MEMBERS: (BSA1-E)

UNIT IV

CHAPTER 3: DISCIPLINE

“Self-discipline connotes internal motivation for one’s behavior, the internalization of domestic

ideals and is most evident when external regulations of behavior are absent.” – George bear

Discipline is controlled behavior. It constitutes the next important concern of teachers as

part of good management. No matter how well-managed a learning environment is, students will

occasionally misbehave. Teachers must be ready to deal with them with utmost care and

consideration.

Some causes of Disciplinary Problems

Unfavorable Learning Conditions. Some of the most common causes of classroom

problems point prominently to unfavorable learning conditions that impinge on the learners’

abilities, needs and interests.

Here are some classroom situations that must be closely analyzed if the objective is to conduct

daily lessons successfully with the least disruptions due to improper students’ responses and

reactions. The classroom may not be conductive to learning if it is:

• Overcrowded with more than the regular number of students to a class may result in

immobility or discomfort in moving around, especially when there is a need to operate

instructional equipment and materials.

• With poor lighting facilities and inadequate ventilation, attention and interest will be

difficult to sustain.
 • With furniture and storage cabinets disorderly positioned, the collection and retrieval of

tools become less efficient.

• With inappropriate seating arrangement, distractions can easily occur.

• Near sources of noise may obstruct understanding of the lesson.

Teacher’s poor management skills. The teacher’s lack of adequate knowledge and

skills in handling occurrences of misbehavior likewise contributes to a trouble-prone setting.

Students’ varied background. The students bring to the classroom a surprising record

of individual attitudes, interests and abilities. Said characteristics could be traced from their

differences in: a) family background, b) physical and mental capacities, and c) emotional traits

among others. Students bred in families with different socio-economic backgrounds may exhibit

characteristics that are different from the rest. Disciplinary measures practice in different homes

may cause unfavorable consequences as they relate with one another.

Depending on the subject matter and the student’s abilities and interests, the teaching

strategies will essentially be varied from time to time. There is not one strategy that can work

well for all kinds of lesson objectives. Sad to say, some teachers present, discuss and conclude

their daily lessons through a routine teacher dominated questions-and-answer methodology with

the last intention of trying new and interesting student-centered learning procedures. As

expected, since they are not looking forward to another way of learning which might be more

exciting and challenging, some impatient provocateurs find the chance to incite “own learning

actions,” which are often branded as misbehavior.

The teachers’ way of dealing with the students may be wanting in developing a congenial

and harmonious relationship, one that is brought by a pleasing and gracious attitude. Some
possess distinctive temperaments that can either attract or distract students’ attention and can

lead to truce or miscontrol of behavior.

Teachers’ personality and appearance are often obscured by personal problems coupled

with so many tasks to attend to. Instead some become so stiff, unattractive and unapproachable

such that students feel repulsed, with no one to turn to.

How to Prevent Discipline Problems

The following are some proven effective measures:

• Depending on the students’ abilities and interests, teachers can implement group-oriented

methodologies such as: 1) cooperative learning approach, 2) team learning, 3) peer

tutoring, and 4) group projects and collections. Such strategies promote strong

cooperation and shared group responsibility in all classroom undertakings, thus

eliminating sources of potential problems. Involving them in planning learning tasks

insure active involvement and participation rather than passive attention as in routine

activities.

• Teachers who are sensitive to possible misdirection of efforts and interactions are fast to

switch from one technique to another as the need arises. There must be clear

understanding of the objectives of the lesson and the strategies to be used. Any misstep in

the procedure will then be avoided. But if the continuous flow of the activity is hampered

by an uncontrolled action, then the ability of the teacher to shift to an alternate activity

will be necessary.
• Of prime importance are the teachers' personal attributes such as 1) patience, 2)

compassion. 3) Concern and caring attitude, and 4) respect and trust for others. A calm

and composed reaction in the midst of an untoward behavior can ensure an acceptable

solution for all. A compassionate teacher understands and feels sympathetic towards

students' struggles and sufferings. A deep for their welfare and growth is easily

appreciated.

• The teachers personalities influence students' behavior. A warm, respectable relationship

with students through sincere and straightforward communications can demonstrate trust

and credibility. Unpretentious gestures and genuine modes of receiving students'

explanations bring about much-needed peace of mind. Recognize and appreciate their

progress and improvement. A caring attitude can be modeled and the students feel

confident, secure and upright in return. They are truly perceptive if you really care and

want to help them. Avoid showing unusual closeness or favoritism, and biased treatment

for some. Treat them all equally well.

• The teachers' teaching style will determine how the students will respond, at times

receptive, sometimes withdrawn. This points to the way they move around during the

class activity, how they give orders in the form of requests and how procedures are

clearly explained. Involving everyone from the planning to the implementing of the

lesson results in well-coordinated investigations and discussions of findings, thus leaving

no one in drawing correct conclusions. The use of appropriate assessment tools and

evaluation techniques will show a final achievement of learning objectives.

Various Modes of Establishing Discipline/Classroom Control

Authoritarian Assertive Laissez faire

Control <----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> No control

In the spectrum of modes establishing discipline shown above, we begin with teacher's

total control of students becoming less with increasing students' participation is no more as

students are allowed to "let do" the literal meaning of the French word Laissez faire. In the

authoritarian setting, the teacher has total control of discipline. Discipline is believed to be the

exclusive responsibility of the teacher. He/she has the right to insist on proper behavior. He/she

announces the rules that students are expected to follow. In the laissez faire type of discipline,

the students can do as they please. There is no teacher control. In the assertive type of discipline,

discipline is the responsibility of both the teacher and the students. The students participate in

formulating rules for their own behavior and they are expected to observe them. In the

authoritarian mode of discipline, students have no say since teachers have the total control.
Assertive Discipline

It is a structured, systematic approach designed to assist teachers managing an organized,

teacher-in-charge classroom environment. The teacher is the captain of his/her classroom.

Assertive discipline involves the use of the following behaviors. To be effective they must be

used consistently:

• Identify expectation clearly

• Be willing to say “ I like that” or “I don’t like that

• Be persistent in stating expectation and feelings.

• Use a firm tone

• Maintain eye contact

• Use non- verbal gestures in support of verbal instrument.

• Use hints, questions and I-messages rather than demands or requests for appropriate

behavior. I-messages are statements about yourself and your feelings “ I felt let down” ,

instead of “you-messages”, like “you broke your promise” which start with an accusation

which makes the “you” defensive and so the problem escalates.

• Follow-up with promises (reasonable consequences, previously established) rather than

with threats.

• Be assertive in confrontations with students; include the use statements of expectation,

indicate consequences that will occur, and note why action is necessary. (Kelly 2006)
Common Practices in School on how they achieve and maintain Discipline

1. Discipline is the student’s responsibility

2. Discipline is the teacher’s way of establishing a desirable student-oriented environment

for learning.

3. Discipline is coupled with effective teaching techniques and strategies.

4. Discipline is achieved through the effects of group dynamics on behavior.

5. Discipline is believed to be the exclusive responsibility of the teachers.

Ways of Dealing with Discipline Problems

Acceptable and Effective:

1. Use verbal reinforces that encourage good behavior and discourage bad tendencies

2. Use non-verbal gestures, frown or a hard look to dissuade then from mischief

3. Dialogues can help in discovering problems and agreeing on mutually beneficial

solutions.

4. Focus attention on one who is unruly and is about to disturb the neighbors.

5. Award merits for good behavior and demerits for inconsistencies and lapses.

6. A private one-on-one brief conference can leave to a better understanding of mistakes

that need to be remedied or improved

7. Give students the freedom to express or explain agitated feeling and misgivings rather

than censure them right away.

Unacceptable and Ineffective

1. Scolding and harsh words as a reprimand will have a negative effect on the entire class.

2. Nagging and Faultfinding, together with long "sermons" are repugnant and nasty.

3. Keeping a student in a “detention area “during or after classes as a penalty for

misbehavior is a waste of time and occasion for learning. The shameful experience is not

easy to forget.

4. Denying a student some privileges due to unnecessary hyperactivity can all the more

encourage repetitions.
5. Assignment of additional homework compared to the rest can make them dislike the

subject.

6. Use of ridicule or sarcasm could humiliate and embarrass a student.

7. Grades for academic achievement should not be affected due to misdemeanor.

5 Effective Disciplinary Interventions:

• Teacher reaction - Includes verbal and physical behaviors of teachers that indicate to

students that their behavior is appropriate or inappropriate.

• Tangible recognition - Includes those strategies in which students are provided with

some symbol or token for appropriate behavior.

• Direct cost - Involves those interventions that involve a direct and concrete consequence

for misbehavior, involve an explicit and direct consequence for inappropriate student

behavior.

• Group contingency - A group of students meets the behavioral criterion to earn credit.

• Home contingency - Involves making parents aware of the positive and negative

behaviors of their children by way of a note, a phone call or a visit.

The guiding principle of disciplinary intervention is that they should include a healthy

balance between negative consequences for inappropriate behavior and positive consequences

for appropriate behavior.

Strategies for student behavior management

• Proximity Control - teacher goes near student who are misbehaving or about to

misbehave.

• Planned Ignoring - teacher simply ignores the disruptive behavior in order not to feed

the student's desire for attention.

• Signal Interference - teacher uses nonverbal technique (like with your eyes tell the

student pay attention) to interfere with student's unacceptable behavior.

• Removal of Seductive Objects - teacher removes any object that distracts students'

behavior.

• Redirection - the teacher finds something else for the child to channel their energies into

or involve them in another activity.

MODELS OF DISCIPLINE

Preventive Discipline by Jacob Kounin

• Ripple Effect - The "ripple effect" occurs when the teacher corrects a misbehavior in one

student, and this positively influences the behavior of other nearby students.

• Withitness - "Withitness" is a term created by Kounin to describe the teacher's awareness

of what is going on in all parts of the classroom at all times.

• Overlapping - Overlapping is attending to two or more events at the same time.

• Transitions - Student behavior is influenced by the smoothness and effectiveness of

transitions between tasks in a lesson.

• Group Focus - The ability to keep members of the class or group paying attention to the

task is essential in maintaining an efficient classroom and reducing student misbehavior.

• Satiation - Maintaining Interest and Involvement, which means being satisfied or having

enough, is used by Kounin to describe students progressive loss of interest in the task.

The Positive Discipline Model by Fred Jones

• Limit Setting - The ultimate goal of limit setting is to prompt students to get back to

work. The actions taken by the teacher to control the student's natural reflexes and

prompts students back to work should not cut into instructional time. Limit setting

involves clarifying the boundaries of acceptable behavior.

• Responsibility Training - A system for instilling positive cooperation in the classroom.

According to Jones, every classroom needs an incentive system to teach cooperation.

• Omission Training - 1.)Remove the student from responsibility training so the

misbehavior does not continue to hurt peers, 2.) Permit the student to earn bonus points
 for the class, 3.) Challenge the class to help with the success of this difficult student,

4.)Gradually phase out the omission training process.

• Backup System - This system also deals with the chronic problem student. Jones

suggests that the teacher either use this system or the omission training system. For the

most part, these are neither systematic nor well thought out and apply traditional

punishments in an increasingly severe pattern.

• Classroom Structure - Jones emphasizes the importance of appropriate classroom

structure. Structure includes class routines, furniture organization, and rules. It is

important that the teacher not only develop this structure, but also teach it to the students.

Model of Decisive Discipline by William Rogers

• Tactical ignoring as a first action - when done consciously, is a decisive discipline

strategy. It involves signaling that you are aware of the disruptive, often attention-seeking

behavior, but refuse to acknowledge it.

• Simple direction or rule restatement - directional language, addresses the behavior you

want to see.

• Secondary behavior (giving a clear choice) - the calm, yet firm, repeating of step two -

can be enhanced by dignifying what Rogers calls 'secondary behavior Secondary

behavior is that behavior that often follows a teacher's directive statement.

• Imposing time-out -If redirection, rule restatement, and alternative choices do not work,

step four comes into play. Here, the teacher imposes some form of time-out, ranging from

in-class isolation to exiting the classroom.

Haim Ginott Model

• Congruent Communication - is a harmonious communication between a teacher and

student.

• Cooperative Learning - Being brief and clear also helps minimize Interruptions in the

classroom.

• Discipline, Not Punishment - Students might develop Discipline problems. Other factors

of discipline problems in the classroom can be students being bored, competition, and

unclear objectives.

• Rules and Consequences - Teachers develop rules and procedures at the beginning of

the year. Breaking these rules can lead to consequences.

 CHAPTER 4: Managing the Physical Environment

Introduction

"The external environment helps create the atmosphere conducive for learning"

A Conducive physical learning environment includes, conveniently arranged furniture,

flexible seating arrangement, and clean well-lighted, well ventilated, noise free, and fresh

classroom. A well designated utilization of classroom space is of utmost necessity if the aim is to

be able to manage all learning activities to a successful completion.

Furniture Arrangement

• The physical Features in the classroom must be located in areas where the contents could

be viewed well and be made available for use.

• Well-arranged, they make the room look spacious and orderly

• Furniture such as chairs and tables for demonstrations and displays must be position

appropriately.

• Exhibit shelves are either permanently pinned to the wall or are made to stand at the

sides.

Seating Arrangement

Seating arrangement deserves foremost consideration since the students stay in each at

the longest time during the day. They either remain seated if there is a lecture demonstration or

leave every now and then to gather the materials needed for an experiment or to operate a single

equipment.
 Sufficient space is allotted in the aisle and in-between the seats for ease in moving

around. If the activities need groupings, the chairs are organized in groups of four or five facing

each other for fast exchange of communications.

The choice of the right size of the chair would depend on the students' size. If kept on a

large desk or a smaller one, they will feel uncomfortable and their movements will be affected.

Below are some examples of seating arrangements:

Students in rows face front of classroom

(door is in the back of room)

Students face
center of
classroom

Traditional rows in columns are ideal for Position student desks so that they face the center
establishing classroom management. This when you are facilitating classroom discussions.
arrangement allows students to focus on you The outer are is ideal for skits, role playing, and
when you are lecturing or teaching routines and student demonstrations. It creates a friendlier
procedures. atmosphere and can be lieu of traditional rows.
 Students at
Students
tables face
desks
front of
grouped so
room
students
face each
other

Situate chairs around tables so that students do

not have their backs facing at you. When it is time This format is wonderful if you have desks
for small group activities, they can move their because you can rearrange them from traditional
chairs to face each other. This arrangement is rows, into groups and back again, depending on
ideal for cooperative learning activities. your lesson plan. Teach students how to quickly
rearrange the desks to facilitate small group work.
 The teacher should schedule who is responsible for their neatness on a regular basis.

 In case of accidental spills the students should be trained to mop or wash the area

immediately.

 Used instruments and devices must be returned to their proper places. Always erase the

board after use. Place a waste basket nearly.

 Physical environment must be a safe place.

 Avoid slippery floors, rickety chairs and old furniture.

 In performing experiments where heat sources such as electric stove, gas burners and

bulbs are used, extreme care must be exercised in order to prevent fires.

 Potted indoor plants can be placed at the corners and flowers on the teachers’ table for a

lively and fresh look.

 Proper lighting and ventilation must be provided and maintained for everybody’s

comfort.

 Noise and discipline problems in the physical environment can be avoided in an orderly

and well-managed classroom.

 Don’t forget the psychological atmosphere that reigns in the classroom.

 CHAPTER 5: Establishing Classroom Routines

Introduction:

“Routines are the groundwork for a well-orchestrated classroom”

Routine - is a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program

Procedure, Practice, Pattern those are the 3 synonymous term of ROUTINE. Identifying

and explaining specific rules and procedures in classroom are necessary because it helps the

classroom setting to be in order. Routines have to be learned. We get used to doing them in order

for them to become routinized. The first days of school will be most timely, It is good to rehearse

classroom procedures (especially for elementary pupils) until they become routines. Reinforce

correct procedure and re-teaching an incorrect one will be of great help.

Some Routines on the following can be of great help:

1. Beginning and Ending the class day or period

2. Transitions

3. Getting/distribution of materials and equipment

4. Group work

5. Seatwork and teacher-led activities

Beginning and Ending the class day or period

 Shifting some of management responsibilities to the students to get the most from the 47-

minute period.
 Students were organized into groups with specific roles assigned on a rotating basis. One

student in each group took on the role of “Organizer”.

Beginning of the class:

 During the first minute of the class, the Organizer’s job was to check with each group

member to determine if anyone needed make-up assignments explained and to ensure that

everyone had the required materials for class.

 At the same time, the teacher scanned the room to mark attendance and tardies in a grade

book.

 Within a minute or two, the students and teacher were ready to begin working.

End of the class:

 “Organizer” was given time to make sure that everyone had recorded and understood the

homework. If problems or confusion occurred that could not be addressed within the

group, the Organizer asked Mr. Castro for assistance.

 This group approach, helped to ensure that student’s individual needs were addressed

immediately, which minimized the potential for classroom disruptions. (Except for the

change of name, this vignette was lifted from Robert J. Marzano, (2003) Classroom

Management That Works, Alexandria, Virginia, ASCD).

.
Transition

Transition can either be anticipated or unanticipated.

Examples of anticipated:

• Beginning of an instructional episode.

• Between instructional episode.

• After an instructional episode.

• Equipment setup and take down.

• Material distribution and collection.

• From teacher-to-students-centered activity.

• Beginning/end of class or school day.

Solving pre-lesson transition

Orlich Suggestions:

• Delegate administrative tasks to students when possible.

• Attendance, announcements, material distribution and homework collection should be

routinized.

• Use the first few minutes of the class and the last few minutes to encourage creative

thinking activities.

Sample routines for the first five minutes of the class

• Problem of the day.

• Brain teaser.

• Vocabulary “word of the day”.

 • React to a quotation.

• Warm-up problem or overhead to copy and solve.

• Respond to a newspaper editorial.

• Conundrum.

Solving transitions during the lesson

Examples of what you can do:

• Give supplementary exercise for the cast worker.

• Get the fast learners to assist you in your administrative tasks like preparing for the next

learning episode.

Solving post-lesson transitions

• To allow you time to shift to the next activity create a routine for the last five minutes of

the day. Before the “curtain” activities you observe routinized dismissal procedures.

Unanticipated transitions

• At the beginning of the school year you take time to explain your expectations for dealing

with unanticipated interruptions.

Use of materials and equipment

• Make clear your rules and procedures on the distributions and collections of materials,

storage of common materials the teacher’s desk and storage areas the use of the pencil

sharpener.
Group work

• Group work like cooperative learning has a positive impact on a student achievement,

interpersonal relationships and attitudes about learning.

• Group work involves students working collaboratively on set tasks, in or out of the

classroom.

Rules and Procedures on Group Work address the following areas:

• Movement in and out of the group

• Expected behavior of the student in the group

• Expected behavior of students not in the group

• Group communication with the teacher

Seatwork and Teacher led activities

• Students attention during presentation

• Student participation

• Talking among students

• Obtaining help

• Out-of-seat behavior

• Behavior when work has been completed

Some Effective signals used by new and experiences teachers”

• 5,4,3,2,1

5 for freeze

4 for quiet
 3 for eyes in the teacher

2 for hands free (put things down)

1 for listen for instruction

• Raise your hand if you wish to participate

• To obtain teacher’s attention

One finger = I need to sharpen my pencil

Two finger = I need a tissue

Three finger = I need your help

• Freeze stop what are you doing

• Gently tap on your neighbor’s arm to get his/her attention to freeze

• Face the teacher and listen to instruction