Ch1+notes

Chapter 1. What is Classroom Discipline and How do I encourage Productive Efforts in my Classroom? **  This restructured chapter provides information to increase your sense of professionalism in teaching and discipline. It explains the nature of professionalism, indicates what is required of professional teachers, introduces an organizing structure to help you work toward a personalized system of discipline, and poses questions about student behavior to expand your thinking about classroom behavior and how it is best managed. ** ** Chapter 1 ** ** Classroom Discipline—The Problem and the Solution **

Today discipline is valued as a basic teacher competency. A primary goal of // Building Classroom // // Discipline // is for beginning and experienced teachers to develop or fine-tune their own effective personal system of discipline.


 * The book is organized to guide teachers through the process in a thoughtful and logical way.


 * Chapter 1 reviews the realities of student misbehavior, and presents a plan for helping teachers
 * resolve most of the problems associated with it.


 * The intent of Chapter 1 is to lay foundation for this teacher competence by providing readers with guiding resources; term clarifications; and suggestions, principles, and reflective questions.


 * Through the years many individuals, groups, and agencies have identified sets of competencies
 * considered essential for beginning and experienced teachers.


 * Today much attention is drawn to competencies suggested by the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) and embodied in the Praxis Series of tests produced by Educational Testing Service.

=__ Discipline as a Basic Teacher Competency __=

Misbehavior can be brought to manageable proportion rather easily by employing three strategies simultaneously….
 * 1)  First, // prevent // the occurrence of as much misbehavior as possible.
 * 2)  Second, // introduce classroom conditions // that lead to student enjoyment, sense of purpose, self-direction, and sense of responsibility.
 * 3)  Third, deal with misbehavior that does occur in a // positive manner // rather than a negative one.


 * Organizing a personal system of discipline is essential to a positive, productive, enjoyable
 * classroom where students learn and have an overall satisfying educational experience.
 * To this end, invest ample time to consider the following guiding resources, suggestions, principles, and reflective questions.

=__ Guiding Resources __=


 * Begin by looking at the recommendations from INTASC that are related to 10 desired outcomes,
 * or “principles,” of teacher education.
 * Principles #5 and #6 connect directly to classroom discipline.
 * For a detailed presentation of INTASC, consult the following web sites:
 * www.ccsso.org/projects/Interstate_New_Teacher_Assessment_and_Support_Consortium and www.dpi.state.nc.us/pbl/pblintasc.htm.

=__ Clarification of Terms __= **__ Behavior __** refers to everything people do, good or bad, right or wrong, helpful or useless, productive or wasteful.

**__ Desirable school behavior __** is that in which students show self-control, responsibility, and consideration and respect for others, and usually involves cooperation and helpfulness.

**__ Misbehavior __** is behavior that is // inappropriate // for the setting or situation in which it  occurs.

**__ Classroom misbehavior __** is any behavior that, through // intent // or // thoughtlessness // , interferes with teaching or learning; threatens or intimidates others; or oversteps society’s standards of moral, ethical, or legal behavior.


 * Typically teachers contend with 13 types of misbehavior.
 * Many different factors can “cause” students to misbehave.
 * Overall, the tactics teachers use to manage student behavior are referred to as // discipline // or
 * // behavior management //.
 * Of these interchangeable terms, ** discipline **, the more familiar, has two meanings in relation to behavior.
 * 1) The first refers to a condition of misbehavior.
 * 2) The second refers to what teachers do to try to get students to behave acceptably.


 * As mentioned earlier, today ** discipline ** is seen as a basic teacher competency that we now realize is an integral part of teaching, not an effort that stands apart.
 * We know, further, that instruction affects behavior, and behavior affects instruction.
 * Consequently, discipline is considered a strand of teaching, along with instruction, communication, classroom structure and management, and relations with parents.

__ Getting Started: Initial Suggestions, Principles, and Reflective Questions __

 * According to the author, a relatively simple solution to the discipline problem exists:
 * It is for teachers to develop teaching approaches that meet the needs of their students, while remaining consistent with their personality and the social realities of the community.
 * The chapters in // Building Classroom Discipline, 9e // provide a great deal of advice on how that can be done.
 * Consider five principles, based on the INTASC, Praxis, and Danielson contributions, intended to
 * help you prepare yourself to work with students in ways that will bring satisfaction to all.
 * Also take time to consider 20 questions posed by the author that concern students and their
 * behavior, to better help you clarify your ideas.
 * Finally begin with Principle 1, presenting and conducting yourself in a professional manner, but
 * remember the author’s recommendation about your district’s final word on these considerations.

INSTRUCTOR’S DISCUSSION NOTES

www.dpi.state.nc.us/pbl/pblintasc.htm www.ccsso.org/projects/Interstate_New_Teacher_Assessment_and_Support_Consortium
 * 10 Recommendations of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium **
 * (INTASC) (1987), **

** Principle # 1. ** The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches, and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students. ** Principle #2: ** The teacher understands how children learn and develop and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development. ** Principle #3: ** The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners. ** Principle #4: ** The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to  encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills. ** Principle #5: ** The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. ** Principle #6: ** The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom. ** Principle #7: ** The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals. ** Principle #8: ** The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social and physical development of the learner. ** Principle #9: ** The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to  grow professionally. ** Principle #10: ** The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students’ learning and well being.

Praxis refers to reflection on and application of accepted ways of doing things—what one does in practice. **// Praxis I: //** for assessing basic skills teachers require in reading, writing, and mathematics. **// Praxis II: //** for assessing competencies emphasized in programs of teacher education. **// Praxis III: //** for assessing the competency levels of teachers in the classroom. For an example of alignment of INTASC principles with the Praxis criteria, consult the following website: www.ed.utah.edu/TandL/NCATE/correlationINTASC-PRAXIS.pdf
 * The Praxis Series of Tests (1987) **
 * The Praxis Series of Tests **

** Charlotte Danielson’s work on Praxis III (1996), ** www.ascd.org Danielson (1996), // Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching // and Danielson, // Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching //, 2d edition, to be published in early 2007. Planning and preparation The classroom environment Communicating clearly and accurately Reflecting on teaching
 * Charlotte Danielson’s work on Praxis III led to a framework of domains for **
 * teaching: **

productive or wasteful. consideration and respect for others, and usually involves cooperation and helpfulness. occurs. with teaching or learning; threatens or intimidates others; or oversteps society’s standards of moral, ethical, or legal behavior.
 * __ Clarification of Terms: __**
 * **// Behavior //** —everything people do, good or bad, right or wrong, helpful or useless,
 * **// Desirable school behavior //**** — ** that in which students show self-control, responsibility, and
 * **// Misbehavior //** —behavior that is // inappropriate // for the setting or situation in which it
 * **// Classroom misbehavior //** —any behavior that, through // intent // or // thoughtlessness //, interferes
 * **// Discipline //**** — ** has two meanings in relation to behavior. It refers to
 * a condition of misbehavior (“The discipline in that room is pretty bad.”) or
 * what teachers do to try to get students to behave properly (“Mr. Smythe’s discipline system is one of the best I’ve seen.”).
 * In the past, the term // discipline // suggested teacher control, coercion, and forceful tactics.
 * **// Behavior management //** —the phrase often used by educators for preventing, suppressing,
 * and redirecting misbehavior
 * and redirecting misbehavior

1. //__ Inattention __// —daydreaming, doodling, looking out the window, thinking about things irrelevant to the lesson. 2. //__ Apathy __// —a general disinclination to participate, sulking, or not caring, not wanting to  try or to do well. 3. //__ Needless talk __// —students chatting during instructional time about things unrelated to  the lesson. 4. //__ Moving about the room __// —getting up and moving about without permission, congregating in parts of the room. 5. //__ Annoying others __// —provoking, teasing, picking at, and calling names. 6. //__ Disruptio __//// n // —shouting out during the instruction, talking and laughing inappropriately, causing “accidents.” 7. //__ Lying __// —falsifying to avoid accepting responsibility or admitting wrongdoing, or to  get others in trouble. 8. //__ Stealing __// —taking things that belong to others. 9. //__ Cheatin __//// g // —making false representations or wrongly taking advantage of others for personal benefit. 10. //__ Sexual harassment __// —making others uncomfortable through touching, sex-related language, or sexual innuendo. 11. //__ Aggression and fighting __// —showing hostility toward others, threatening them, shoving, pinching, wrestling, hitting. 12. //__ Malicious mischief __// —doing damage intentionally to school property or to the belongings of others. 13. //__ Defiance of authority __// —talking back to the teacher, hostilely refusing to do as the teacher requests.
 * 13 Types of Misbehavior **

__ TOWARD RESOLVING THE DISCIPLINE PROBLEM __
=__ Suggestions for Working Effectively with Students __=

1. Maintain focus on your major task in teaching. 2. Know what causes misbehavior and how to deal with the causes. 3. Understand your students’ needs and how to meet them. 4. Don’t try to coerce students. 5. Treat all students as your social equals. 6. Teach and relate to students in a charismatic way. 7. Involve students meaningfully in making decisions. 8. Establish a positive set of tactics for responding to misbehavior. 9. Involve parents and guardians to a reasonable degree.

=__ BUILDING A PERSONAL SYSTEM OF DISCIPLINE __= Make sure you know and put into practice the following: • Standards of professionalism • Ethical considerations • Legal considerations • Identify attitudes and behaviors such as: • Show positive attitude • Behave considerably toward others • Take initiative • Show self-direction • Make a strong effort to learn • Assume personal responsibility for behavior • Give attention to: • Good environment for learning • Compatibility with students’ nature, needs, interests, and preferences • Sense of community • Positive attention • Good communication • Consideration for others • Attention to special needs • Trust • Interesting activities • Student knowledge of expectations • Continual helpfulness • Preservation of dignity • Minimizing causes of misbehavior • Teacher charisma • Student involvement in planning the program • Identify and reduce the known causes of misbehavior. • Build a sense of community in your classroom that emphasizes collaboration, joint decision-making, responsibility, and consideration for others. • Communicate clearly and effectively with students. Keep them fully informed. • Speak with students in ways that build dignity and invite cooperation. • Work in a collaborative way with students and allow them to help make class decisions. • Reach a set of agreements about how the class is to function and how you and the students will conduct themselves. • Build group spirit and otherwise energize the class. • Bring parents and guardians into meaningful partnership with your class and program. • Use activities that increase student self-direction and responsibility. • Resolve class problems effectively and fairly while maintaining good personal relationships. • Understand the nature of helpful interventions and devise approaches that are suited to you and your students. • Develop a repertoire of helpful things to say and do when students misbehave. • Identify tactics and words you want to avoid. • Establish a clear procedure for dealing with misbehavior. Involve students in  developing the procedure. Follow that procedure consistently. • Help students accept responsibility for their behavior and commit to better behavior in the future.
 * Principle 1: Present and conduct yourself in a professional manner. **
 * Principle 2: Clarify how you want your students to behave, now, and in the future. **
 * Principle 3: Establish and maintain classroom conditions that help students enjoy **
 * and profit from their educational experience. **
 * Principle 4: Do all you can to help students learn to conduct themselves **
 * responsibly. **
 * Principle 5: Intervene supportively and productively when common disruptions, **
 * neurological based behavior, and/or serious actions occur in the classroom. **

• An effective environment for learning • A heightened student sense of purpose • Increased learning • A joyful, satisfying experience in school • Positive personal relations • Student self-control • Student responsibility
 * Set goals as you organize a personal system of discipline that increase the likelihood **
 * of the following: **

=__ Clarifying your Ideas __= 1. How should students behave? 2. What are good behavior and misbehavior? 3. What is bad about misbehavior? 4. Why do students misbehave when they know they shouldn’t? 5. What do we need to know about student needs? 6. What do we mean by “positive” discipline? 7. What can teachers do to help students behave properly? 8. How does teaching method affect behavior? 9. How does the physical environment affect behavior? 10. How does the psychosocial environment affect behavior? 11. What role does communication play in discipline? 12. How can you help students work together productively? 13. What role can parents or guardians play in discipline? 14. How can teachers establish good relations with parents and guardians? 15. In what ways do trust, ethics, and teacher charisma affect student behavior? 16. What should you do when students misbehave? 17. How can you best deal with problems in your classroom? 18. How can you best deal with conflict? 19. How do you make your class energetic and lively when you want it that way? 20. Why is a structured approach to discipline desirable?
 * __ Twenty Questions: __ **


 * // Again, for the final word on these considerations, follow the Author’s recommendation //**
 * // to obtain from your school district a description of legal responsibilities of its teachers, //**
 * // and consider that information authoritative. //**

=__ Standards of Professionalism __= __ ** The National Education Association ** (NEA, 1975) stipulates professional and ethical __ provisions for educators, including that, among other things, // the educator shall not // : • Misrepresent his/her professional qualifications in any way. • Knowingly make false or malicious statements about a colleague. • Accept any gratuity, gift, or favor that might impair or appear to influence professional decisions or action. • Suppress or distort subject matter relevant to the student’s progress. • Intentionally expose students to embarrassment or disparagement. • Disclose information about students obtained in the course of professional service unless disclosure serves a compelling professional purpose or is required by law. Additionally, professionalism requires you to: • Dress professionally, as an adult in a professional situation. • Use appropriate language for the educational setting, with correct speech patterns and complete avoidance of obscenities. • Treat others with respect and courtesy.

__ Legalities Pertaining to Student Safety and Well-being __
• Schools traditionally have operated under the doctrine of // in loco parentis //, which means “in place of parents.”

• ** Due Diligence ** means that teachers and other school personnel have a duty to  oversee—to exercise reasonable care to protect students from harm. Due diligence is applied in relation to established policies and is judged in terms of what a reasonable and prudent professional would do in a similar circumstance.

• To avoid ** Negligence and Breach of Duty **, consider the following: • Perform your assigned duties as directed. • Oversee your students, monitor their behavior, and do not leave students unattended. • Provide thorough instruction and teach safety procedures for activities that involve risk to students. • Watch for signs that students might harm themselves. • Report if you suspect that a student is being abused. The law requires this.

• Be cautious. • Don’t allow yourself to be alone in the classroom with a student unless you are in  plain sight of others. • Refrain from touching, other than on the hands or arms, or with pats to the head or  shoulder. • Never grab any part of a student’s body. • Never throw pencils, pens, erasers, books, desks, or chairs, no matter how strongly you are provoked.
 * Concerns related to physical contact with students. **

// Ethics // refers to right and wrong, proper and improper. Emphasize the following qualities in your overall teaching style: • Give your genuine best effort to the profession. • Do your best to teach effectively. • Always do what you can to help students. • Treat students civilly, respectfully, and fairly. • Emphasize same-side cooperation with students. • Communicate effectively. • Maintain a charismatic demeanor.
 * Ethics of Instruction **