Essential Teaching Skills - Discipline (Kyriacou 2007:83-104)

Notes on Discipline - Essential Teaching Skills (p83-104)

Discipline = classroom order which permits pupil learning.

> Involves establishing a clear framework to manage pupils' behaviour constructively and to promote pupils' self-control and independence, and requires student teachers to be able to use a range of behaviour management strategies.

Skilful + Effective teaching → Management of behaviour

♡ If learning activities are well planned and prepared; and presentation elicits and maintains pupil's attention, interest and involvement; and if the activities are challenging and offer realistic opportunities for success; then the necessary order will be established as part of these qualities.

HOWEVER, even the most skilful teacher will have to deal with misbehaviour.

Dominating and engendering fear - NOT good.

CONVENTIONS, ROUTINES and EXPECTATIONS - Pupil/Teacher/School ethos

Mutual Respect and Rapport.

Teachers' task is to make it as easy as possible for pupils to sustain good behaviour.

Causes of misbehaviour include: boredom, prolonged mental effort, inability to do the work, being sociable, academic self-esteem, emotional difficulties, poor attitudes, worries and anxieties, and lack of negative consequences.

Captive audience → coerced to participate → tension + frustration ∴ great sensitivity required

Assert authority via management of learning rather than as a power relationship. 

USEFUL ANALOGY → Tour Guide. One obeys instructions about where/when to go & what to do because of trust and expectations.  This relies on expertise and skills.

• convey status - act appropriately (relaxed, self-assured, confident - tone of voice, posture, facial expression, eye contact);
• teach competently - knowledgeable, interested, lessons well planned and prepared, manner.  Being taught competently can engender a feeling of pride and self-respect, and affirms a sense of worth and importance;
• exercise managerial control - prompt starts, keep them involved, transitions, rules, routines. Smith and Laslett (1992:3-12) 'Get them in, get them out, get on with it, and get on with them!';
• deal with misbehaviour effectively - well-thought out rertoire of techniques.

 Wragg (2005:24) Eleven classroom rules explicitly stated by teachers:

1. No talking when teacher is talking (public situation).
2. No disruptive noises.
3. Rules for entering, leaving and moving in classrooms.
4. No interference with the work of others.
5. Work must be completed in a specified way.
6. Pupils must raise hand to answer, not shout out.
7. Pupils must make a positive effort in their work.
8. Pupils must not challenge the authority of the teacher.
9. Respect should be shown for property and equipment.
10. Rules to do with safety.
11. Pupils must ask if they do not understand.

Wagg also found that primary teachers were generally characterised by a friendly smile, business-like manner and benign firmness, whereas secondary school teachers are more aggressively assertive.

Misbehaviour: Prevention is better than cure!

Careful monitoring → misbehaviour nipped in bud.

Investigating and Counselling

Choice to investigate or reprimand misbehaviour.

Effective counselling → allow pupil to do most of the talking.

Pastoral care - general behaviour and attitudes, personal and social development.
Be alert to behaviour giving cuase for concern that may not undermine discipline or be considered misbehaviour e.g. excessive shyness, working slowly, day-dreaming, inattentiveness, unwillingness to participate. These could be signs of PERSONAL PROBLEMS (bullying/illness).
→ GIRFEC
→ SEN

Reprimands

Reprimand = an explicit verbal warning or comment which indicates disapproval of misbehaviour.

Skilful and effective use:

• Target correctly;
• Be firm - tone and content;
• Express concern;
• Avoid danger → undermines positive classroom climate;
• Emphasise what is requires;
• Maintain psychological impact;
• Avoid confrontations;
• Criticise the behaviour not the pupil;
• Use private rather than public reprimands;
• Be pre-emptive;
• State rules and rationale;
• Avoid making hostile remarks - avoid deprecating remarks → disaffection/alienation; 
• Avoid unfair comparisons - 'Your sister's work....' / stereotypes;
• Be consistent;
• Do not make empty threats.  Explicitly stated consequences → maintain credibility;
• Avoid reprimanding the whole class - used as last straw.  Try discussing with whole class;
• Make an example.

Reprimands → the oil to the engine (a few drops!)

Punishment

Misbehaviour consists - punishments may be effective.

Punishment = a formal action which the pupil is intended to experience as unpleasant, as a means of helping the pupil to behave appropriately in the future.

Formal & unpleasant :/

Three main purposes:

• Retribution - justice requires wrongdoing to be followed by punishment;
• Deterrence
• Rehabilitation - the most important!!!

p92.

References

Smith and Laslett (1992) Effective Classroom Management: A teacher's guide

Wragg, E.C. (2005) Art and Science of Teaching and Learning