TeacherMatters

 Creating a Discipline Plan

Discipline and classroom management is probably the most taxing aspect of a teacher's role. Make no mistake about it; our job, our craft, is not merely teaching curriculum content (literacy, numeracy, science, art, etc.), it is managing a group of disparate individuals so that learning can take place. The better part of our teaching role is to lead, guide, direct and enable students to govern their behaviour so that each student can cope with, even enjoy, their life within the social mix called school.

Discipline is essential if students are going to learn unhampered by annoying, aggravating or hostile disruptions. When discipline is effective the teacher is enabling the maximum enjoyment of due rights by all (including the teachers fundamental right to teach) by enabling students' due responsibilities, ­no mean feat.

No matter what approach you use to develop your own discipline plan, there are elements common to all discipline plans. The need for consistent feedback. Clear, consistent feedback keeps students aware of the borderline between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and helps students understand the teacher's expectations for behaviour. Consistent feedback also serves to establish a positive and cooperative atmosphere in the classroom.

Classroom rules are an essential part of any discipline plan, an example is how Rogers bases his discipline plan on "You know the fair rule". If you already have classroom rules make sure that they are stated positively and that students understand them. If you have not formulated any classroom rules as yet, this section contains guidelines that will help you.

Before you start to formulate a discipline plan, it is important to consider that each classroom situation may be different from one another, each day may present different problems, a strategy that worked yesterday might not work today. It is a matter of developing a series of strategies that you can draw from.

Information contained within section has been designed to help you develop your own personalized discipline plan. The information provided in this section is designed as a guide only and may be applied to situations other than the ones given here.