Discipline and punishment

Along with some others in the class, when I hear the word punishment, it sounds very harsh but I do believe that some form of discipline and rules should be implemented in a classroom. I think that over the years, we are moving away from punishment and more towards discipline.

Just to link this back to the previous weeks, by doing the Myers Briggs assessment, it gave us a broad sense of who we are and how we are perceived as by others in Mamchur. Bennett and Smilinach mention, "The worst thing the teacher can do is give in to the manipulation. (Students throwing temper tantrums, tears, etc.) Once you give in, all you have taught the student is your tolerance level for his nagging". Everyone has a soft spot, but if we want our classrooms to function properly, we need to implement rules and discipline when necessary. No matter what personality type we are, following through with our words establishes a sense of authority to maintain order and organization in our classrooms.

One of the major points that I think is really important is noted on p.233 in Bennett & Smilinach, is students being given a 'real' option to choose from which allows the child to think through, understand, accept, and be responsible for their actions/misbehaviour. If they decide to continue through with their acts of misbehaviour, they are therefore responsible to accept the consequences.

I think that punishment has negative effects and are only temporary solutions that reinforce power relations between the student and teacher. In our class, I think that most of us believe in creating a safe and inclusive classroom that will encourage and benefit the learning of students, as well as our teaching efficacy. I think punishment instills fear in students and is not a solution to problems. Immediate punishment to students is usually seen to be without reason, an act to embarrass them, or to make them feel uncomfortable; this in some cases can result in lowered self-esteem in the student and a lowered level of respect for the teacher.