12/10/03

I.     Philosophy for Discipline

I believe that teachers should insist on responsible behavior.  When teachers fail, it is typically due to poor class control.  They cannot teach and the students are being denied the opportunity to learn.  Teachers have the basic right to maintain an optimal setting for learning, expect appropriate behavior, and expect help from administration and parents when appropriate.  Students have the basic right to have teachers who will help them develop by helping them limit self-destructive and inappropriate behavior.  They should also have appropriate support from their teachers for their appropriate behavior.  In addition, students should have the right to choose how to behave with advance knowledge of the consequences that will logically and certainly follow.

II.    Classroom Rules

1.  Raise your hand to speak

2.  Raise your hand to leave your desk

3.  Keep your hands, feet, and all objects to yourself.

4.  Speak kindly to your teacher and classmates.

5.  Follow all rules and instructions from teacher.

III.    Responses to inappropriate behavior

1.  First time:  Teacher Warning

2.  Second time:  Thinking Chair (time-out)

3.  Third time:  Lose a privilege

4.  Fourth time: Parents are contacted

5.  Fifth time:  Referral is written and student is sent to the office, parents are contacted again

6.  Severe disruption:  Sent immediately to the office

IV.    Responses to positive behavior

1.  Personal attention from the teacher—greetings, short talks, compliments, acknowledgements, smiles, and friendly eye contact.

2.  Positive notes/phone calls to parents.

3.  Special rewards—from comments on papers to certificates.

4.  Special privileges—five extra minutes of a desired activity for the whole class, choose a friend with whom to work.

5.  Material rewards—posters, school pencils, popcorn.

6.  Home rewards—in collaboration with parents, privileges can be extended at home.  Completing homework can earn extra TV time.  Reading a book can earn a favorite meal.

7.  Group rewards—Preferred Activity Time.

V.     Letter to parents about management and discipline

Dear Parents,

Now that school has begun, I would like to introduce myself and give you some information on how I conduct my class.  My name is Rachelle Gradney and I am your child’s second grade teacher.  I have taught in this school district for four years.  I completed my undergraduate work at University of Louisiana at Lafayette and my master’s degree at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

In order to maintain an appropriate learning environment, I have established the following rules in which all students are expected to follow:

1. Raise your hand to speak

2. Raise your hand to leave your desk

3. Keep your hands, feet, and all objects to yourself

4. Speak kindly to your teacher and classmates

5. Follow all rules and instructions from teacher

To encourage all students to follow the rules, I will recognize appropriate behavior with praise, positive phone calls to you, and special rewards and privileges.  If students break the rules, I have established consequences from the first offense to the fifth offense.  These consequences include teacher warning, time-out, loss of privileges, parents are contacted, and referral to the office.  For any severe class disruptions, the student will be sent immediately to the office.  My goal is to ensure success for your child.  If we work together, I believe that this will be a wonderful and productive year school year.

Please indicate that you understand this discipline plan by signing your name below and indicate the phone numbers where you can be reached during the day and evening.  You may also want to discuss the rules with your child to make sure that he/she fully understands them.

Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions or concerns.  You can reach me during my planning period from 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM or after school from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.  The school’s phone number is 458-2698.  You can also call any other time during the day and leave a message for me to call you back.

Sincerely,

Rachelle Gradney

I have read Ms. Gradney’s classroom management plan, and I have discussed it with my child.

Parent/Guardian Signature__________________________________ Date____________

Comments:

Appendix A

            Marlene and Lee Canter’s Assertive Discipline Theory is the basis for my discipline plan.  Assertive discipline consists of:

·        Stating and teaching expectations early

·        Persistence in stating expectations and wishes such as, “I need you to…” and “I like that.” 

·        Use of a clear, calm, firm voice and eye contact.

·        Influencing student behavior without threats or shouting.

·        Practicing the broken record technique (calmly repeating the message every time pupil tries to argue) rather than escalating into an argument.

Canter’s Theory believes that “the assertive teacher is more effective than the nonassertive or the hostile teacher.” (Allen) It is hostility and “wishy-washiness” of the teacher that causes confusion and psychological trauma in students, not calm, firm, consistent assertiveness.  The assertive teacher is able to maintain a positive, caring, and productive climate in the classroom.  A climate of care and support produces the climate for learning.  According to the Canters, the climate of positive support and care is best provided by the careful application of assertive discipline.  It replaces teacher inertia and hostile behavior with firm, positive insistence.

There are five steps to assertive discipline.  First, “recognize and remove roadblocks to assertive control” (Allen). Most of the roadblocks have to do with negative characteristics about the students:  they have poor health, home, personality, genes, and/or environment, and therefore, they are expected to misbehave.  Remember, a teacher can influence in a positive way the behavior of all students in the class no matter what causes the problems.  Second, practice the use of assertive response styles.  Assertive teachers make their expectations clearly known to students, parents, and administrators.  They calmly insist that student comply with those expectations.  Third, no matter what the activity, in order to be assertive, you need to be aware of what behaviors you want and need from the students.  For example, tell the student to take turns or listen quietly while another student is speaking.  Fourth, learn to follow through on limits.  Take the appropriate action when students either refuse to meet the demands or act in compliance with the demands.  Fifth, implement a system of positive assertions.  When systematic attention is given to pupils who behave appropriately:

·        Your influence with students increases.

·        The amount of problem behavior decreases.

·        The classroom environment becomes more positive.

Allen, Thomas H. Developing a Lesson Plan for You.  http://www.humboldt.edu/~tha1/discip-options.html

Burden, Paul R. & Byrd, David M.  Methods for Effective Teaching Second Edition.  Allyn & Bacon 1999.

Appendix B

            Canter’s Assertive Discipline Theory and Wong’s The First Days of School was the basis for my rules and responses.  Canter believes that when preparing a discipline plan, one should consider what his/her objectives are and what needs to happen for those objectives to come about.  He also proposes that rules should be stated positively when possible.  A teacher should try to use as few rules as possible and still reach his/her goals.  She should let one rule cover a number of related ideas and explain the rules with examples to the students.

            Wong believes that through discussion, “ students will understand that their actions or choices result in consequences” (Wong 153).  He advises to spend more time discussing consequences with students than discussing rules.  He also suggests that the best consequences are “reasonable and logical” (Wong 155).  Students will only rebel when the consequences do not make sense.

Allen, Thomas H. Developing a Lesson Plan for You.  http://www.humboldt.edu/~tha1/discip-options.html

Wong & Wong.  The First Days of School.  Harry Wong Publications, Inc. 1998.