Why Discipline Is More Effective Than Punishment In The Classroom and At Home
There is a common misconception in learning environments (whether in the classroom or at home) that discipline and punishment are two sides of the same coin. That is - that the use of discipline entails a punishment as a response to breaking rules or to punish “bad behavior”. However, it’s essential to recognize that discipline fundamentally differs from punishment and that effective use of discipline management in a learning environment can be a highly constructive and valuable teaching tool.
The Key Difference Between Discipline And Punishment
While discipline focuses on teaching and learning how to adjust behavior, punishment is focused solely on enforcing consequences.
Punishment is typically administered through the power and control of the adult, usually in the form of something undesirable. However, this approach will only temporarily stop the negative behaviors since the punishment focuses solely on correcting negative behavior without further instruction.
On the other hand, discipline offers an opportunity for growth and development.
In the classroom, you can use discipline to help students understand what they should do (or not do) in different situations. By teaching students to take responsibility for their actions and providing guidance and support, discipline can help them develop self-discipline and make positive choices.
Why Discipline Is Important In The Classroom
Generally speaking, society looks for children to learn how to function and behave appropriately in various situations. Consequently, someone, or more accurately- many someones, need(s) to teach children what that means.
A lot of this falls on the shoulders of parents and teachers alike.
The classroom is a great setting for teaching and learning how to handle various situations with tact, mutual respect, and in a socially responsible manner.
How To Help Students Understand Why There Are Different Rules
Younger students can get easily confused by all the different rules, especially when they are adult-made and not tailored to their learning needs.
For example, we have different rules for behaving at home versus in school. There are also different rules for how we behave in science and art classes.
There can even be a difference in expectations between different adults. Maybe the way you act in Ms. Jones' class is different than the expectations in Mr. Smith's class.
One analogy I like to use to help my students better understand this is a sports analogy because each sport has different rules. For example, you can’t touch the ball with your hands in soccer, but you can in football.
Even within each sport, each team's rules may be slightly different than the other teams.
This can help explain why there are different expectations between classes or teachers.
How To Help Students Understand The Different Classroom Rules
It's important to remember that rules for behavior go well beyond a list of "Do's" and "Dont's." It is important to talk through and explain the different expectations and what they mean to children in a classroom. By doing this, the emphasis is placed on promoting learning rather than solely enforcing compliance.
For example, science, art, music, and PE are classes with different equipment, classroom environments, and materials. These key differences make it easier for us to explain to students why those classes have different behavior expectations.
Make sure you are taking time to communicate these positive statements regularly with your students. Keeping classroom expectations between 3-5 positive statements is also important. By presenting concise expectations for each area of the school, students are more likely to remember them. If we provide too much detail, they may struggle to retain the information we are attempting to convey.
However, communicating rules becomes more difficult when there are minor changes in expectations or even "unspoken" rules.
How To Help Students Navigate Unspoken Rules
Let's first talk about what "unspoken rules" are, as I believe this is not spoken about enough.
One example of an "unspoken rule" is when you visit someone's house, and the expectation is to take off your shoes upon entering the house. You may not be told to take off your shoes, but you see that the host is taking off their shoes as they enter, and you can see that there are shoes by the door. It is a practice or expectation that is "unspoken." But through your observation, you know that you should respect the household expectations and take your shoes off as well.
Now let's take this to a more subtle level.
In the classroom, a teacher asks a student in front of the entire class why he/she did not complete the homework. The student answers rudely, with a wisecrack, or doesn’t answer. Then the teacher finds this response or behavior offensive (or disrespectful) and assigns detention to the student as a result. What has caused this outcome?
In this scenario, there are two unwritten or unspoken expectations.
First - the student may feel that being confronted with the situation in front of the entire class means that the student must do something to save face in front of his or her peers. There could be many legitimate reasons why they did not finish their homework. The explanation may be personal, embarrassing, or force the student to admit weaknesses they do not wish to share.
Second - the teacher also needed to save face in front of the class. A teacher can not allow a student to be rude or defiant without receiving consequences. If they did, more students would see that this type of behavior was accepted by this teacher, and the teacher would find themselves in a negative situation that would likely worsen over time.
These social elements add complexity to teacher-student relationships and interactions that go beyond "good" or "bad" behavior. And when they are not understood or remain "unspoken," they can negatively affect both teacher and student. This can ultimately shift the situation from an opportunity to teach appropriate behavior into a punishment scenario.
A Real-Life Scenario I Encountered
One time, I had a teacher call for my assistance as an administrator when a student had become belligerent. I removed the student from class and calmed them down.
After speaking to the student and teacher, it turned out that the teacher assigned him lunch detention and took away his recess for not turning in his homework. The teacher made this known to the whole class when informing the student. This left the student feeling embarrassed and ashamed in front of his classmates.
Upon further discussion, it was revealed that the student had limited time to complete his homework when at home. Due to a family situation, the student could only do his homework in the bathroom when the bathroom was available.
Of course, we contacted the parents and arranged for this student to stay after school to complete his homework. And it ended up being a win-win because this student also had assistance from the school if he had any questions about homework.
After some time, the student also started helping other students in similar situations, and after so much positive feedback, an after-school study group was created to assist those students. By working together, we were able to find a solution that ended up benefiting so many other kids too.
I hate to think of what would have happened to that student if we had not gotten to the root of the problem.
Unfortunately, this is a problem that occurs in schools nationwide. Remembering that anyone can be going through a tough time is important.
How To Save Face As A Teacher And Not Escalate Things
Here are two ways to save face and not escalate things.
One approach is to promptly acknowledge your error of pointing out their mistake in front of the entire class (in this case, not doing their homework), and you can apologize to the student while also letting them know they cannot speak to you in that manner.
An example of this could be: “You know what, John, I am sorry I asked you in front of the class. I made a mistake. However, that comment was rude and not acceptable. Let's discuss this later."
Then it is important to move the whole class's focus back to the lesson.
The second way to handle this is to talk to the student privately about why they did not turn in their homework. This will give the student the space to tell you about why they couldn't complete their homework truthfully (in this case, the family situation) and for the teacher to find assistance to help the student and the family.
In this scenario and example, we can see that we need to discuss the many unwritten rules - rather than issuing punishments for breach of these rules.
For many of us, asking students in front of the class is an acceptable approach. We often reflect back on school discipline when we were young kids, and that is how teachers did things.
However, when working with my staff, I ask them if they would like me, as their Principal, to publicly announce or question their mistakes in front of their colleagues. Just because we copy behavior modeled for us as children does not mean it is the best way to do it.
As educators, we must provide ample opportunities for students to explain themselves and/or ask questions they may otherwise feel uncomfortable asking/answering in front of their peers. This is how we can foster learning and understanding, which plays a crucial role in fostering positive social and emotional development.
It's also imperative to remember that we need to approach this on a case-by-case basis. Not every situation will be identical, so you need to listen and approach each scenario with a fresh set of eyes.
How We Can Put All Of This Into Practice As Educators
One tool at an educator's disposal is journal writing. Journaling is a powerful tool for students to communicate with the teacher without wasting precious classroom instructional time. It also allows the students to communicate differently, which can be beneficial if the student is embarrassed, scared, etc.
Another best practice that parents and teachers can use is to role-play expectations and encourage further class discussion about the various behavior expectations. Just like students need practice when learning to read or add, they also need time and ways to practice good behavior.
Talk to students about how to behave in every area of the school. What does proper behavior look like in the classroom? The playground? The cafeteria? The hallway? Then give students a scenario and ask how they would make a change to ensure expectations for that area are met. Or have students role-play a situation and discuss whether expectations were met.
You can also use positive reinforcement to reframe mistakes as opportunities for learning. Everyone makes mistakes, including breaking the occasional rule. Through positive reinforcement, you can assist the student in comprehending why their behavior was inappropriate, provide guidance on how to remedy the situation, and offer support on how to progress positively. This is how we can help kids grow into responsible adults.
Lastly, do what you can to create a safe student environment. A great way to do this is by being mindful of your body language and holding eye contact when having conversations. Young people can pick up on our body language, so being mindful of this lets your students know that you are listening to them and care.
I hope this article has helped you learn how to handle classroom discipline in a new way.
Providing students with clear expectations and allowing them to practice them will immediately reduce inappropriate behaviors. But remember, this is a learning process, just like math or reading. It will take some students longer to learn appropriate behavior, so try to be patient and use the best practices shared above.
Effective classroom management is also a skill you need to learn and practice as an educator, so remember to also give yourself grace and compassion. You won't get it right one hundred percent of the time, but practicing will make it easier every time.
