MASTER’S PORTFOLIO: BRASHAR 1

Over the course of this master’s work, the curriculum has included a variety of useful and

engaging books and materials, many of which are annotated here. None of these influenced me

more profoundly than Setting Limits in the Classroom (MacKenzie, 2010). This book offered

sensible, straightforward advice that can be applied to children of all ages. In my work, I found

its ideas and strategies to be wholly effective. It requires a rethinking and self-examination that is

in-and-of-itself valuable for an educator.

Teachers’ work is hard. The instance of teacher attrition, be it due to so-called burn out or

demoralization, is high (Santoro, 2010). The demands of working with children are vast, and

misunderstandings about how and why children behave in the ways that they do abound. Setting

Limits in the Classroom describes how to approach these difficulties, both in teaching and in

parenting: through a firm, positive approach where consistency and transparency of expectations

are paramount.

Educators tend to focus their energies on correcting student behavior, while often

neglecting to examine their own behavior and the problems it might cause in the classroom

(Charles, 2011). MacKenzie details how different styles of discipline (from permissive to

punitive) affect how students behave and how they understand (or fail to understand) the

disciplinary system in place. In many cases, the teacher herself does not fully understand the

rules and disciplinary system (MacKenzie, 2010). This amounts to a failure to communicate

expectations and consequences (both positive and negative). Confused students do not have the

tools to follow expectations. Students who consistently do not follow expectations frustrate

teachers. Frustrated teachers struggle to deal with the inevitable challenges of teaching. The

emotional well-being of the teacher is vitally important to her ability to be an effective educator

(Shapiro, 2010).
MASTER’S PORTFOLIO: BRASHAR 2

Students of different ages experience varying levels of emotional development (Lickona,

1994). It is important for a teacher to be aware of these stages and also to understand that no

matter the level of development, students are looking to the adults in their lives to guide them

toward acceptable ways of behaving. When unacceptable behavior is repeatedly tolerated and

then suddenly (often harshly) punished, students are left confused (MacKenzie, 2010). For some

children, a one-time request to cease a behavior may be effective. For many, it is a requirement

of learning (not a character flaw!) that they must test the boundaries to find out the result of their

behavior (MacKenzie, 2010).

This approach to understanding children who “test” revolutionized my way of thinking

about discipline, both in my home and in the classroom. The tenets of transparency of

expectations and consequences and immovable consistency provide a framework for a discipline

plan that is clear, kind, and effective. MacKenzie’s understanding of the desire to hear out every

argument, and his insistence that the time to discuss rules is not during a “testing” period, allows

for emotionally responsive teaching without disciplinary chaos.

MASTER’S PORTFOLIO: BRASHAR 3

References

Charles, C.M. (2011). Building classroom discipline, 10th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Lickona, T. (1994). Raising good children. New York City, NY: Bantam.

MacKenzie, R. (2010). Setting limits in the classroom, 3rd ed. Rocklin, CA: Prima.

Santoro, D. A. (2011). Good teaching in difficult times: Demoralization in the pursuit of good

work. The American Journal of Education, 118 (1). DOI 10.1086/662010

Shapiro, S. (2010). Revisiting the teacher’s lounge: Reflections on emotional experience and

teacher identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26 (3): 616-621. Retrieved from

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.09.009