| 1. Good classroom discipline starts with | | | | before confronting him or her. |
| being fair. Make sure that all students get | | | | |
| the same punishment for doing something wrong | | | | 7. Classroom discipline does not need to |
| - even if it is your best student. | | | | interfere with your classroom teaching. You |
| Conversely, make sure that all of your | | | | want to deal with classroom disruptions as |
| students get equally rewarded for good work. | | | | quickly and smoothly as you can - you do not |
| Do not favor a student - other students will | | | | want to lose your class momentum. Deal with |
| see this and resent you for it and be even | | | | disruptions immediately. |
| less likely to follow your rules. | | | | |
| | | | 8. Start your plan of classroom discipline |
| 2. Make your rules easy to understand. If | | | | out hard. As the school year goes on, you |
| you want excellent classroom discipline, make | | | | can loosen the reins a bit. Just remember |
| sure that your students understand exactly | | | | that it is much harder to start out as a |
| what is being asked of them. Do not make a | | | | softy and then try to tighten the reins - |
| list of 200 rules - no student is going to | | | | students will still act out. |
| remember all of those rules. Instead, think | | | | |
| of the rules that are most important to you | | | | 9. Do not assume that your class will need to |
| and enforce those rules. And make sure that | | | | be disciplined. Why not assume the best of |
| you make those rules very clear. | | | | your class? Do not assume that you will |
| | | | constantly need to enforce some form of |
| 3. Make your consequences easy to understand. | | | | classroom discipline or another. Have high |
| Make sure that your students know in advance | | | | expectations. Assume that your class will |
| what the consequence will be if they break | | | | behave. Then teach your students as though |
| one of your rules. Make sure that the | | | | you know they will behave - if your students |
| consequences are just as clear as the rules. | | | | believe that you think they are good |
| | | | students, maybe they will act like good |
| 4. Be Consistent with your classroom | | | | students. Self-fulfilling prophecy. |
| discipline. You need to make sure that you | | | | |
| consistently enforce your rules. Your | | | | 10. Make sure that you have enough activities |
| students are not Pavlov's dogs - the best way | | | | and lessons to fill a day. Classroom |
| to enforce a rule is to consistently have a | | | | discipline can start to get a little rocky if |
| punishment for breaking it, not just at | | | | you have too much free time that must be |
| random. | | | | filled. Avoid having free time - this is a |
| | | | time that a class can get disruptive. |
| 5. Use a little humor to enforce good | | | | |
| classroom discipline. If things are getting | | | | 11. Treat your students as individuals. Know |
| a little out of hand, it may be a good idea | | | | that what works for one student may not work |
| to throw in a little joke - there is not need | | | | for another. Just because 9 students |
| to throw in the towel. Sometimes all your | | | | understand your rules, it does not mean that |
| students need is a little humor, a little | | | | the tenth student will. Students learn in |
| fun, to get them back onto track. | | | | different ways. All students are different. |
| | | | Individuals have different needs. |
| 6. Try to avoid confronting a student in | | | | |
| front of his or her peers. You do not want | | | | 12. Use positive rules of classroom |
| your student to look bad in front of his or | | | | discipline. For instance, instead of having |
| her peers and friends - you will be resented | | | | all of your rules say what your students |
| for it. Also, every confrontation has a | | | | should not do, have rules that state what |
| winner and a loser, and if your students | | | | they should. Instead of, "Do not speak |
| think that you do not look like the winner in | | | | unless called on," say, "raise your hand if |
| a confrontation, they may not respect you as | | | | you have a question. |
| readily. Be sure to take a student aside | | | | |