Methods of Discipline in Education - Essay Example

Debates On Discipline: Understanding Behavior Introduction With the advent of changes in teaching methods, methodsof discipline have also changed. Where before teachers had more power of control over their pupils through what are now abhorrent practices, now it seems to be going too far the other way in permissiveness. Changing laws and parenting practices are changing the nature of the relationship of student to teacher. This paper will examine three debates regarding practices of discipline as well as where the locus of control on the part of the student may lie. These debates exist due to further research in developmental psychology and behavior; yet even with current studies revealing the nature of behavior, the problem of discipline still exists in the learning environment and without discipline, no learning can take place. It is hoped that by examining these debates a balance may be struck by employing various behavioral remedies to disruption and uncooperative attitudes encountered by teachers. Debate 1: Locus Of Control The locus of control is either internal or external and depends upon the individual which one is stronger. If an individual believes that his life is controlled by external circumstances (cause and effect), then he will be subject to making choices in terms of what is the prevailing quality of the environment. Conversely, if an individual believes that his life is controlled by his choices and decisions, he will exert control from within. A person who has an internal locus of control will see that a personal failure is due to a lack of preparation or a poor decision, while a person with an external locus of control will see the same failure as bad luck or other external factors (Marsh, K. L., & Weary, G. 1995, p. 381). Most people are some of one and some of the other, but studies have shown that either an external or internal locus of control is dominant. While a dominant internal locus of control has shown to be not only more desirable to have, people with it tend to be more successful in life, attaining higher paying jobs. What then, can be done from a behavioral approach to encourage a more internal locus of control in the classroom And is such encouragement needed In terms of schooling, it seems very straightforward that preparation equals success, in this case studying for an exam. The success of the results is directly related to preparedness, which involves internal locus of control. On the other hand, a student who fails a test and did not prepare adequately may blame the teacher for giving an unfair test or an unfair grade, as a result of external locus of control. Since these loci are critical to the direction our lives take and the quality of our well being, it is important to understand them and address them in a balanced manner while teaching all students. Debate On Goals Of Discipline Discipline in the classroom is critical for learning, but the methods of encouraging or imposing discipline are what come to question. What is the real goal of discipline Ultimately, it is to achieve cooperation of the student. Cooperation implies order, and order implies discipline. Achieving and maintaining order is, for a teacher, critical. Now we come to the crux of the matter concerning the goal of discipline: Do we want the students to learn, or simply to be orderly in the classroom even if they are not learning Obviously, school is a big influence on children in terms of forming a sense of self outside of the family, learning to adapt to changing circumstances, how to behave socially and how to absorb and demonstrate the knowledge of information. It is a complicated environment, especially in today's society where the children in the classroom did not know each other prior to school by having been born and raised in close proximity. When family influences and circumstances embodied by the students encounter each other in the environment of the classroom, behavioral disorder can certainly be expected. The teacher must have a clear definition of goals to be achieved and methods of achieving those goals. The arguments for and against different styles and goals of discipline not only reflect how complex teaching methods have become with the teacher also having to be a behavioral and/or cognitive psychologist to some degree, increasing demands from parents regarding the treatment of their children and changing laws regarding discipline make something which should be fairly simple and straightforward quite a different endeavor. Establishment of goals with the intent to maximize student performance is the ideal. The underlying goals should be orderly classroom behavior. But does this imply that if a student is complying yet not learning that the teacher has achieved the goal The very question of what the goals of a teacher should be in terms of discipline is very often based upon what the administration thinks of the teacher. A teacher who establishes and maintains order in the classroom is more highly esteemed than one who puts the goal of academic performance above social performance so much that unruly students are expelled from the classroom (Gene Van Tassell, n.d.). In a nutshell, the very basic goals for a teacher should be that the students not only learn but also to enjoy learning. This is no easy task, yet it should be paramount in the teacher's list of priorities. The goal of order in the classroom is also of paramount importance and this can be achieved in different ways, dependent upon the nature of the disruption. Put simply, if order is not established and maintained, distractions take away from learning. Behaviorists vs. Humanists in Ethic Of Practice This is where the hottest debates are conducted: practices of discipline. With more and more behavioral problems being passed on to teachers to sort out, more theories of how to achieve discipline are emerging. In the strictly behavioral view of discipline, order is the goal. Others may argue that the method of delivery to establish order must not cause concern in others in the room. In the old days, public humiliation of a disorderly student was permissible; a rap on the palm with a ruler as punishment, being sent to stand outside the room, being made to put the nose up to a circle drawn on the chalk board and stand still for a certain amount of time. Many will say that this type of punishment for disorderly conduct is counterproductive to learning as well as fodder for psychological trauma. Without a doubt, the single most effective practice of discipline used by over a half million teachers is called "Assertive Discipline," developed by Lee and Marlene Canter in 1992. This practice of discipline is behaviorist in its approach, putting the teacher in complete control of the classroom. Establishing the rules of conduct that the teacher expects to be upheld, along with a list of consequences should the rules be broken, does this (Thomas McIntyre, 2005). Using this practice of discipline encourages the development of the desirable internal locus of control. By establishing rules in the first place and acting decisively and assertively when the rule is broken (while being sure that the punishment fits the crime), the teacher is able to reinforce self-regulation in students. Many disagree with the behaviorist/authoritative approach to discipline, thinking that it suppresses full expression and creativity. In addition, one article in Education Week by school teacher and author Alfie Kohn disputes Canters' program, stating that her own problems in the classroom with unruly students stemmed not from her lack of control, but the students involved in an insufficiently engaging curriculum. The very idea of a reward/punishment system is wearing thin with many sectors, yet it is widely used and generally regarded as successful. In Kohn's article, she puts forth a good argument in terms of other classroom management programs whose terms of "reward" and "punishment" are disguised in other words made to sound more friendly and palatable such as "dignity," "love," and "logical consequences." While what she says is true (different words, same system), the entire question of the ethical practice of discipline is under intense scrutiny. One argument against the behavioral programs is that while they do promote order, they do not necessarily encourage empathy, citizenship, compassion or other social attributes that contribute to success in life. This argument will say that in the classroom, what is learned more than anything is lack of control and the necessity to follow orders. There is no doubt that with developmental behaviors, reward and punishment must be learned; in order to gain the skills of civility and appropriate behaviors, absence of consequences, logical or not, teach nothing. In practicing discipline, should a teacher use reward/punishment or a more passive program of classroom management Since children spend a full minimum of thirteen years in school before they are turned out into life or higher education, should school be a place of learning a variety of academic and social skills, or academic skills alone There are two sides to the coin in terms of the practice of discipline: Too much promotes rebellion or fear, and too little promotes less order and productivity. Many advocates of alternative teaching methods eschew the reward/punishment system as simply teaching students how to avoid punishment and seek reward only for its own sake, not making the connection between self-esteem and orderly conduct. One example of practicing discipline in a seemingly different way is to use a rubric that assesses a student's behavior as "Good, Better, Best" rather than "Good, Bad, Worse" (the latter being a "descending level"). John Shindler, author of Transformative Classroom Management (to be released Spring 2006), asserts that even the punishment system is rewarding the offender with attention and eventually becomes meaningless as a way of practicing discipline. So how does a teacher practice discipline in an ethical way without using external controls and get good results Referring back to Kohn's work, it seems that there is no way around some kind of reward/punishment system; the teacher simply needs to be creative and have the savvy to exercise it well. This can only come with practice and attainment of more tools and resources. Kohn further asserts that the teacher needs to realize that the control/chaos dichotomy is not necessarily cast in stone. There is room for exploration and experimentation. Conclusion Due to conflicting views on everything from child rearing to quality of education and how self-accountable everyone should be, it is very difficult to be an advocate of one system or another. Every student is as different as every teacher, and all are humans with their own needs and sets of circumstances. In order for teachers to effectively teach, some system of order must exist in the classroom and there are plenty of both behavioral and humanistic classroom management systems to choose from. The days of overt punishment and public shaming are gone for the most part, but with the new trends emphasizing sensitivity and empathy, it seems that more young people are graduating high school less prepared to face the world. It is my view that "humanists" should not deny that we are human, we will make mistakes, we do need to learn how to conduct ourselves appropriately and we do need to understand that certain choices carry certain consequences. If the "negative" consequences of inappropriate behavior are not learned early in life, it is likely that the very real human consequences will appear later and with inadequate preparation for coping with them. On the one hand, an internal locus of control should be encouraged, yet if it is goes too far it produces a person who is unable to feel empathy or compassion. This does not serve well in a life that is full of change, uncertainty and instability (our current society). Too much control does quell creative thinking and critical thinking as well; those who are raised or taught in highly controlled environments are likely to emerge dependent on having someone in charge or the opposite, wanting no one in charge. As variable and unique as humans are, there still needs to be a sense of consistency in a learning environment in order for optimum learning to take place. No matter the method used to achieve the goals of learning through discipline or classroom management, the teacher is the one who must assess the effectiveness of their practice of discipline. No one discipline or classroom management system is the be-all-and-end-all; they can be modified and integrated depending upon the needs of the moment. A good teacher will recognize this and use good judgment. References Kohn, Alfie. 1996, 'Beyond Discipline', Education Week, November 20 1996 [Online] Available at: http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/discipline.htm Marsh, K. L., & Weary. G. 1995, 'Locus of Control', In T. Manstead and M. Hewstone (Eds.), The Blackwell Dictionary of Social Psychology (p. 381). Oxford, UK: Blackwell. McIntyer, Thomas. 2005, 'Assertive Discipline', Department Of Social Sciences, Hunter College [Online] Available at: http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/pub/eres/EDSPC715_MCINTYRE/AssertiveDiscipline.html Shindler, John. 2005, 'Chapter 19: Why Deficit Models (Checks on the board and colored cards) don't work, and an effective alternative', (excerpt of book in progress, 'Transformative Classroom Management: Promoting a Climate of Community and Responsibility', to be released Spring 2006 from Corwin Press) [Online] Available at: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jshindl/cm/deficitmodels.htm Van Tassell, Gene. N.d., 'Classroom Management', Layered Curriculum (1999 - 2005) [Online] Available at: http://www.brains.org/classroom_management.htm Read More