The Hierarchy of Discipline, Part 1

HIERARCHY OF DISCIPLINE

This assumes that you already have very clear expectations of student behavior. If your classroom rules and standards of behavior are not clear, you will need to take time to clarify them. If you have to clarify your class rules constantly, you ought to reconsider how they are presented.

The hierarchy is not necessarily an order of protocol. Some of the middle (“Occasional”) strategies may be the sorts of things you’ll use at the beginning of the semester so that you can relax and use “the look” the rest of the semester.

With each disciplinary strategy, I include if you should use it frequently, occasionally, rarely, or never.

FREQUENT:

Wait for silence/order

A glance (make sure they know you’re looking around)

The “look” (steady look at the misbehaving student until the misbehavior ends)

Small gestures (pantomime)

“Be quiet,” “Take off your hat,” “Take out your earphones,” “Yes,” “No”

Say the student’s name, then gesture

Brief, quiet verbal instruction (always use polite expressions)

“Please be seated,” “Please be silent,” “Please don’t talk while I’m talking”

Brief, quiet verbal reproof

“Please don’t use that language,” “Please don’t talk while others talk”

Have behavior reflected in the “Cooperation” and “Work Habits” grades

Honest praise

Positive phone calls home through Teleparent or personal calls

OCCASIONAL:

Louder instruction or reproof

Give explicit correction of behavior

i.e., “When you come into a class late, be silent, be seated and wait to find out

what’s happening”

Talk to student privately (be sure to be chaperoned; don’t be in a room alone)

Talk to student in a small group

Brief detention

Brief detention with consequence

i.e., pick up paper if student has thrown paper during class

Longer detention (less than 15 minutes after school)

Phone call home by Teleparent

Phone call home, personal

One hour detention

Multiple detentions of one hour each

Parent conference

Parent conference with student present

RARE:

Do nothing. (See yesterday’s email.)

Add to or deduct from the academic grade for disciplinary reasons

i.e., zeros for truancy, plagiarism, cheating; deductions for tardies

Openly reprove a student in front of the whole class (this easily backfires)

Yell (only do this if a student is in immediate danger or very far away)

Have parents attend class with student

Referral to counselor

Referral to deans

Suspension from class (See yesterday’s email)

EXTREMELY RARE AND DIFFICULT

(Cannot be done unilaterally or by demand)

Transfer student out of class for disciplinary purposes

Suspend student from school

Expel student from school

Have student arrested

NEVER:

Engage in a public argument with a student

(reasonable academic debate, however, is acceptable)

Show up at student’s house unannounced or uninvited

Lose your temper

Throw things

Strike a student

Swear

Act childish

Demean a student

Press students on personal matters that they are unwilling to disclose

Be in a room alone with a student

Do more than necessary

AVOID:

Showing your feelings about students or their behavior, except to show honest pleasure in their success.