Classroom and General Discipline

Discipline is defined as the practice of teaching others to obey rules or norms to correct unwanted
behaviours. In a classroom, a teacher uses discipline to ensure routine is maintained, school rules
are enforced, and the students are in a safe learning environment. The goal of using discipline is to
teach students boundaries and limits to help students achieve personal and academic life goals.
Classroom Discipline is the business of enforcing classroom standards and building patterns of
cooperation in order to minimize disruptions and maximize learning
Importance
1. Being focused: Being disciplined helps one stay focused towards his work, activities or goals.
A person with strong goals are more focused and keep up to work on time in everyday life.

2. Respected by others: Discipline helps command respect from others. Many people struggle to
gain respect from others in the workplace. But the easiest way to get respect is to be disciplined.
People around and also the sub-ordinates respect a person who is disciplined.
 3. Stay healthy: Disciplined life includes regular habits like taking food, having a bath,
exercise, walking and sleeping at right time. Exercise and other regular habits will tune the body
and mind so well that always the person remains healthy.
4. Stay active: Discipline is a way of a positive outlook to life. There are enthusiasm and self-
confidence from within. So it keeps one active and not lazy instead.
5. Self-control: A person with self-discipline has more self-control over himself. He is careful in
his use of words while talking, his behaviour etc. avoiding himself from being entangled in silly
problems.
6. Better academic performance: Discipline in education is very important for better education.
Education is incomplete without learning discipline. Classroom discipline helps students to listen
to teachings well and also cover the entire syllabus.
7. Get things done & be happy: Being disciplined helps get things done faster and at the right
time. Though some things happen late due to other factors, still one with discipline gets them done
faster than others due to his self-discipline like being on time.
8. Have more time in a day: A disciplined person have more time in a day than an undisciplined
person. So more time means there is more chance to do extra works or other pending works. We
can overcome procrastination and laziness in work.
9. Stay stress or tension free: One has tension during competitive exams or daily routine work.
This is internal anxiety or unknown fear about the outcome of the work. Staying disciplined helps
one study well in advance and not just before exams so he remains tension free.

10. Engages students:  Students who are engaged in lessons and the learning material will be
able to register the information better and be able to apply their knowledge when it comes to test
taking.

11. Keeps students prepared:  When teachers and students are prepared to learn, lessons and
learning will be easier to be administered and the results will be more effective.
12. Boosts confidence:  In an effective classroom, teachers are able to give more attention to
each student and structure lesson plans to meet certain needs.  All of these factors will help in
boosting the confidence of students.

13. Effective Teaching: Classroom discipline strategies help create an organized classroom
environment that's conducive to teaching. Kids know the expectations in different types of
learning situations. For example, kids would know that when working in small groups, they talk in
quiet voices and take turns talking. They might each have a specific job within the group.

14. Efficient Use of Time: Taking time before school starts to create routines and procedures
saves you time in the long run. The students know they get their planners out, write in homework
assignments and gather all of their materials at the end of the day.

15. Consistency: A teacher with strong classroom discipline creates consistency for his students.
The kids know what to expect every day when it comes to the routine activities. The students will
hear those words throughout the school and know that the expectations are the same anywhere in
the building.

16. Fewer Behaviour Problems: The main goal of classroom discipline is to reduce misbehaviour
in the classroom.

Strategies

1.Have rules:  It is important to have a basic set of rules for students to follow.  These
regulations will help maintain classroom management and discipline.  These rules do not have
to be anything advanced; they can be as simple as making sure that all students adhere to timely
attendance and making sure that everyone knows the consequences of missing or late
assignments.

2.Have expectations:  Start out the day with explaining what you expect from your students and
how they are expected to behave.  Be detailed and positive.

3.Make students aware of the rules:  Every school has its own disciplinary rules that students
should be expected to flow.  Make sure that your students are aware of the rules and the
consequences if the rules are not adhered to.

4.Make the rules known to parents as well:  Student’s parents should also be aware of the
management techniques that you are implementing in the classroom. 

5.Review rules regularly:  The thing with children is that you need to be consistent.  Remind
your students regularly about the rules and expectations for their behaviour to aid in proper
classroom management. 

6.Be firm and consistent.  Approach the rules in a positive manner so that students do not
associate any negativity with it. 

7. Be professional:  Students who are presented with a good authority figure who has a plan and
follows it will fit in to the structure nicely.
8. Deal with troublemakers:  Early detection and dealing with these types of students will make
the rest of the classroom know that you mean business.

9. Helping students to govern their own behaviour in ways that help them learn is a longstanding
goal of all teachers. There are a number of ways that a teacher can promote good discipline in the
classroom.

10. Know school guidelines for discipline procedures.

11. Be fair, positive and consistent. Be the kind of person young people can like and trust—firm,
fair, friendly, courteous, enthusiastic and confident. Keep your sense of humour.

12. Keep your classroom orderly. Maintain a cheerful and attractive classroom rather than a
disorderly one which might encourage disruptive behaviour.

13. Treat students with the same respect you expect from them; keep confidences.

14. Learn the meaning of terms, especially slang, used by students.

15. Begin class on time and in a professional manner.

16. Make learning fun. Make education interesting and relevant to the students’ lives. Poor
planning and a full curriculum can provoke disruptions.

17. Praise good work, good responses and good behaviour.

18. Don’t threaten or use sarcasm. Never use threats to enforce discipline. Never humiliate a child.

19. Avoid arguing with students. Discussions about class work are invaluable, but arguments can
become emotional encounters.

20. Keep rules simple. Establish as few classroom rules as possible, and keep them simple.