Contracts

A teacher usually wouldn’t use a contract unless the situation (the student’s misbehavior) is very serious and there is almost no other way for the teacher to handle it by herself. First, let’s talk about what is the purpose of a contract. A contract, as B&S mentioned, “the intent of the contract is to remove the teacher from the position of controller to one of the implementor of the terms of the contract. Over time, this frees the teacher to continue to win over the student and to concentrate on the position aspects of the student’s behavior.” (pp.295) They also mentioned that the contract should be made by a third party and the contract needs to be signed by the student, the teacher, the student’s parents and a school administer.

For the question whether contract is an effective classroom management for all learning styles, I would say maybe. Of course nothing can be effective for all learning styles but it seems like that if a misbehavior is very serious, contracts may be the most appropriate method to control this misbehavior. As a student, I have never experienced a contract before, nor had I ever heard about it. In my point of view, it does not matter what learning style a student is, as long as s/he is misbehaving, this action needed to be acknowledged and consequences should be given. Although a contract is not something people prefer, but if it really comes down to a very serious problem, then trying a contract could be one of the best ways in dealing with it.

In conclusion, I think contracts should work no matter what learning style a student is. An intuitive student misbehaving is the same as a sensing student misbehaving. Misbehaviors should be stopped and consequences should be given if the student keeps misbehaving. If a student’s misbehavior is very serious and it’s frustrating, then contracts would be a very good option in dealing with the misbehavior.