Discipline vs Punishment

When I read the word punishment, it seems too harsh of a word to use when referring to a school system—especially when it is not used in the correct way; thus, I agree with Natasha that “the best managing of behavior is punishment that doesn’t seem like punishment.” Punishment is defined as a punishment or penalty for something done wrong, which could be suspension in terms of school. In the classroom that I volunteer in, I have noticed a student being sent to the office numerous times as part of a punishment, where he broke a rule; I believe there could be better ways to deal with particular situations than punishment—which can put him or her down. Perhaps the student needs to be taught that the particular behaviour is not acceptable, as he or she may see this type of behaviour at home—thinking it is alright. Therefore, we need to react less and use proactive approaches more to show what good behaviour looks like. One thing I have learned by volunteering with different teachers is that being proactive is very important, as students then understand their role as students better.

Discipline on the other hand is defined as consequences of breaking any rules, which does not seem to be any different than punishment. If discipline insists of rules formed in a classroom then those should be developed with the class as a whole; when students create their rules together, then they can decide what the consequences would be if those rules were to be broken. Only then will students understand the importance of the rules, and it is fair for the students as well. Moreover, the students are able to have some choices in how they want their classroom run; as Bennett and Smilanich noted, “[o]ne of the most effective and commonly employed techniques to assist students to accept responsibility is the use of Choices” (p. 228). We need to give students some ability to choose what would happen if they decide not to follow the rules, and that they are responsible for their own actions..