What are ways by which a teacher can prevent or solve discipline problems in class?

“The discipline you learn and character you build from setting and achieving a goal can be more valuable than the achievement of the goal itself.”

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• Promoting Good Methods of Classroom Discipline
• Handling Classroom Conflicts
• Discipline – The LEAST Approach.
• How can a teacher manage discipline in the classroom?
• What preventive methods the teacher has used to maintain classroom discipline?
• How would you handle a discipline problem in the classroom?
• What are 5 techniques teachers can use to help students cope with problems and challenges?

Discipline plays a vital role in maintaining a civilized life. Proper discipline can significantly decrease unnecessary chaos existing in daily life. For the effective operation of an institution like a school, discipline is very much essential.

School discipline is a system of a certain code of conduct, behavior and punishments for regulating students and making school well organized. For making teaching learning process effective, the classroom environment must be favorable and opportune.

Must Read: Top 12 Classroom Management Tips

Here are the ten awesome tips to manage discipline issues:

1. Be Organized

If there is no proper organization in the classroom, kids feel bored and starts to misbehave. It will be better if the lessons are properly planned, make supplies ready and thus be organized in everything as possible. Always think about items that can be displaced and figure out a system that help to keep track of those items.

2. Deal with Problems Right from the Start

It is advisable to deal with problems before they become too large to handle. You can address each and every small issue happening in the classroom. A tiny mistake in discipline issue can be a nightmare in the future.

3. Have Good Control Procedures

Certain good control procedures are developed to prevent problems. For instance, a cover sheet can help prevent children from cheating during written exams. Such procedure should be easy as possible for the students to choose the right thing and be difficult as possible for them to misbehave or take imperfect decisions.

4. Teach the Procedures Well

Making good and appropriate procedures is not enough. They should be taught to the students properly as well. Four steps involved in teaching them are:

a. Clearly explain the procedure

b. Practice it with children

c. Correct the parts that were done incorrectly

d. Repeat it constantly until they do it in the right manner

If you don’t take time to teach procedures properly, students may not follow them which leads to utter frustration.

5. Keep your Students Engaged

The more students are engaged in activities, the less they cause problems. Make sure you give interactive classes and teach the students passionately. It is better to make students involved than just giving lectures. Hence it would be advisable to make the students write while teaching.

Read Also: 5 Smart Tips for Parents to Buy School Apps for Kids

6. Move Around the Classroom

Most of the teachers stand at the front of the room without even moving their position. It would be a good idea to walk around as you teach. It is not only a different approach of teaching, but also helps to keep an eye on what the students are doing.

7. Develop a Rapport with the Students

If we want students to follow us, they not only need to respect us, but also create an impression that we care about them. Always be genuine, kind, approachable and ready to admit mistakes. Also, students must be given compliments, and show that you love them. With the above qualities, you will be able to create a good rapport with students.

8. Be Professional

Rather than becoming a too friendly teacher, try to become a good mentor. Interactions must be made friendly but not familiar.

9. Require Students to Clear their Desks

Students should be asked to keep only the required items on the desk. When desks are cleared, teachers will be able to know exactly about the activities done by their students. Teachers will have better control of students.

10. Establish Structure First

Train students to work and do their activity in a structured environment. Once they understand the structure, they should be able to work in an unstructured environment without losing control.

All these tips help to manage disciplinary issues in school. No institution can be operated successfully without proper maintenance of discipline. Hence, discipline should be given top priority.

Promoting Good Methods of Classroom Discipline

Helping students to govern their own behavior in ways that help them learn is a longstanding goal of all teachers. There are a number of ways that a teacher can promote good discipline in the classroom.

Know school guidelines for discipline procedures.

Be fair, positive and consistent. Be the kind of person young people can like and trust—firm, fair, friendly, courteous, enthusiastic and confident. Keep your sense of humor.

Provide a list of standards and consequences to parents and students. Make sure they are consistent with district and building policy. When in doubt, ask a colleague or your principal.

Keep your classroom orderly. Maintain a cheerful and attractive classroom rather than a disorderly one which might encourage disruptive behavior.

Get to know your students. Learn their names quickly and use them in and out of class. You will soon develop almost a sixth sense for anticipating trouble before it begins, but don’t act as though you expect trouble or you will almost certainly encounter some.

Let the students know you care. Determine jointly with the class what is acceptable in terms of behavior and achievement and what is not. Show interest in what students say, whether or not it pertains directly to the lesson.

Treat students with the same respect you expect from them; keep confidences.

Learn the meaning of terms, especially slang, used by students.

Begin class on time and in a professional manner.

Make learning fun. Make education interesting and relevant to the students’ lives. Poor planning and a full curriculum can provoke disruptions.

Praise good work, good responses and good behavior.

Don’t threaten or use sarcasm. Never use threats to enforce discipline. Never humiliate a child.

Avoid arguing with students. Discussions about class work are invaluable, but arguments can become emotional encounters.

Be mobile, moving around the room as students work or respond to instruction.

Keep your voice at a normal level. If “disaster” strikes and you trip over the wastebasket, don’t be afraid to laugh.

Grade assignments and return them as soon as possible.

Give reasonable assignments. Don’t use schoolwork as punishment. Give clear directions.

Keep rules simple. Establish as few classroom rules as possible, and keep them simple.

Handling Classroom Conflicts

Here are a few practical suggestions for dealing with an angry student in the classroom who is defying your authority and is out of control:

• Do not raise your voice.
• Try to remain calm and rational.
• Do not touch an agitated or angry student.
• Try to keep the student seated. In many instances, this is impossible. You can only suggest the student remain seated so that he might explain to you what is wrong.
• Be reassuring to the student as well as the rest of the class. Explain the importance of protecting every student’s right to learn. Talk about options for resolving the conflict.
• Send another student for help. The student should be told to go to the nearest office to summon assistance from the administration.
• After the incident is over, immediately document everything that happened. This documentation should include time, name(s) of student(s) involved, a brief description of the events that occurred, and any information that pertains to the student(s) or the incident. This report should be submitted to the administration. You also should keep a copy in case of a future conference with parents or school administrators regarding the incident.

What if I “blow” the first week?

If you “blow” the first week, don’t worry. Just re-evaluate your rules and policies, tell the class you’re making some changes, and be consistent from then on.

Expect the unexpected.

Schedules will be changed without warning and unanticipated events will occur. Be flexible in responding to the unexpected; ask your colleagues for suggestions on how to deal with situations like the following.

What will you do if:

• it rains at recess time?
• your class arrives too early at the cafeteria?
• a student tells you her pet died?
• a student tells you she is pregnant?
• a child wets his pants?
• a student is verbally abusive?
• a parent is angry and unreasonable?
• a student refuses to do what you ask?
• you have no textbooks?
• a student falls asleep?
• a student cuts her head falling out of her desk?
• you are called to the office in the middle of class?
• non-English speaking students are assigned to your class?
• a student has a seizure or goes into a coma?

Be fair to your students

Here are some ways to help you win the respect of your students:

• Be consisent in application of discipline and just in your requirements and assignments.
• Don’t refuse to let a student tell you his or her side of the situation. Be willing to consider mitigating circumstances.
• Don’t talk about the misdeeds of students except to those who have a right to know. Don’t openly compare one student to another.
• Apologize if you’ve treated a student unjustly.
• Make sure punishments are appropriate for the misbehavior, and explain to the student why he or she is being punished.

Discipline – The LEAST Approach.

There are several good methods of classroom discipline. One of the best is the LEAST Approach, developed by NEA, which helps you determine the appropriate level of involvement. If discipline problems can be handled at Step 1, there is no need to progress to Step 2, etc.

Briefly, the LEAST Approach includes these steps:

• Leave it alone. If the event is a brief and minor disturbance that is unlikely to occur again, leave it be.
• End the action indirectly. When learning is disrupted or someone may get hurt, let the student(s) involved know you are aware of the inappropriate activity with a facial expression, a body gesture, or a quiet action such as walking toward the student(s) or calling the student(s)’ name(s).
• Attend more fully. Secure more information from the student on who, what, when, where and why. Be objective rather than emotional.
• Spell out directions. When a situation threatens to get out of hand, making learning impossible or risking harm to someone, clearly explain to the student(s) involved the consequences of his/her actions and your intent to follow through.
• Treat student progress. Record what happened, when, where, who was involved, what you did, and who witnessed the incident.

How can a teacher manage discipline in the classroom?

What preventive methods the teacher has used to maintain classroom discipline?

How would you handle a discipline problem in the classroom?

What are 5 techniques teachers can use to help students cope with problems and challenges?