Teach English in Shahezi Zhen - Shangluo Shi

Classroom discipline is the business of enforcing classroom standards and building patterns of cooperation from learners in order to minimize disruptions and maximise learning. Positive classroom disciplines’ aim is to respond to a learners’ negative behaviour in ways that will lead to long term success. Well-maintained and disciplined learners are normally more successful post-school students as well as generally successful in life than learners who did not take discipline seriously. It has also scientifically been proven that the most successful people in life learned balanced discipline from a young age – both from their parents as well as teachers. To be effective in using positive discipline methods, a teacher’s long term goals should always be uppermost in his/her mind. Classroom discipline furthermore creates a set of expectations used in an organized classroom environment. This includes routines, rules and consequences for unruly behaviour by learners. Classroom discipline brings stability and structure into a learners’ life and teaches the learner to be responsible and behave in a respectful manner. In order to be successful in establishing a disciplined and effective teaching environment, the teacher has to maintain a positive classroom atmosphere; he/she has to lead by example and must support the students’ learning. A successful teacher must furthermore be fair, have a positive attitude and be consistent in many ways. The teacher must keep the classroom orderly at all times and at the same time treat students with the same respect he/she expects from them. The teacher should provide a list of basic classroom standards to learners and he/she should ensure that there are consequences should these standards not be adhered to. The teachers must though show learners that he/she is a caring person. As per the above, effective classroom discipline is positive and constructive and normally has a lasting effect in most students lives. Positive discipline builds students’ self-confidence and normally instils a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. Discipline not only involves setting goals for learning, but it strives to find constructive solutions to challenging situations. Positive discipline also motivates, encourages, supports, leads to self-discipline and increases competence and confidence. Positive discipline is non-violent and respectful of the child as a learner. It has an approach to teaching that helps children succeed; gives them the information they need to learn and supports their development. Positive discipline is a set of principles that can be applied in a wide range of classroom situations. These principles can guide all the teachers’ interactions with his/her students – not only the challenging ones. Positive discipline furthermore teaches learners courtesy, non-violence, empathy, self-respect and respect for others and their rights. It is also the consistent reinforcement of the teachers’ expectations, rules and limits. The teacher should also quickly get to know his/her learners which includes learning their names and using them in and out of class. This will help the teacher develop almost a sixth sense which will become very beneficial to him/her in various difficult or uncomfortable scenarios. Maintaining good and positive discipline would also include beginning classes on time; praising good work and behaviour; to never threaten, be sarcastic or humiliate a learner; never scream or shout at a learner and to avoid arguing with learners. A teacher needs to always be fair to his/her learners and will win the respect of learners by incorporating the following teaching methods in the classroom: 1) Be consistent in the application of discipline and to be just when it comes to the requirements of assignments; 2) Do not refuse to let a learner tell his/her side of a situation and be willing to consider mitigating circumstances; 3) Never openly compare one student to another; 4) Never talk about the misdeeds of students except to those who have a right to know; 5) Apologize if a learner has been treated unjustly; and 6) Make sure punishments are appropriate for the misbehaviour and explain to a learner why he/she is being punished. When it comes to maintaining good classroom discipline, the teacher also has the LEAST approach that can be followed. The LEAST Approach includes the following steps: 1) LEAVE IT ALONE…if the event is a brief and minor disturbance that is unlikely to occur again, let it be 2) END THE ACTION INDIRECTLY…When learning is disrupted or someone may get hurt, the teacher should let the student(s) involved know with a fascial expression, a body gesture, or a quiet action such as walking towards the student(s) or calling out the student(s) names that he/she is aware of the inappropriate activity 3) ATTEND MORE FULLY…The teacher to secure more information from the learner on who, what, when, where and why. The teacher should be objective rather than emotional 4) SPELL OUT DIRECTIONS…When a situation threatens to get out of hand; making learning impossible or risking harm to someone, the teacher should clearly explain to the student(s) involved the possible consequences of his/her actions plus the teachers’ intent to follow through 5) TREAT STUDENT PROGRESS…The teacher should record what happened, when, where, when, who was involved, what the student(s) did, and who witnessed the incident. Summing up: Positive discipline can have huge long term motivational and positive reinforcement benefits to learners. These benefits will not only see the learners through school, but have an impact as students and as professionals after graduating. Short-term benefits for teachers would be eg class management and discipline. Teaching learners would therefor be orderly and respectful.