CHALIMBANA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

NAMES: JOHN MALINDA KAKOMA

STUDENT NUMBER: 2104132708

COURSE: ETHICS, MORALS AND VALUES IN EDUCATION

COURSE CODE: EDU 1301

STUDENT CONTACT: 0968194732

johnk@tujatane.com or malindakakoma74@yahoo.com

LECTURER: MWANAMWALYE M

ASSIGNMENT: 01

DUE DATE: 23RD JANUARY, 2022

QUESTION:
School discipline and behavior management are pressing issues in education.
With this backdrop, outline the various techniques teachers can employ to
foster comprehensive discipline. Further, with practical examples, elaborate
how you as a teacher you help pupils develop self-discipline.
INTRODUCTION
The problems of the behavior of learners in schools have, for years, been a major issue and concern for
teachers, administrators and parents. Teachers and school administrators have been confronted on a daily
basis, with unacceptable learner behaviour and threatening situations which calls for school discipline and
behaviour management strategies. Positive discipline in schools involves the maintenance of a climate that is
highly conducive to both immediate and future learning. Discipline, according to Adesina (2009), is readiness
or ability to respect authority and observe conventional or established laws of the society or any other
organisation. In this context, discipline can therefore be defined as the means by which children are trained in
orderliness, good conduct and the habit of getting the best out of themselves. Schools, therefore, have an
important task to teach children to differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Behaviour
problems in a classroom or school increase the stress levels for both the teacher and pupils, disrupt the flow of
lessons and conflict with both learning objectives and the processes of learning. This requires effective
management of behaviour.

TECHNIQUES FOR FOSTERING COMPREHENSIVE DISCIPLINE

According to the Elton Report (1989), it was estimated that in the United Kingdom 80% of disruptive
behaviour was attributable “to poor classroom organization, planning and teaching”. Strategies to manage or
change behaviour in schools are many and can involve school-wide, classroom-based or individual child-
focused interventions;
Ripple effect: The “Ripple Effect” strategy helps students systematically and visually dissect what happened
and readily shows them where in the unfolding of the situation they could have said or done something
differently, resulting in a more favorable outcome. While it’s too late to undo what has already happened, this
strategy shows students how their behavior affects others and how others’ behavior affects them, causing the
ripples to grow wider and wider.
Direct Instruction: Uncertainty increases the level of excitement in the classroom. The technique of direct
instruction is to begin each class by telling the students exactly what will be happening. The teacher outlines
what he and the students will be doing this period. He may set time limits for some tasks. The teacher should
be more willing to wait for class attention when he knows there is extra time to meet his goals.
Monitoring: The key to this principle is to circulate. Get up and get around the room. As a teacher as your
students are working, make the rounds. Check on their progress. An effective teacher will make a pass
through the whole room about two minutes after the students have started a written assignment. Students who
are not yet quite on task will be quick to get going as they see her approach. Those that were distracted or
slow to get started can be nudged along.
Modeling: McDaniel tells us of a saying that goes “Values are caught, not taught.” Teachers who are
courteous, prompt, enthusiastic, in control, patient and organised provide examples for their students through
their own behavior. The “do as I say, not as I do” teachers send mixed messages that confuse students and
invite misbehavior.
Positive Discipline: Use classroom rules that describe the behaviors you want instead of listing things the
learners cannot do. Instead of “no-running in the room,” use “move through the building in an orderly
manner.” Instead of “no fighting’’ use “settle conflicts appropriately.” Instead of “no gum chewing,” use

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“leave gum at home.” Refer to your rules as expectations. Learners should be made to fully understand what it
looks like to participate in positive behaviour management. Learners will learn to be responsible managers of
their behaviour by seeing others do what is expected.
Plan and Organize: Ensure that there is a routine and a rhythm in the classroom. This way, the students
know what to expect from the class and what is expected out of them. If there is no legitimate planning and
proper organization in your classroom, learners will feel exhausted and would begin to act mischievously.
You will see that classroom management is easy and better when the lessons are appropriately planned
when you have everything that you need for the class beforehand.
Establish Proper Procedures in Place: The school should have a decent control procedure to keep the
students in check. Proper code of conduct, rules, and regulations must be followed. Here, one thing that
schools should keep in mind is to strike the right balance. You don’t have to be too strict because there’s a
chance of students becoming rebellious and that’s the last thing that you need.
Explain the rules: Next to establishing the right procedures, the most important thing is to communicate
the procedure to your students. They must know what is expected out of them so that they can do it
accordingly. Conduct orientation classes, explain the rules and regulations, and how you expect them to
behave within the classroom, within the school, and as a responsible adult. Do not patronize the students.
Practice what you preach: The teachers, staff, management, everyone within the school must practice the
code of conduct that has been established by the school. The learners usually look up to their teachers and
elders. So, if there is a rule that says no phones in the classroom, the teachers should also refrain from
taking phones to the classroom.
Establish a connection with your students: When you create a good rapport with your students, they will
be more disciplined and understanding. Mutual respect will help in bringing about harmony in your
classroom and school at large.
Reward good behavior: When you reward good behavior in the classroom, you are encouraging other
students to behave better. They would put in an effort to become a better student and to be disciplined. You
can create a chart, reward them with stars, and in higher classes, you can change the rewards accordingly.
Make ample use of praise. When you see good behavior, acknowledge it. This can be done verbally, of
course, but it doesn’t have to be. A nod, a smile or a “thumbs up” will reinforce the behavior.

Be fair: As a teacher, you should not be prejudiced or biased, you have to be fair. It is okay to have
favorites but do not be evident about it. You should not involve favoritism while grading papers and
assignments. Be fair and ensure your students that efforts and growth matters and failures are just a stepping
stone to success.
Be optimistic: Having a positive attitude can help with discipline in school. The students must not feel
hostile in the classroom. They must feel at ease and that they have a room for expressing themselves. Being
a positive teacher will help you to achieve this in the classroom.
HELPING TO DEVELOP SELF - DISCIPLINE IN PUPILS
George Bear, (2005), states that ‘’Self-discipline refers to assuming social and moral responsibility for
one’s own actions, and doing so under one’s own volition (i.e., not solely out of fear of punishment or to
gain external rewards)’’.Self-discipline is, therefore, the ability to act in your own long term best interest, to

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calm yourself when you are upset and to cheer yourself up when you are sad as well as to adhere to the
agreed or expected rules. Our learners may know what to do, but lack the self-regulation skills to always act
appropriately. Learners who fail to regulate their thoughts, emotions and behaviours find it difficult to make
and keep friends, relate to others, organise their school work and express their feelings in appropriate ways.
Therefore as a teacher, I have the responsibility to help learners develop self – discipline by teaching them
how to express their feelings in appropriate ways, to consider the consequences of their actions and how to
develop positive relationships. This is crucial for strong learner achievement. I will therefore, help my
learners to develop self-discipline in the following ways;
Involving learners in decision making: Research shows that high schools that have fewer behavior
problems have students who think that the school rules are clear, fair, and not overly harsh (Arum, 2003).As
a teacher at my school, I do involve learners in making decisions on class rules and activities as learners are
more likely to think that rules are fair when they participate in their development and agree to them .
Involving parents: It is important to work under the assumption that families generally want what is best
for their children and want to work cooperatively with the school. This was the view by Christenson and
Sheridan, (2001). As a class teacher, I do involve parents on not just academic matters but also on fostering
self-discipline in a child. Involving parents is a great way to form stronger home-school partnerships and to
give parents tools to incorporate similar discipline strategies within the home. Research shows that the
majority of adolescents believe that parental involvement is needed in their schools (O’Connors and
Epstein, 1994).
Model qualities: Learning to solve problems and behave appropriately is reinforced when adults model
effective thinking skills and related emotions (e.g., empathy, pride, and regulation of anger). As a teachers I
always reflect on the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors I do not desire in my learners (such as bullying
others and displaying anger towards them) and how they might be modelling these inadvertently.
Individualized education plans (IEP): In line with the Ontario Ministry of Education (2004), learners
have different temperaments and personalities, and some require more supervision, guidance, and patience
than others. Accept that some students will have strengths where others don’t, and don’t treat them as a
homogenous group. Differentiated learning can help students identify how they learn best thus creating self
– esteem and discipline. I have always developed IEPs for my learners especially the low achievers. Work
is prepared for them separately from high achievers according to each learner’s pace and strength on
academic as well behavior matters. This does not only help learners improve academically but does boost
their self-confidence and self-discipline. When students feel like their needs aren’t being met in the
classroom, they may feel like they’re not welcome.
Be calm, firm, and fair: During contact time with my learners, I do monitor my own mood and try not to
demonstrate excessive anger towards the learners for inappropriate behaviour. Anger tends to interfere with
a teacher’s ability to convey to learners why the behavior is inappropriate. It also can reinforce the message
that anger—as well as aggression if my anger is accompanied by corporal punishment—is an appropriate
response to a stressful situation. Always focus on why the behavior is wrong, not on how the student is
“bad.” This sends a message to learners and many will soon begin to adopt the teacher’s way of handling
inappropriate behaviour.

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Model self-regulation by telling students how you feel and what you will do about it e.g. ’I am feeling
angry right now, so I am going to walk away and talk about this later’ or ‘I am feeling upset now, so I will
take a deep breath’.
Personal Interest in every learner: Discover each student’s strengths, interests, favorite sports, hobbies,
television shows, books, family background, etc., and refer to this information during daily discourse with
the individual student and the class. I do achieve this as a teacher by asking learners to develop an
autobiography in which they profile their backgrounds, achievements, hobbies, and future goals. I do
demonstrate sincere concern and strong support for learners during times of need and hardship. Learners are
encouraged to do the same with their peers. This has greatly helped learners to be self-discipline.
Consistently demonstrate respect, acceptance, and care toward all learners: When addressing
misbehaviour, the message should be that although the student’s misbehavior is unacceptable, the student is
always acceptable and worthwhile. I always avoid attacks on the learner’s character and instead focus my
remarks on the learner’s behavior for instance instead of “you’re irresponsible,” I usually say “what you did
was irresponsible”. There is need to draw a distinction between learners’ feelings and their behaviors. Teach
learners that, “all feelings are okay but all behaviors are not okay.” For example, emphasize that it is “okay”
for them to feel angry, but that it is “not okay” for them to express their anger in a way that could hurt
themselves or others. Encourage learners to often express their feelings without hurting anyone simply by
telling someone how they feel. As a teacher, view each day as a new day demonstrating confidence that the
learners’ behaviour will improve. According to Brophy (1996), research shows that effective classroom
managers view every day “as a new day” and do not hold the past behaviors of students against them.

Design self-awareness lessons. Teach students how to name their feelings; identify body responses to
stressors; and understand what happens when they feel anxious, angry, upset, bored or excited. Discuss and
role play appropriate ways to manage and express their feelings.
Explicitly teach students about self-regulation using circle time activities. Have students come up with
ways to self-regulate e.g. deep breathing, walking away, count to 10, take some space, have a drink.
Practice using the strategies in simulations and role plays.
Teach students to self-monitor. For a student who has a lot of trouble self-regulating, give them
opportunities to self-monitor by taking note of when they use the strategies taught.

Use positive time out. Teach students how to use a time out space when they feel upset or need time to
calm down. Encourage students to use the space as a prevention strategy by helping them to notice when
they are beginning to show signs of stress in their bodies.

Positively reinforce students who use the strategies by giving them specific feedback about their behaviour
e.g. ‘Mary, I can see you used the strategy of walking away when you felt angry. You are learning to
manage your feelings.’

Set goals with the student who has difficulty with self-regulation e.g. ‘when I feel angry I will walk away
and take deep breaths.’ Give the student opportunities to practice the skill when they are not upset.

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Create realistic expectations: Be realistic about what your students can accomplish. While it would be
nice to see every student make achievements high above the norm, it’s just not attainable for some. At the
beginning of very first term in the year, I encourage learners to create their own set of goals and things they
would like to accomplish during the school year, and then sit down and review their lists with them. Setting
goals that are manageable and reasonable for your learners can help them with self-discipline and see how
much they’ve grown.

CONCLUSION
Discipline is necessary for effective management, if the goals of the school are to be accomplished. In an
effort to prevent and resolve students’ discipline problems and ensure efficient functioning of schools and as
such classrooms, there must be reasonable disciplinary policies and procedures. Disciplinary measures are
therefore expected to be reasonable and properly meted out to offending students on account of the offence
committed. It is expected to be moderate and commensurate with offence committed. Judgmental to
subjective behaviours as well as evaluating the disciplinary measures to interpreting the appropriate measure
to stop misbehaviour was mostly used by Teachers. Teachers start using verbal appreciation and stopped their
habit of de- motivating students. In place of punishment, they preferred to encourage those students, who were
not showing interest in classroom activities. Reflecting on students’ misbehaviour and ensuring the
appropriate measure devoid of physical pain creates a harmonious teaching-learning environment

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Bear, G. G. (2005). Developing self-discipline and preventing and correcting misbehavior. Boston: Allyn &
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