Teach English in Nanhuang Zhen - Weihai Shi

What is Discipline? Before I define what Discipline is, I would like to share what Discipline is not: ‘Discipline is not about getting kids to do what you want them to do.’ (Source: www.teachervision.com/classroom-discipline/tips-achieving-maintaining-discipline) However, when I was a student, even up to secondary school days, I had believed that definition to be what discipline was about. In those days, it was expected of students to be absolutely in agreement to what the teacher would want us to do. We were not given the space to clarify or ask questions. Any question asked would be seen to be either an act of challenging the teacher or we were ‘stupid’. Not only was my understanding of discipline tinted in my student days, my initial years of being a primary school teacher was also influenced by that understanding. I was a strict teacher whom students were fearful of and my instructions were literally like commands to them. But over the sixteen years as teacher, my understanding of what discipline is has changed and I was able to see how discipline can enhance learning in the classroom and not be a stumbling block. Therefore, what is Discipline? ‘Discipline is providing an environment in which positive teaching and positive learning can occur simultaneously. Discipline is not control from the outside; it’s order from within.’ (Source: www.teachervision.com/classroom-discipline/tips-achieving-maintaining-discipline) How can a teacher maintain discipline in the classroom so that the environment will encourage positive teaching and positive learning? It is very necessary for a teacher to see her students as individuals who are unique, even if they have shortcomings. One year, I was given a class of students with low learning ability to teach. Not only learning academically was a challenge, their behaviour was challenging too. I remembered having to spend a big bulk of my time scolding them, trying to motivate them to learn, having to resolve conflicts and fights between angry students. It was discouraging, at the same time, frustrating. Realising that the ‘dictator’ way would not work on these students, I decided to know them by knowing about their family background, their interests, their gifting and talents, the triggers that would cause them to be angry, their struggles towards academic learning. After knowing these forty students as individuals, I recognised the strategy of ‘one size fits all’ would not work on them. I had to think of a creative way to reach out to them, to create an inviting classroom environment where they feel motivated to want to come into the classroom. To create an inviting classroom environment, as a teacher, I play a critical part. I must be inviting towards my students. Every day, I would make it a point to get students to come to the teacher’s table to have a ‘chit chat’ session. Eventually, they would take the initiative to come and talk to me. A few students would even come forward with a book that they take from the class library box (comprising a range of books that I bought that were suitable for their learning ability) to read to me. We would celebrate when they could complete reading the book on their own! The respect I gave to the students was reciprocated with their respect. They began to understand learning requires discipline – being quiet when the teacher was teaching, raising their hand when they wanted to ask question, handing in their work, even learning to apologise if they had forgotten to do or hand in their work. Certainly, there would be times when actions needed to be taken for wrong actions. One important guiding principle I learnt since I was a teacher, is never to extend threats that I cannot carry out. And what I say I would do, I must carry it out. Because I took my words seriously, my students soon realised they had to bear the consequences if they had pushed their boundaries too far. But even if I had to punish them for their misbehaviour, I would explain to them why I had to discipline them. And they would readily accept the explanation. Many of these students came from broken homes. It would be a challenge to get support from their parents to ensure they did their work. Some of them even faced financial difficulties. It was important therefore to make these students know that their family background should not deprive them of learning opportunities. I would ensure every student have a set of stationery to begin the year with. Having a class library box filled with books motivated them to read. Soon, there were fewer excuses of not having stationery; there was lesser squabbles in class as they would be busy reading after they had done their work. This class has taught me precious lessons about the importance of knowing students as individuals, respecting them, motivating them to learn through meeting their felt needs, through creating a conducive classroom environment where they want to come to school and learn. At the end of the year, their Primary School Leaving Examinations results surprised me and the school leadership. All except one student were promoted to secondary school. This class of students ended their primary school education in a high note – not only had the classroom discipline improved, their motivation to learn has moved from being unmotivated to motivated. Just as the quote has rightly written: ‘Discipline is not control from the outside; it’s order from within.’ I saw that happening in this class. I have learnt not to be a dictator, but to be an educator who loves, cares and respects my students, and motivate them to learn through creative ways and making resources available for them to learn and enjoy their learning. Finally, letting them value themselves as individuals who are able to contribute to society. It's about believing in them.