Discipline Book

Disciplines > Teaching > Classroom management > Discipline Book

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

When they are naghty, write it down. Keep a book at least of what punishments you mete out.

Take note of who is being punished, when, why and what punishment they receive. If you are setting work, then also keep note when they complete the work and whether it is satisfactory.

In a formal way, this is a document that can be used to assess and summarize pupils' behavioral performance across a year. It can also be used as evidence.

As a less formal method it can simply be a pocket book in which you remind yourself who you need to follow up with.

Example

A teacher carries a small book as she is moving around classrooms, noting children who have been naughty and to who she has given extra work. In each lesson she also uses the book to check who has to hand in that work.

Discussion

When you are dealing with many children, it is easy to forget who did what and what punishments were meted out. If the children realize that you forget, then they may well 'try it on', for example pretending to forget themselves or saying you said something else. A written record avoids this.

Formal records can also be used in overall performance management, such as in analyzing a child's behavior across a number of teachers and for reporting to parents.

After a while, the pupils will recognize the book and may back off when you touch it. Beware of this becoming a cat-and-mouse game. If you are going to put them in the book, do it. Allowing 'sudden improvement' can only cause you problems later.