. I also suggested that they move away from each other for at least a while to cool down. These girls do seem a little dramatic too, and maybe I’m judging too much, but they seem to be gossiping a little too.

Another boy in the school program also has a very bad temper. When he is playing a game in the gym he will sometimes run off crying when he gets out. I have never talked to him about it, but I wonder if I should, however, I think he is dealing with his anger a little better.

But there are a few boys who are very competitive when playing sports, which is no surprise, but I wonder how truthful they are if they say they didn’t get out and I didn’t see, but someone else says they got them out. Typically though, if I didn’t see it and someone says they got them out, I have them sit out until it’s time for them to go back in. There is a saying that goes, “without a doubt you’re out”.

I kind of have been following that.

4 Having the kids come up with the rules helps. They will usually be more strict than you will. So you will have to modify them accordingly.

Most children do perfectly well without a lot of adult help or intervention. They call each other names that we'd've never said around adults when we were kids. Kids who can't get along with other kids are the main problem -- they're often singled out and bullied because other kids like to get a reaction.

They over-react with shocking sudden shouting or striking back. Everyone tattles and they are the ones who get in trouble. It may be simple enough just to teach them to control their responses or reactions -- that the bullying kids want to see them get mad, emotional, or cry.So don't do it.

Sadly it IS true what they say about discipline. You have to use a firm voice but not shout or intimidate unnecessarily, and you have to carry discipline (and other consequences, such as bad grades) out, or they WILL take advantage of you and take control of your class or group and undermine your discipline. You do have to be a little mean sometimes, but not always.

Don't let children manipulate you. You have to be the one in charge, and enforce discipline -- which is an unpleasant task because we want to be creative and loving and in their favour. You can't really help children if you are not firmly in charge.

I made the mistake of wanting to be all servant no leader. The children treated me accordingly and I usually ended up not being effective or able to command attention when we needed to focus on something.

Having the kids come up with the rules helps. They will usually be more strict than you will. So you will have to modify them accordingly.

Most children do perfectly well without a lot of adult help or intervention. They call each other names that we'd've never said around adults when we were kids. Kids who can't get along with other kids are the main problem -- they're often singled out and bullied because other kids like to get a reaction.

They over-react with shocking sudden shouting or striking back. Everyone tattles and they are the ones who get in trouble. It may be simple enough just to teach them to control their responses or reactions -- that the bullying kids want to see them get mad, emotional, or cry.So don't do it.

Sadly it IS true what they say about discipline. You have to use a firm voice but not shout or intimidate unnecessarily, and you have to carry discipline (and other consequences, such as bad grades) out, or they WILL take advantage of you and take control of your class or group and undermine your discipline. You do have to be a little mean sometimes, but not always.

Don't let children manipulate you. You have to be the one in charge, and enforce discipline -- which is an unpleasant task because we want to be creative and loving and in their favour. You can't really help children if you are not firmly in charge.

I made the mistake of wanting to be all servant no leader. The children treated me accordingly and I usually ended up not being effective or able to command attention when we needed to focus on something.

Looking for easy, little kindergarten classroom games....

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.