E is for Educational  Excellence          omaisa.com 

Two sides--One: is very confident that a teacher can take control, perhaps must take control in order for there to the learning.  [See annual crime rates in schools chart, below.]  Discipline is not questioned or doubted.  The other side: authority may be causing all the trouble in the first place.  Discipline must be questioned.  Rewards and punishments are harmful.

Both sides have truth to them.  Depending on the student, and their reactions to the events taking place throughout the days in school, it is possible to say both that teachers must take control, and their control is causing trouble.  As no one is perfect, we will never have error-free days.  Yet in some cases we can come very close.

In my experience teaching English conversation in a private Chinese schools, in some classes with over 40 students, I never had to request any change of unpleasant behavior.  In nearby classrooms, perhaps even with only 12 students, there was great conflict between my desires and the students' behaviors.  It is a truism, but a useful point to remember, that the behavior of a group is based on the actions of the individuals in that group.

There are students who admire teachers, the school, education in general, and who view their behavior as important to regulate.  They want to benefit from the overall culture (though of course their views can vary day to day..).  Other students may not enjoy the strictures of academic life, the need to stare at papers, produce on demand, limit their self expression and get along with others peacefully, and so on.  Hopefully we need to move these students forward into self-discipline and have them realize the difference between correction and punishment.  We must learn the role that increasing population density and negligent parents are playing as well.  (Stoops & King-Stoops, 1995.)  For example they may be refering to how, as we move from places where population density is low and thus contact and conflict less frequent, we find higher interpersonal conflict in dense, (often low-income) urban areas--also places where playing and letting off steam outdoors can be difficult or dangerous.  Parents, now about half of which are single parents, clearly do not spend the time with children they did in the past ages, when a mother usually needed to cook and even farm/garden at home, and a father needed to work outside the home in the traditional way.  Now with fast food, high divorce and 'deadbeat dad' rates, we have increasing numbers of children who are not as exposed to reasonable adult behavior in the home.  We have many students who have free rein and lack of supervision in the house, and who may thus lack comfort with guidance in the school.  To avoid overly restrictive or permissive classroom management, the question must always be, 'Does this behavior interfere with other's rights and learning?'  While this will allow room for the eccentric in our schools, yet we want to encourage actions beneficial to such students in the long run.

Then there are those students who seem to enjoy the anger of adults.   [Canter (1982) accounts  another teacher's experience about a student: "..he likes it when I yell and scream at him" (p. 59)]  For those who are burdened in this way, the birds in the cages of our schools, we could benefit from learning a variety of ways to respond to their needs for greater freedom of expression.  We should do this while still protecting those who could benefit from school.  And certainly, if our discipline combined with lesson planning, materials, activities, and subject matter are appropriate with the burdened students, they may even become less burdened and burdensome.

To know what to do..  That pondering many thoughtful teachers go through, get headaches over, lose sleep from..  Should we be the authoritative teacher, the listening teacher..?  How can we know which tactic to attempt, with which students?  How can we diagnose the problems, so we can prescribe the right medicines?  We're lucky there are others to turn to.  [Note, see also Resources page in this website, link below.]  As we each have our own styles, beliefs in consonance or contrary to educational administration and policy, we may find ourselves at odds with accepted practices.  With an increase in student autonomy, we increase a need for constant unique discipline, and may see-saw toward greater authority and uniformity.  As we experiment with our unique mix of students and changing personal growth, our path is most likely to feel unconventional.  A team process of education, where teachers meet and discuss, is an appropriate rescue from this dis-ease.  (Wolfgang & Glickman, 1986).

Differentiation, in education, normally refers to tailoring our planning, instruction, assessment, and other activities for the needs of specific students.  This is done with their particular needs, learning styles, prior knowledge and abilities in mind.  When it comes to discipline, we can also a tailor our plans and actions differently for different students or groups of students.  But how? Behavioral scientists and educational researchers help us with this.  We might turn to Fox, Luszki and Schmuck and their work "Diagnosing Classroom Learning Environments" (1981).  These research associates gathered data and provide methods and materials for educators to diagnose negative influences among students.  We must remember or learn that we may operate in a system with difficult classroom social structures, related to students' hierarchies and norms in opposition to learning and the perceived educational establishment (very often due to social-economic and ethnic differences).

If the reader finds oneself to be in a position of cultural conflict, the questionnaires, forms, and other diagnostic tools in their work may be a benefit.  With them, students can rate the influence of their peers, and respond to the atmosphere and experience in the classroom and school.  A teacher may also diagnose and analyze their own use of praise and criticism, social control or classroom management, and interactions with the students (Fox, Luszki & Schmuck, 1981).  One may find that a teacher may work to appear enthusiastic and motivating, yet induce perceptions in students as being disgruntled and controlling, dimming their educational excitement (Stoops & King-Stoops, 1995).  Perhaps this is a reminder to focus on the subject, developing a 'community of truth' rather than acting as a teacher with a mental spotlight focused on oneself.

Here are some common causes/recommendations for particular problems often seen in classrooms, with a view on focusing on improving the 'truth community' and returning to our subjects:

• Behavior/Oppositional Defiant Disorder (BD/ODD): Many teachers know and fear these students, the ones that can end careers due to teacher burnout when large numbers are in classrooms: negative, angry, persistently disobeying and criticizing (Alvarez, 2007).  Perhaps these are learned behaviors with roots in early childhood.  These attitudes and actions can be unlearned.  Alternatively, examination of cultural differences raises the likelyhood that some of these behaviors are brought on by unconscious racial profiling by educators (yes, perhaps you the teacher) and a lack of familiarity with the 'unruly' communication style of certain subcultures (Bireda, 2002).

Behavior Disorder or  ODD videos

 

(ODD continued..) Minority students: an attempt should be made to understand the students views or attitudes regarding both education and the majority culture (Bireda, 2002).  Efforts to improve cooperation with family by bringing them into the enjoyment of the 'school team' can be also help.  For Differently-abled students: professional diagnosis and one-on-one time may be necessary.  Strong instructional differentiation to enable learning is required.  Minority students: accept their communication style differences, even if loud and 'angry.'  Do not touch students, point fingers, demand eye-contact, or unintentionally insult them.  Realize that you may have subconscious racial or cultural bias, punishing certain groups while being lenient with others, adding to discipline problems (Bireda, 2002)  'Regular' students: particular experiences in school or outside have the student(s) feeling unprotected, disvalued, or unable to benefit from cooperative learning.  Honest discussion whether alone or in groups, regarding the feelings and needs of the students can alleviate many issues.  The most common cause for dissatisfaction with social situations is feeling a lack of control, as in being micro-managed and lacking free choice in output or movement.  Options for behavior and consequences are helpful.  Educators debate a central question still today: 'must children work and produce, even if they don't want to? '  Care must be taken to increase the relevance of all activity.

• Deception: Lying or mistatement is common in children up to age six, among the neglected and abused, and low performers. A proper understanding of the causes is necessary, as older children who lie may have psychiatric/home issues. Slow learners: may have a mistake in understanding what they're saying.  Visual checks or confirmation using simple language can be helpful.  A teacher may state their disappointment.  Average kids: high frequency lying can be a sign of disrespect or humor.  Knowing the child is important, and pointing out the ease of being misunderstood and consequences in the real world can be helpful to them.

 

• Robbery/theft: Prior to elementary age, children are just developing a sense of property and manners. Ages 5 to 13 students may steal due to their socio-economic norms, as a part of bullying, or poor self-control. Low performers: low-income social groups and educational disability students must be distinguished.  In certain subcultures, property is not emphasized and theft is not punished.  Children should be taught the facts of the wider culture, and a need to follow school rules and laws.  Those with disabilities may need professional assistance and intervention with the help of the family.  Regular children: stealing maybe done for thrill seeking and peer pressure reasons (like dares).  School guidelines and state legislation should be implemented consistently, and a teacher may address the entire class, so that everyone understands the lack of thrill and the suffering caused by loss of property.  The wider economic philosophy and life-sustaining necessity of property may be understood by most children when it is discussed.

 

  Theft / drugs / abuse videos  

 

• Aggression: Aggressive behavior is usually learned, often in an unstable family environment.  As our numbers of single-parent families grow, likely due to government support and social trends, so we see 'under-parented' children with less self-control. Teachers must be good role models, loving and caring. Inappropriate behaviors must be caught and corrected immediately, yet without stopping lessons (Wong & Wong, 1991, p. 159). Slower kids: need more time with an adult to learn the benefits of positive social behavior.  Must be protected from peers, as aggression may be a reaction to abuse.  Average kids: may be influenced heavily by their peers (or to impress love interests) to dominate others for status.  Analysis of classroom culture and team building such as Tribes may move the entire group toward cooperative learning (Fox, Luszki, and Schmuck, 1981). Students need to understand that a need to dominate--by violating rights and hurting others--is a weakness, not a strength.  Unless we protect everyone, by ensuring and defending rights equally, we cannot be sure anyone's rights are secure.
• Self-destructive behaviors: Self-mutilation, picking fights with stronger students, etc.  These things are often a sign of abuse, or extreme distress/stress (Riak, 2007). Immediate referral to the school psychologist, or counseling or other professional help is called for, no matter the student.  A teacher should keep records, even on a simple piece of paper, of anecdotal notes with dates and behaviors.  This should be done for all serious discipline issues, as records can be useful with parents and professionals (counselors, doctors, administration) and legally beneficial to educators careers.  These records should be kept confidential.

"Discipline is not just about finishing your homework on time. It is also about leading a good life, with principles."  --Simran Kurana, internet philosopher

Though these are the most serious issues in the class, if they are less common (and we hope so) we may spend more time with less serious concerns that cause great distraction from the central focus of learning. 

There are certain students that pull spotlights over onto themselves...dropping things, making distractive noises, tossing things towards the trash.  How can we focus on what we've come to school for?  Our classrooms can be filled with students so easily taken away from the subjects: with up to 20% of students in some classrooms diagnosed with education-related labels: attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, functional mental retardation (FMR), to name a few (French & Andretti, 1995).  If we accept these labels as useful, it is important to differentiate among various types of students, properly assess, and assist them.  There are typical behaviors we can anticipate, and useful responses.  [Please refer to the resources page.]

Regarding students with inability to maintain focus, whether ADD or not--their ability to comprehend may be quite high (French & Andretti, 1995), and physical interventions such as Brain Gym (see Hannaford, 1995) or medical assistance can free them from unwanted physical disruption of their own bodies.  Here a note about why some students move 'excessively': a need for digestion, blood flow, and bathroom breaks.  Let students do what they need to do.  Encourage nutritionally sound practices and physical programs in your school, including research-supported daily art, music, and gym.  In the class, some students need more standing and stretching than others.  If it is distracting to you, seat them in a place you don't always have to look.  Medication might be a last resort, as drugs affect on developing brains is a serious issue (Hannaford, 1995).  A teacher is not charged with making medical diagnosis nor carrying out treatment in these cases, but may initiate exploration into professional evaluation.  Medically, a person can suffer from thyroid diseases, sensitivity to caffeine, and a wide variety of other factors.  Some considerations: 

• Improper diet / eating habits (and soda, not only a problem for overweight children)
• Allergies including food
• Poor classroom atmosphere: lighting, furnishings, noise, air quality
• Disrupted sleep
• Exercise
• Neglect or psychological abuse
• Television and video gaming on weekdays

Other then correcting these factors, various accommodations can benefit students as long as they are not too distractive to others.  Allow freedom in the classroom except during critical instruction times; accept/encourage their energetic body movement ("Why not do 10 pushups if you like?"), and refrain from interrupting quiet individual seatwork with teacher updates/reminders (Hannaford, 2005).  Other 'disorders' can be dealt with in their own unique ways.  School psychologists and social workers are also a resource to partner with no matter how smoothly classes go.  The teacher must take the responsibility to learn about our typical culture's labels describing ongoing patterns of behavior, perhaps through library research, workshops, even Internet sites available to us about those particular topics.

To get a start, there are many resources linked below, and the annotated bibliography in references.  And don't forget the videos!

Resources/Links            and            References