If and when students violate class rules use these effective consequences:
(for a 5 great class rules click here)
1st time a rule is broken: A brief reminder of the rules. This can be a mere nod to where the class rules have been displayed in the classroom.
2nd time: A discreet conference with student DIRECTLY after class.
3rd time: The student’s desk is moved or switched. The teacher arranges the desk rearrangement AFTER class. This can be away from a particular student, to a place of less stimuli, and/or closer to where the teacher is. Students must earn the right to move his or her desk back.
4th time: (Thanks to extremely interesting and informative conversations with my PLN, colleagues, and administration I’ve decided to change this consequence.)
5th time (or an extreme rule breaking [e.g. violence, gross disrespect]): A student is sent to the principal and does not come back to class until a parent has met with the principal and/or the teacher
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In my ten years of teaching, I’ve only had one student break 5 rules in one day.
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Everyday the student starts again with a clean slate. In other words, if John breaks 2 rules Monday then he enters class Tuesday with zero strikes against him.
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Consequences must be fair and consistent as humanly possible. It’s hard to always follow through, but the longer you are consistent the easier your school year will be!
© 2010 David Mach
#1 – Have no problem
#2 – Handling situation immediately when circumstances permit is effective, too. Shame and embarrassment (not ridicule) and exhibitions of disappointment are good, too.
#3 – Why not move the student immediately…everyone in class knows what the student did; no use saving face now…
#4 – I have serious problems with…
Requiring a student to stay for an hour after school to write an essay/fictional story undermines the hard work of many English teachers who are trying to make writing more attractive and less mystifying to students.
The National Council of Teachers of English have thoughts on using writing as a form of punishment: Resolution on Condemning the Use of Writing as Punishment http://bit.ly/azu6Ch
(really, an hour? What if the student is in Special Education? Is this part of their IEP? What if the parent has to pick up her student and has to get back to work? What if the student rides the bus and will now have to walk home in unfriendly areas? What if it is snowing? What about a five minute conversation with the student?)
#5 – What if the parent has three jobs and can not meet with the principal or teacher?
I would not be so offended with this list if it were merely your suggestions. However, you are telling your readers to USE these effective (are these proven with research) consequences as if it were a directive and absolute.
For what it’s worth…I can’t tell you my discipline plan because I do not have one. Middle School behavior is random and circumstantial. The one constant in my interactions with students who have discipline issues is communication: immediate communication outside of class. There are simply too many variables…
As always, I welcome your insightful and helpful feedback, Steve. Thanks for taking the time to review and comment on this particular post. One of the reasons I posted it is because I always am looking for feedback to help revise and improve my teaching style. Let’s get to your comments…
#1 We both have no problem
#2 The reason I don’t shame or embarrass any of my students is because it is my belief we should “praise publicly and blame privately.” This is especially true with middle school students who above all else just want to fit in.
#3 Follows the same reasoning of #2.
Also, I never want to engage my students in a public power-struggle. If the student refuses to move seats, now he has broken another of my rules (“follow directions the first time given”) and I have escalated the situation needlessly.
Furthermore, the purpose of these consequences is to facilitate an environment of learning. If I am taking the time to move seats in the middle of lessons, and perhaps now arguing with students about why I am moving their desks, the learning is put on hold.
#4. I totally agree with you. As a language arts instructor I hate using writing as a punishment. However, here is my reasoning for using it:
A. The punishment must fit the crime, thus by giving students a chance to tell their side of the story, why it happened, the student’s essay often gives me insight about how to prevent such a thing from happening again.
B. Writing a fictional story about the rule they broke allows the student to see the rules more objectively and how the rule is there for a reason, not just an arbitrary whim of the teacher.
C. My job is to make them into better writers. This punishment helps students put their thoughts of injustice, anger, frustration, shame, guilt, or whatever else may be going through their heads into words. These words I read seriously and the result is a better understanding and relationship with the student. Also, as mentioned above, such an essay helps me learn how to prevent that student from breaking 4 rules in one day again.
All of this shows students that their written words can help change their worlds for the better.
D. If a student has a legitimate reason he or she cannot stay for an hour detention, then they must write the essay at home and have the parents sign it.
Let me repeat myself, while #4 has worked well with me for years, I am always modifying my classroom management styles. Do you have any suggestions? Many other teachers I know have students sit and do absolutely nothing during detentions. Would you consider this an improvement to writing during detention?
#5. Only one student in my 10 years of teaching has ever broken 5 rules in one day. The student that did it was emotionally out of control and needed to be removed from the classroom for the safety of others. In such extreme cases, I feel strongly that the administration needs to talk with the parents immediately to find out what is happening with this student.
Your other comments:
You are correct, often the parents of my students do work very hard and scheduling a time to meet may take time. The student can wait in In-School-Suspension in the mean time working on the assignments the rest of the class is working on while calming down and reflecting on the 5 rules he or she broke.
Yes, I have proven the effectiveness of these rules by having used them for years in an urban middle school with up to 35 students per class (talk about too many variables). Before I became 8th grade teacher, the 8th grade was out of control. Since then the 8th grade has been used as a role-model of good behavior for the rest of ENPS. Just this year my principal has made me a mentor to a new middle school teacher.
My rules and consequences are based on the educational research of Harry Wong and Lee Cantor. I have found these consequences effectively reduce most of those variables you mention in a consistent, fair way.
Yes, I strongly encourage other teachers to share in my success.
Let’s talk more about #4… I feel we can figure out something better together using our collective PLN’s.
I think that it is important to remember that in the long run, punishments for misbehavior reinforce the idea that “if I don’t get caught, it’s okay to do whatever I want” mentality that we all hate so much.
We have been using Diane Gossen’s “Real Restitution” (see http://www.realrestitution.com/) for a few years at our school and it works. I never have to feel like the bad guy and the students start to take more ownership for their mistakes.
A hypothetical conversation with a student after they have misbehaved might go like this. Essentially our objective is to make the student realize: what they did wrong; how they can improve the situation; they aren’t fundamentally a bad person and they CAN improve.
“Johnny, I need to speak with you. Why?”
“Uh well because I was about to light Susie’s hair on fire”
“And can you see a problem with that?”
“Hrmmm. No.”
“Can you think about how Suzie would feel if you did that?”
“Well, it would probably hurt.”
“So is there anything you can do to rectify this situation?”
Johnny puts lighter away.
“Sorry Suzie. I forgot that might hurt you, I just thought it would look funny.”
Hi David,
Why don’t you make this list TOGETHER with the students?…
I know I am just an elementary school teacher but we have a board – Solution Board (avoid using the word “punishment”).
Brainstorm with your students what would the possible problems be (e.g. “I need water”, “I am done with the task- what should I do until my classmates finish?” etc) and write PROBLEMS and then brainstorm SOLUTIONS (again, together with the students). Not only do students feel validated as stakeholders but they will be accountable for their behavior. Peer pressure is sometimes more effective than teacher-given assignments – since the students themselves contributed to making the solutions list.
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I agree on #1, #2, and #3 (although I choose to move the desk right away).
As for number 4…I would never keep a student after class. The American “detention” system is horrifying to me and I always wondered whoever had the idea of implementing it in education – the LAST place anyone would expect…
Also, I never assigned written work to punish children…although it might work with teenagers (I never taught this age group…so you must know better).
These are just some thoughts – I know I do not have the expertise as I never had to go past “rule breaking” 2. 🙂
Cheers!
Cristina
Disclaimer: I view this exchange as iron sharpening iron. I think it is good their is disagreement between us as there is no purpose in the echo chamber of reactionary agreement that so much of the Teacher Blogoshpere and Twitter is becoming. Responding to these comments have made me think more deeply about my own classroom practice.
#4 A – Isn’t the purpose of the writing for students to self reflect on their own behavior, not for ways that you can prevent the behavior?
B – Students are well aware of the inherent rules present in every class. I doubt Virginia Wolf looked at her writing objectively while initially writing.
C – I seriously doubt that a student is thinking they are becoming a better writer by writing an essay for a teacher. Students write enough essays to teachers. We need to expand the audience our students write to. Student conversations can change their world for better, too. It just seems too one way street: their is no dialogue or conversation. Would you feel better writing an essay after getting a speeding ticket? Would that essay make a difference in your life?
D – Don’t give out detentions. Have a conversation with the offending student. I know this is idealistic, but I try and prevent gross misbehavior from the beginning. I never do anything a student can do for themselves, like pass out papers or decorate the classroom. It is our room, not mine. I try to give my students ownership of the class in every way possible. I simply do not believe in using Behaviorism to control student behavior. Please see Joe Bower’s blog for better explanationss: I would suggest starting with this piece: http://www.joebower.org/2010/05/prescriptive-vs-personalized.html
I’m glad to read you have had such a profound influence in your school. I assumed you influence those around you simply by taking the steps to be involved in Twitter and by blogging. I firmly believe most teachers on Twitter and the Teacher Blogosphere are agents of change in their schools and communities.
The Yankee’s walk on the field with understated confidence and swagger – they do not have to tell the world they are great.
I am very familiar with Wong and Cantor and agree with all they have to offer teachers. I have no problems with their research and techniques. All I know is that at my current school, I have not posted or talked about rules with my students and I have not had to write one referral or detention in five years (I know, I’m bragging). I am certain this would be different at a different school with different students.
Again, circumstances and conversations, not directives.
All I can say is what works for me. I do not feel comfortable telling teachers they should use my techniques.
Steve,
As I’ve tweeted to you before, I am extremely happy to have your insightful feedback. I really, really like your response. Just today I wrote a welcome speech for my students using the quote about iron sharpening iron, and then I find you used it in this great email.
I just got back from a long weekend at a lake in the woods of New Hampshire, and have had a lot of time away from the computer. I had days to reflect on our conversation. Now I return and find this wonderful response.
You made me think about new things. I need to think seriously before I respond. Thanks for keeping the discussion going.
I wish more teachers were engaged in such passionate education dialogues…