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Discipline Techniques

Rujuta Borkar
How does one go about ensuring discipline in a classroom? Here are some discipline techniques that will help you out.
Having a class that is orderly, disciplined, and systematic is very, very important to ensure that you can reach forth to the students. Whatever lessons are being taught will drive home the point only when the children are disciplined enough to focus their attention on the teacher.
Therefore, ensuring discipline in a classroom is of utmost importance for effective classroom management. Executing discipline techniques in the classroom ensures that there is respect, mutual understanding, and a general sense of order.
Many times, unruly kids lead to disturbances in the class and as a result, effective teaching cannot be carried out. Therefore, it is necessary that a teacher knows how to make use of proper disciplining techniques to ensure that maximum knowledge is imparted.

Silence Before Beginning

This is one of the most important and core techniques that can (and should) be used. Generally, one finds that students chatter before a class begins, which is normal. What is not normal is that the students continue to chat even after the initial settling down of the class has happened.
This means that the message needs to be made clear to them that this behavior will not be tolerated. To do that, make sure that you do not start teaching through the noise. Maintain complete silence and continue to stare at the class. The noise will die down.
Once this happens, let the silence remain for 5-6 seconds and then start teaching. Use this technique every time there is noise, and over time, you'll find that the minute you enter class, there will be complete silence.

Chalk Out a Plan

Ensure that you're prepared with what you will be teaching in that lesson. Many teachers come to class beforehand and make a note of the important words and phrases of the lesson that they will be taking up on the board.
Being unprepared and then gaping into your notes is going to distract the students further, thus providing more opportunity for them to disrupt the class. Using this simple discipline technique will help maintain perfect discipline.

Class Rules

Set out some class rules for your students―some things which have to be strictly followed. For example, they have to be ready with their work books out on their desk the minute they come to class. If they fail to do so, they will be punished.
Whatever rules you form, make sure that they are consistently followed. Knowing the pattern of the class and what the rules are, will keep the students in check.

Role Model

Children follow the teacher, so be a good role model for them. Make sure you are just, courteous, respectful, polite, and fair.
When they see you in that image and realize that you adhere to high principles of living, they will try and emulate you, thus automatically bringing one of the discipline techniques in order.

Bond

Create a bond with the students, and you will be ensured of a highly disciplined class.
When you go beyond the realms of a classroom and start taking certain steps like inquiring about them, asking about their personal choices etc, they will begin to see you as someone who is not a task master, and rather, will be happy that you are genuinely interested in their progress.
This will lead them to respect you more and disciplinary problems won't exist. Make sure that you do not get over-friendly and lose out on your authoritative powers.

Equal Treatment

Make sure that you treat each student equally, which means that if a student who scores less, does well, you praise him like you would the good students; or if a good student does something wrong then you will punish him like you would the others.
Being fair and just creates respect towards you in your students' minds. The students will respect you for that.

Confront in Private

Whenever there is a conflict in class and you end up insulting the student, the direct result will be that the student will be hurt and angry for losing face in front of his friends. So even if the student has made a mistake, avoid confronting him in front of the class. Do it in private and the student will respect you more for it.
Using these discipline and classroom management techniques will not only ensure an orderly and organized classroom, but will also help you to carry out your lessons better. Try it and see how it helps.