Dealing with discipline problems.

What ideas are in your opinion comprised in the word discipline?

Respect – order – rules – authority – responsibility –

uninterested – communication (lack of)- internal problems
– control – attention - behaviour -

Penny Ur’s cloud

Control - agree -rewards – respect -

norms -obey – authoritarian -contract –
accept – routine – smooth – power –
consistent – efficient – responsibility –
punishments – behaviour – authority –
authoritative - cooperation

A possible definition of discipline: u

Classroom discipline is a state in which both teacher and students accept and
consistently observe a set of rules about behaviour in the classroom whose function
is to facilitate smooth and efficient teaching and learning in the classroom.
Now imagine an ideally disciplined classroom.
What do you think characterizes a disciplined classroom? Why?
Look at the following statements and choose the most and least relevant and the
ones you are uncertain about.

Possible characteristics of the disciplined classroom

1. Learning is taking place. response
2. It is quiet.
3. The teacher is in control. Poise
4. Teacher and students are cooperating smoothly.
5. Students are motivated.
6. The lesson is proceeding according to plan.
7. Teacher and students are aiming for the same objective.
8. The teacher has natural “charismatic” authority.

What teacher action is conducive to a disciplined classroom?

Some important factors that contribute to classroom discipline and are potentially within
the control of, or influenced by the teacher are:

 Classroom management
 Methodology
 Interpersonal relationships
 Lesson planning
 Student motivation
 Teachers have a natural authority

Have a look at the hints for teachers. Pick out at least one example that has to do with each
of the factors mentioned above.
Practical Hints for teachers on classroom discipline

1- Start by being firm with you students, you can relax later.
2- Get silence before you start speaking to the class.
3- Know and use your students’ names.
4- Prepare lessons thoroughly and structure them firmly.
5- Be mobile: walk around the class.
6- Start your lesson with a bang and sustain interest and curiosity.
7- Speak clearly.
8- Make sure your instructions are clear.
9- Have extra material prepared (fast finishers)
10- Look at the class when speaking. Learn how to scan.
11- Make work appropriate (age, level. Cultural background)
12- Develop an effective questioning technique.
13- Develop the art of timing your lesson to fit the available period.
14- Vary your teaching techniques.
15- Anticipate discipline problems and act quickly.
16- Avoid confrontation.
17- Clarify fixed rules and standards and be consistent in applying them.
18- Show yourself as supporter and helper to students.
19- Don’t patronize students, treat them with respect.
20- Use humour constructively.
21- Choose topics and tasks that will activate students.
22- Be warm and friendly to the students. FIRM
 Advice on dealing with discipline problems
SLOGAN: do something.
BEFORE PROBLEM ARISES:

Plan and organize your lesson carefully

Make sure instructions are clear, assertive, brief.
Keep in touch with what is going on.

WHEN PROBLEM IS BEGINNING SLOGAN: prevention is better than cure

Deal with the problem quietly; prevent escalation.
Keep you cool, don’t take things personally.
Don’t use threats unless you are prepared to implement them.

WHEN PROBLEM HAS EXPLODED

SLOGAN: Act quickly- don’t argue
Explode yourself: loud and assertive command
Give in
Make them an offer they can’t refuse (postponement, arbitration, compromise)

Maintaining Discipline (Gower)

 You are punctual.
 You are well prepared for the lesson.
 You return homework promptly.
 You do what you say you are going
to do
 You treat people consistently and
fairly.
 Try not to let your personal feelings about
individual students influence the way you
treat them as members of the group.
 You don’t ignore problems.
 You never make threats you are not able or
prepared to carry out
 You never lose your temper

 Bibliography:
- Teaching Practice Handbook. Roger Gower and Diane Philips. Chapter2
- A Course in Language Teaching. Penny Ur. Chapter 18
 Episodes: Discipline problems

Episode 1
The teacher is explaining a story. Many of the students are inattentive, and there is a murmur of
quiet talk between them. The teacher disregards the noise and speaks to those who are
listening. Finally, she reproaches, in a gentle and sympathetic way, one student who is talking
particularly noticeably. The student stops talking for a minute or two, then carries on. This
happens once or twice more, with different students. The teacher does not get angry and
continues to explain, trying with partial success to draw students’ attention through occasional
questions.

Episode 2
The teacher has prepared a worksheet and is explaining how to do it. He has extended his
explanation to the point where, John, having lost interest in the teachers’ words, begins to tap a
ruler on his desk. At first the tapping is occasional and not too noticeable, but John begins to tap
more frequently and more noisily, building up to a final climax when he hits the table with a
very loud bang. The class startled by the noise, falls silent, and looks at both John and the
teacher to see what will happen.

Episode 3
The teacher begins by giving out classroom books and collecting homework books.
Teacher: This book is very thin.
Boy 1: Yes, it is, isn’t it?
Teacher: Why?
Boy 1: I’ve been drawing in it.
Boy 2: He has been using it for toilette paper, sir.