Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
In ye' olden days there was corporal punishment, and reform school for the truly incorrigible. In Asia they still deal out corporal punishment to get the children in line. However, it seems like American teachers are completely powerless to do anything when they have a disruptive student in their class. So teachers of CD, what would policy would you enact to deal with problem students?
In ye' olden days there was corporal punishment, and reform school for the truly incorrigible. In Asia they still deal out corporal punishment to get the children in line. However, it seems like American teachers are completely powerless to do anything when they have a disruptive student in their class. So teachers of CD, what would policy would you enact to deal with problem students?
Stuff that should have been picked up during student teaching. Along with school district policies, teachers don't get to make the rules.
It will be interesting how many teachers respond to this as opposed to those individuals who haven't set foot inside a high school since their 2nd Senior year.
It depends on the type of disruptions and the frequency of disruptions.
If you work in a school where kids are allowed to disrupt class everyday with little or no consequences from the administration, then you look for a new job or you quit.
Are we talking about young kids Grades 1-7/8? Or High school teenagers?
Back in my day..disruptive kids were put in the back seats ..instructed to raise hand if has a question or basically close your mouth and OPEN your ears type instruction...If continued..off to the office for time out..If continued parents were brought into the office along with teachers and "Social Workers" to offer alternatives..Then if no parental interest or inability the child went into a short term alternate schooling system with 3rd party observation and documentations...And of course..child would be assessed by Doctor to rule out physical/mental/emotional cause...such as torrettes...Following that..IF no other alternative..Child was placed into a "Special Education" facility and depending on family situations..could actually be removed from the home for more controlled and safe environment....
Anyway..as you can see, it was a long long road to try to figure it out..BUT in the meantime..child was not handcuffed, dragged to jail, support systems were put in place, parent/parents were included..SO no body could blame a teacher nor was the teacher expected to not only control her classroom but a UNCONTROLLABLE child..
Highschool..similar but more intense..IQ, Personality, Issue based investigative ..and ultimately, Once again..ends up in an alternative program that try's to develop their individual skill sets... Back in the day..No body got their nose out of joint..no one claimed unfairness and sue a school, teacher etc....
I can only skip from experience..so don't laugh..because it's obvious things sure have changed in my lifetime!!
The most helpful way to deal with disruptive students is to not give them a chance to do it.
My kids learn on day one that I'm a tyrant. There is no Mickey Mouse bullcrap of my classroom being a lovely democracy in which we all have a say in what the class rules are. My classroom is a tyrannical dictatorship - and I'm the head Dick. I lay out the rules in precise language so there isn't any question as to what is accepted or isn't. The punishments are also well-covered. And they usually find out rather quickly that I am very consistent with both the application of the rules and the consequences thereof. This is probably the most important aspect of preventing discipline - quick and consistent application of policy. That, and an administration that will back you. (And they will, if you can show them that you can handle a majority of the infractions on your own, and don't have to come crying to them every time something goes wrong and you can't handle it.)
For example: if a student has been tardy. 1st offense = warning (and I do keep track). 2nd offense = a written assignment. If said assignment isn't completed by my set deadline, it doubles. If the 2nd assignment isn't completed by my deadline, then it doubles again, and the student does it in in-school suspension. And the Admin backs me up. I don't have to carry this out but maybe 1-2 times/year.
Don't give them the chance to act up. Keep them busy at all times. This reduces the amount of crap they can do.
We could literally write books (and they do exist out there) about the best practices for this. Look some of them up in your library.
The most helpful way to deal with disruptive students is to not give them a chance to do it.
My kids learn on day one that I'm a tyrant. There is no Mickey Mouse bullcrap of my classroom being a lovely democracy in which we all have a say in what the class rules are. My classroom is a tyrannical dictatorship - and I'm the head Dick. I lay out the rules in precise language so there isn't any question as to what is accepted or isn't. The punishments are also well-covered. And they usually find out rather quickly that I am very consistent with both the application of the rules and the consequences thereof. This is probably the most important aspect of preventing discipline -quick and consistent application of policy. That, and an administration that will back you. (And they will, if you can show them that you can handle a majority of the infractions on your own, and don't have to come crying to them every time something goes wrong and you can't handle it.)
For example: if a student has been tardy. 1st offense = warning (and I do keep track). 2nd offense = a written assignment. If said assignment isn't completed by my set deadline, it doubles. If the 2nd assignment isn't completed by my deadline, then it doubles again, and the student does it in in-school suspension. And the Admin backs me up. I don't have to carry this out but maybe 1-2 times/year.
Don't give them the chance to act up. Keep them busy at all times. This reduces the amount of crap they can do.
We could literally write books (and they do exist out there) about the best practices for this. Look some of them up in your library.
A teacher after my own heart. I used to tell them I was a benevolent dictator. We never started out the year with those warm and fuzzy get to know you games, we started out the year with getting to know how Mrs. Oldhag's class will operate. Saved all of us agony.
One error many teachers make is failing to teach bell-to-bell. An assignment was on the board as they walked in the classroom for them to immediately begin, from day one. I had oodles of 5-10 lessons for the end of class or we'd spend those last few minutes having a class discussion related to the lesson.
No free time!
__________________
When I post in bold red that is moderator action and, per the TOS, can only be discussed through Direct Message.
The tyrant policy works really well unless you are in a district where the parents will have your head for being tyrannical. In small suburban school districts, parents have the power to get a teacher or administrator ousted.
Although I am in the My class/My rules and consistent follow through camp, for true disciplinary problems, there is no one policy to implement to enact change. The problem is systemic complicated by administrative - both on and off campus - as well as federal regulations.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
