Written Assignment Unit 2

EDUC 5240
MODEL OF DISCIPLINE

“Concerned adults serve best when with confidence they stand and wait”. Cited from Hein, S. (n.d.). This

example shows one case where an implementation of the congruent communication model could have

positive aspect. When I was in secondary school from my junior secondary years in school I find it

difficult getting a good grade in math class its always a zero score. My maths teacher usually made fun of

me in the present of my school mates using my test, assignment and exam script as an example in front of

the classroom. I was always embarrassed and ashamed even when I liked a guy in the class my school

mate would belittle me that I am too dull to have a boyfriend. This really got to an extend of my maths

teacher drawing a face on my maths script instead of a zero. My day in school was always in a bad mood

and that affected my grade in other subjects in school but my maths teacher didn’t know how his method

of teaching has a negative influence towards my approach to learning.

Empathy could have helped me to feel better about myself and be confidence that I could solve my math

problem and not sees it as a mountain by trying to solve the problem myself. As described by Hein, S.

(n.d.). This truth can be a noxious weapon in human relationships. This case underlines the fact that this

method is the most challenging and resource demanding from the teacher to use as students are very

sensitive and not every teacher is able to practice this method successfully.

Another case where showing empathy as advised in this model could have positive result. Students where

instructed to pay their remaining tuition balance in school or they would be punished when the students

who had balance to pay comes to school, they were punished by the discipline master and school teachers

in school and some where spank by the teachers depending on how much their parents owe the school.

This ought not to be so because the children are the responsibility of the parent, they are not to received

the punishment which supposed to be given to the parent because they are the ones who delayed paying

their tuition fees. The school teachers and administrator should have taken a different method like sending

a reminder to the kids parents and given the children a written notes to give to their parents over delayed
school fees payment. The teacher should have use empathy over the student situation has most of them

would not know the reason why their school fees balance has not been paid. In this case the teacher acts

according to recognized feelings, acknowledged wishes and offered a helpful gesture (Hein, n.d ).

One negative aspect of this model is it’s high demand of teacher specialization and experience, as Haim

Ginot the developer of this theory is a clinical psychologist as described in his biography by Helmut E.

Adler (2007), and his approach requires very substantial training in child psychology. “Acknowledging

experience and reflecting feelings are helpful interpersonal skills. However, they are not tricks or

gimmicks. Nor can they be used mechanically. They are helpful only within a context of concern and

respect” by Hein, S. (n.d.).

In one case A teacher dimmed the lights in her class and typed in the keyboard a text about how she is

disappointed about the student’s behavior, this experience felt awkward to the students and didn’t achieve

it result.

Another negative aspect of this model is its high demand of time resources from the teacher, assuming the

teacher teaches a class as a substitute teacher he cannot be expected to foster relationships with every

student in a short period of time to be able to practice the congruent communication model successfully,

the same can be said if there is a very big class of 50 students. In this case the middle discipline model is

more effective as it is more universal and gives practical tools to deal with the situation immediately

without the need to have enough intimacy with every disruptive student to be able to talk to him on an

emotional level, as the low control model suggests to do (Delisio, E.R., 2008).

LINDA ALBERT/COOPERATIVE DISCIPLINE

A positive aspect in the middle control model is it’s use of practical tools to solve a situation; it can be

seen in the following situation. In a computer laboratory, a student tells the teacher to “shut up” when the

teacher was giving instructions gives the teacher practical way to harmonize the situation, the teacher

should identify this behavior as a power seeking. According to the cooperative discipline theory as

described by Charles, C. M. (2007) the teacher should have stated what happened, “you are telling me to

shut up, but how will you understand what to do?” while staying in emotional control. It is also suggested
for a serious misbehavior to use consequences, in this case the teacher could ask the student to seat in his

chair and not participate in the group activity reasoning that if the student don’t know the instructions so it

will be not safe for him to work with the group. In that way the teacher would have acted according to the

Three R’s Principle of reasonable, related, respectful and reliably enforced.

Another positive aspect of the middle control model can be materialized in a big class where there are no

serious disruptions but some students are not participating in the class, The teacher’s job is to help the

students to feel belong by supporting them to connect, contribute and feel capable according Three C’s

principles, as described by Charles, C. M. (2007), he can do so by creatin specialized group activities to

achieve this goal. Rather than sharing his feelings as a teacher trying to implement low-control model

could do, because this could reinforce their misbehaving. A behavior that is noticed is reinforced as

described by Mather, N. & Goldstein, S. (2001). A negative aspect of the middle control way can be

defined by a situation when the students’ misbehavior comes with the student from outside the class and

thus cannot be explained by the need to belong. For example, a student throws his book to the floor in the

middle of the class. In this case it is better to use the low control model, “You really don’t want to be here

aren’t you?” Asks the teacher, the teacher than say:” It feels good to throw the book on the floor, but it is

not it’s place, it can be only on the table”. In this way the teacher doesn’t give direct command to the

student, as no one loves to be bossed, he just gives the student a choice which he can choose to fulfill

(Charles, C. M. 2007).

I feel that the Medium-Teacher Control model is the best approach for my teaching philosophy. In my

teaching I rely a lot on body language, so if I see that there are many students who are not participating in

the class, I take this as a signal that this is a good time to connect them by doing a group activity. When I

see a student that is seeking attention by talking to his friends, I incorporate him into the class by giving

him a task where he can contribute such as noting the teams’ score on the board during competition. When

I notice a student who is not participating, I ask him a question and help him to make him feel capable.

In my country there are a lot of circumstances that can affects a child competence in the classroom and so

applying this techniques can be quite difficult for the students to respond to at the early stage but I think
with patience and consistency the students would gradually adopt to it. A Nigeria student is affect by his

culture, his religion, his family background and attitude and his upbringing among others. His respond in

the classroom either positive or negatives comes down to the facts of the factors affecting his upbringing.

So a teacher needs not just the low control models as described by (Jane 2003) they also need the medium

control model which gives more tools also require less direct communication on an emotional level and

can overcome not only cultural barriers but the other factors or barriers that can affects a student learning

process.

References:

Charles, C. M. (2007). Chapter 12: Linda Albert’s cooperative discipline. In Building Classroom

Management, 9th ed. (chapter 12). Retrieved from

http://faculty.washington.edu/cadavis1/503%20Readings/AlbertChapter.pdf

Delisio, E.R. (2008). Practicing Love & Logic can mean happier schools. Retrieved

from http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin536.shtml

Hein, S. (n.d.). Notes from Haim Ginott's books. Retrieved from https://eqi.org/ginott.htm

Helmut E. Adler (2007), Ginott, Haim G. Gale E-books. Retrieved from: https://cd20241m7-

mp01ygogalecom.proxy.lirn.net/ps/i.do?

p=GVRL&u=lirn17237&id=GALECX2587507329&v=2.1&it=r&sid=sru

Jane E. Brody(2003). Well-Chosen Words Point Children to Right Track. Gale health and wellness.

Retrieved from: https://cd20241oo-mp01-y-https-go-gale-com.proxy.lirn.net/ps/i.do?

p=HWRC&u=lirn17237&id=GALE|A111290927&v=2.1&it=r&sid=sru

Mather, N. & Goldstein, S. (2001). Behavior modification in the classroom. Retrieved

from http://www.ldonline.org/article/6030