Philosophy of Discipline

Definition of Discipline: What I do, as the teacher, to address behavior that is unwanted in the

classroom, keep students engaged, on task, and progressing.

Discipline is how you keep you classroom in control, creating a safe environment for

everyone, where the facilitation of learning and growing is the main objective. As the teacher in

the classroom my main role in discipline is to model wanted and expected behavior, so students

can see that I am a part of the rules as well and they know what the rules look like. I would also

need to be fair and consistent, this let’s students know what to expect when actions occur, they

will not be able to take advantage of a teacher that is subject to letting certain students get away

with which can lead to favoritism and resentment from the students that are not being favorited.

The last part of my duties is to be kind to my students so they feel comfortable with me and the

environment they are in, this will also allow me to understand special circumstances for students

who may going through trouble and need help in certain areas of their life. Then for my students

their main duties will be to put in effort in the classroom, trying to follow the rules, being

engaged in the assignments or discussion in class, and being respectful of everyone in the

classroom, myself, themselves, and each other. I also expect them to be good collaborators,

helping each other will benefit all parties involved it will take a burden off me of always needing

to be there for every individual students and will also help students create the social bonds they

need to be healthy individuals.

In order to prevent any unwanted behavior in my classroom I would need to create a

positive climate for my students by using more positive behavioral strategies like “establishing

consistent behavioral expectations and reinforcing those expectations,” (Mitchell, & Bradshaw,

2013, p. 600). Smith (2001) finds in his experiences “the first step to being proactive is
reconsidering views about punishment and considering ways to build more positive, proactive

environments where the opportunity to misbehave is reduced” (p. 32).

To help support these positive behaviors knowing my students is important so I can

create ways to keep them on task. Creating proper engagement in the classroom for predictable

unwanted behaviors helps the teacher by “Understanding the specific contexts of problem

behavior allows rules, routines and physical arrangements to target these specific areas” (Scott,

Park, Swain-Bradway, & Landers, 2007, p. 226). Being able to talk with my students and build a

relationship will also help in supporting wanted behaviors in my classroom, according to Shin

and Ryan (2017) “the average level of student disruptive behavior was higher in classrooms with

low compared to high teacher emotional support” (p. 119).

However even with this knowledge and practices in place it is important to recognize that

unwanted behavior still might occur in a classroom so it is important to have practices in place to

redirect these unwanted behaviors. Smith (2001) once again provides great insight into what

could be done;

Chronic behavior problems that are sufficiently intense (e.g., verbal aggression or

physical aggression against people or objects), the teacher and other staff need to try to

get that behavior under control as quickly as possible. In these cases, behavioral methods

(e.g., positive reinforcement and some punishment techniques, such as time out) can be

used effectively. (p. 34)

Smith (2001) also goes on to detail what to do for minor offenses saying a good model to follow

is where a “teacher encourages the student to identify what off-task behavior looks like and
develop a goal for reducing the off-task behavior” (p. 34) doing this helps the student become

more autonomous by “teaching students how to think rather than teaching what to think” (p. 34).
 References

Mitchell, & Bradshaw. (2013). Examining classroom influences on student perceptions of school

climate: The role of classroom management and exclusionary discipline strategies.

Journal of School Psychology, 51(5), 599-610

Scott, Terrance M., Park, Kristy Lee, Swain-Bradway, Jessica, & Landers, Eric. (2007). Positive

Behavior Support in the Classroom: Facilitating Behaviorally Inclusive Learning

Environments. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 3(2), 223-

235.

Shin, Huiyoung, & Ryan, Allison M. (2017). Friend Influence on Early Adolescent Disruptive

Behavior in the Classroom: Teacher Emotional Support Matters. Developmental

Psychology, 53(1), 114-125.

Smith, Stephen W. (2001). Stephen W. Smith: Strategies for Building a Positive Classroom

Environment by Preventing Behavior Problems/ Brownell, M., & Walthe-Thomas, C.

[Transcript] Intervention in School and Clinic, 37(1), 31-35.