Philosophy Of Student Discipline

Management of student behavior is a major challenge in creating an environment conducive to learning. Discipline is a necessary part in managing student behavior. My approach to discipline is assertive in that I intend to minimize all interruptions to the learning process and environment. However, I will enforce discipline without being overly stringent. My challenge is to find a judicious balance between friendliness needed for building rapport and discipline needed for an effective instructional experience to occur. I have found that a person's zeal for discipline can sometimes alienate a student. However, that same person can just as easily lose control with an eagerness to please. It is always my intent to draw a line between the two extremes and offer a judicious, friendly, and mutually respectful environment in which positive relationships can develop and learning can occur.

Teaching within the realms of discipline is a part of my philosophy as well. I believe in educational moments and teaching social skills to students so they can deal with situations in a more pro-social way "the next time". Communicating expectations to students, what they did wrong in the situation at hand, and how to handle it better the next time sets the stage for them to make a choice when something similar occurs in the future. Teaching and
I try to identify where each student is at on that change continuum. I try to work with them at the step/level they are at as far as making behavioral change. Sometimes a student is at the awareness stage (first step). Maybe the student is at stage 2 and has the desire to change while other times a student is more along the continuum and is ready for social skill instruction and maybe needs some practice (role plays). Recognizing behavioral change as a process makes me strategic in my approach with students when I have to see them for disciplinary