DISCIPLINE

CREATING A CARING AND

RESPONSIBLE CLASSROOM COMMUNITY

Each school may have a specific discipline plan for their teachers to follow. Students usually know the plan, steps, and consequences. Some can push until they reach the last step before the office. NO MATTER WHAT PLAN YOU USE..

1. Teach the plan

2. Practice the plan - Model the plan

3. Be fair and consistent

4. Follow through with the consequence

Students need guidelines. However, they must buy into the plan and have ownership. Students can work together and make the classroom rules as a group. I don't believe in rewarding, rewarding, rewarding for the slightest effort. They need to feel they have really earned something. The goal is to make this reward system intrinsic. They need to overcome the "gold star addiction" (Avery). Too much becomes meaningless.. too little begs for attention. You have to find the balance.

If you are a new teacher, this book may be of interest to you. Click on the book title to review the title at Amazon.

SUGGESTIONS FOR CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR PLANS

1. KNOTS ON A ROPE -Each student has a rope (based on the story, Knots on a Counting Rope). For infractions, they make a knot on the rope or a circle dot sticker is wrapped on the rope. Specify the number of knots and their consequences.

2. STICKS - Each student receives a specified number of sticks (I use five). They write their names on the sticks. Use library pockets and glue the pockets, one for each student, on poster board. Write their names on the pockets. If they lose a stick, place the sticks in the pocket with their name.

3. STICKER PADS/BOOKS- At the beginning of the year each student receives a sticker book. I use construction paper that is laminated and folded, "hamburger style". Inside the book, a new sticker page is placed each month. Students gain stickers when they are caught following rules, being good, the class gets a compliment, etc. I prefer the positive reinforcement rather than the negative.

4. MARBLE JAR- Since my theme is around Winnie the Pooh, I use a jar decorated as the honey jar. A cookie jar works well, also. Marbles are used to fill the jar for positive behavior as a class. This helps build community and focuses on positive behaviors. When the class is following directions, listening, gets a compliment, etc they get a specified number of marbles. For example, if a teacher comments about their quiet line they get two marbles, everyone listened during circle time, one marble. When the honey jar is full, then there is a reward. I base the rewards on a month-to-month basis based on themes.

5. COMMUNITY BASED EXPECTATIONS: During the first week of first grade, I spend a great deal of time working with students in developing a classroom community. We begin by writing about our hopes and dreams for the year. I write each person's dictated hope on chart paper. This takes two to three days. When the chart is completed, I cut the charted sentences and give each student their sentence. They copy the sentence and illustrate their personal hope and dream. During the next few weeks, we talk about the hopes and dreams that each person had referring to their illustrated pages. Then, we list ideas that would help each person achieve their goals. The list is then grouped into categories (listen to each other, etc) and we publish our final list of behavior expectations that foster a successful year. The final steps involve discussion issues where problems arise when we make choices that are not aligned with our list of behavior expectations. The entire process takes four to six weeks. Incorporate literature that can springboard the topic of the day. This ritual is part of our daily morning meeting and writing activity. For more information about developing a classroom community, teaching children to care, visit the Responsive Classroom's web site. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org

GREAT RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS

Whether you are a recent member or a seasoned star of the teaching profession, you may want to get your hands on this book. The First Six Weeks of School is from the Responsive Classroom (Northeast Foundation for Children, Greenfield, MA). The book will support your efforts in developing a classroom community, routines, procedures, and rules. The content is appropriate for teachers K-8. The authors have made the book user friendly. Each of the 6-weeks has a plan for Morning Meeting and classroom activities in lesson-plan format. To review this book, click on the book cover for a direct link to Amazon.