You are faced with one or more problem students in your class. You have read the literature and you know that you should:
1) understand that you should not be irritated, because the students have developed misguided ways to seek attention;
2) not take it personally, because the misbehaving student may well be indirectly using you to express anger over a relationship at home;
3) realise that students are exposed to glorified bad mouthing and irresponsible behaviour on the TV or movie screen;
4) not send the student down to the administration because they don't have the answer either;
5) continue to be demanding without succumbing to becoming demeaning;
6) continue to be tough without becoming harsh or oppressive.
But you are having a hard time and all those ideas, concepts, approaches, or whatever you have read or had explained to you at seminars, don't seem to do you much good.
Your problem is not the general public's idea of "discipline problems" in school, which is moulded by the press in their reports of isolated incidents in which teachers were assaulted or even shot at. What you are dealing with, day in, day out, are the stupid little things such as disrespect, not paying attention, not bringing books, pens and paper to class, constant talking, talking back, ignoring you, getting out of seat, throwing pieces of paper, calling out, calling each other names, etc. You know them all. Written down, they seem so minor, but the have the fantastic capacity to antagonise because of their high frequency of occurrence, causing harsh words and put-downs by you.
You are frustrated because you want to do a good job, you want to teach, and all these stupid interruptions spoil the classroom climate and infringe upon the right of the other students to learn.
You know that your anger, although relieving your frustration somewhat for the moment, will not stop the problems, promote better behaviour, or improve the students' zest to learn. To the contrary, in most cases you simply lock horns with the student, a situation in which neither you nor the student can win.
The problem is that you alone cannot change much, and it is therefore essential that all those involved, teachers, administrators, parents, and students, establish some form of social contract.
Allen L. Mendler and Richard 1. Curvin have developed a realistic approach to achieve effective discipline in schools, centred on the following criteria: *
1) The rules of appropriate behaviour are clear and specific. Students and staff can always tell whether a rule has been broken or not.
2) It is clearly specified what behaviours are acceptable as well as those which are not.
3) The consequences are precise. Students know exactly what will happen when they break or follow a rule.
4) There must be a range of alternative consequences, leaving room for the teachers and the administration to consider the needs and problems of the individual child.
5) The consequences are not designed to punish but should help students learn "cause and effect" in relation to violation of rules. Natural and logical consequences work best, because the student can see the link between the rule, the violation of it, and the consequences.
6) Students and parents should be involved in drawing up the social contract. Students learn responsibility be being given it, and the parents have a greater sense of involvement as well.
The implementation of the above is a difficult process, and schools have to go through a long training period. That is why so many schools continue to use the traditional preventative and punitive approach.
None of us like to work in an environment where the frustration level is at an unpleasant high, and you therefore have to convince, first yourself, then your colleagues, administration and school board, that some form of effective discipline has to be implemented.
In the meantime, accept the reality that you cannot change the home environment of your troubled students; that you cannot control what they watch on TV; and that you do have to maintain your mental health. Support each other in the school, instead of enjoying that ultimately unsatisfactory feeling you have when you find out that one of your colleagues has an even bigger problem than you have. Come to his or her aid. Sometimes staff rooms resemble places where misery seeks misery, where cynicism breeds more cynicism, and where suggestions at solutions are laughed at, while the staff develops a siege mentality. Try something positive: work together!
*Curwin, Richard I. and Mendler, Allen N. "Effective Discipline: The Three-Dimensional Approach." National Association of Elementary School Principals, January 1986.
*Curwin, Richard 1., and Mendler, Allen N.. Discipline With Dignity, Discipline Associates, P.O. Box 9931, Rochester, New York 14623.
Originally published in the PAPT - Sentinel, May 1994, vol.10, nr.2
