Pa rt I S e t t I n g t h e Stag e f o r Su c c e S S f u l le a r n I n g
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On occasion, misbehavior becomes so serious or persistent that you must solicit outside
assistance from the school administration (e.g., the vice principal or principal) and parents.
When a student is sent to the principal’s office, you should phone or send a message to the
office, reporting that a student is being sent and why. A call to parents about a behavior
problem usually yields positive results. Most parents are concerned about the behavior
and progress of their children and are willing to work cooperatively in correcting any
misbehavior. There are exceptions; some parents feel that taking care of school misbehav-
ior is your job.
In-school suspension is becoming very common at the middle school level; it is used
occasionally at the elementary level, too. This technique involves removing misbehaving
students from a class and placing them in a special area where they do their schoolwork.
They generally are placed in a bare room, furnished with only a table and chair. They
report to this room at the beginning of the school day and remain until the end of the
day. Meals are sent in, and teachers send in the class work for the day. If the in-school
suspension does not correct the misbehavior, out-of-school suspension usually follows.
However, out-of-school suspension should be used with extreme cases and as a last
resort.
Teachers should not assign extra work or deduct from academic grades for misbehavior.
Associating grades and subject work with punishment only creates a dislike for school. It
is often good policy, however, to request that students redo sloppy or incorrect work.
Indeed, accepting sloppy work or incorrect work only encourages more of the same.
Punishment of the whole class for the misbehavior of one or two students has nega-
tive repercussions. Although this approach may curb the inappropriate behavior tempo-
rarily, other students may perceive it as unfair and, as a result, develop a negative attitude
toward that teacher. On the other hand, if the teacher is well-respected and viewed as fair,
the use of peer pressure, especially at the middle school level, can be an effective
approach to discipline. Proximal praise, or praising the actions of students who are
behaving appropriately in close proximity to the misbehaving student, works well at the
elementary level.
To this point, we have not mentioned the use of corporal punishment as an option. It is
illegal in most states for teachers to administer corporal punishment. Moreover, corporal
punishment often fails to address the long-term problem. In short, corporal punishment
has proven to be ineffective and can lead to allegations of brutality and legal difficulties.
The other disciplinary techniques presented in this chapter result in students’ assuming
responsibility for their own actions.
When used, the consequence should be administered immediately after the misbehav-
ior, and it should be fair—the punishment should fit the crime. Certainly, the same conse-
quence should not be administered for constant talking as for harming other students. Of
course, you must deal with all misbehavior. Therefore, keep your emotions under control,
and deal with problems consistently, fairly, and professionally. When you do use punish-
ment, make it swift, fair, and impressive.
When administered appropriately, punishment can be an effective deterrent to misbe-
havior. Punishment should only be used, however, when no other alternatives are available.
If the misbehavior is not severe, a warning should first be issued. State the misbehavior and
possible consequence if the student chooses to continue to misbehave. If a warning does
not work, consider punishment.
Table 3.2 summarizes the control aspect of classroom management. Review the sum-
mary and complete Reflect and Apply Exercise 3.2