Comprehensive Project

• Home
• Management and Discipline Defined
• Motivation and Discipline
• The Physical Environment
• Time Management
• Proximity and Mobility
• Praise, Prompt and Leave
• Visual Instruction Plan
• Say, See, Do
• Calm and Consistent
• Limit Setting
• References
• About the Authors

Management and Discipline Defined

 Management in the classroom is when the teacher organizes the classroom setting in a way that creates an environment where students are able to learn and function sociably well. Discipline in the classroom is when the teacher applies discipline strategies and these should lead students in making the right choices for themselves, enabling them to be trusted and acquiring responsibility, thus the act of gaining self-control. According to Savage, "Discipline is also defined as the development of self-control, character, orderliness, and efficiency" (Savage, 1999, p. 9).

The dimensions of classroom management that help establish conditions that facilitate success include, establishing teacher leadership, motivating students, organizing the physical environment, managing time, and managing lessons. It is important that the teacher takes the leadership role and not the students. The instructor needs to show consistency on how the students are treated so there will not be a power struggle. Students will misbehave because their needs are not being met. So with excellent motivational practices that is applied in a classroom the better outcome of non-misbehaved students.  The organization of the physical environment of the classroom reflects upon the learning outcomes of the students. If the physical environment does not promote learning, than students will misbehave because they are not in a comfortable atmosphere. Managing instructional time is vital because the students need to be on task every moment. Every lost moment or disruptive behavior is the loss of learning possibilities in the classroom. Managing lessons is a complex task. A teacher needs to convey a lesson that is “focused on an objective delivered with clarity and smoothness, at a pace that is appropriate for the students in the class” (Savage, 1999, p. 15). There are a lot of components that an educator needs to consider when managing a class and when put into practice, the learning outcomes will out way misbehavior.

The dimensions of discipline all promote self-control in learners. These dimensions include, responses to minor problems, direct teacher intervention, responding to persistent misbehavior, responding to serious behavior problems, and teaching conflict resolution. Responding to minor problems should result in the student evaluating themselves and providing an opportunity to correct their misbehavior. In the long run this promotes self-control in the student. If a problem becomes serious then this involves direct teacher intervention. The teacher needs to intervene and talk to the student about the causes of their misbehavior and what the consequence should entail. Responding to persistent misbehavior should motivate the teacher to take necessary precautions of first modifying the behavior techniques and if continues to involve parents, administrators, psychologists, etc. However, the goal of this discipline is to “help the student make better choices rather than to punish him or her” (Savage, 1999, p. 16).  Responding to serious behavior problems involves behaviors such as bullying, drug abuse, cheating, continual truancy etc. These misbehavior's are a result of a loss of self-control and serious interventions are vital. With the help of trained professional and teachers these problems could be solved. These interventions should be adamant about going to the source of these problems and helping the student to gain self-control and a healthy lifestyle that could take some time, but is definitely worth the wait. The final discipline domain entails teaching conflict resolution in the classroom. This dimension recognizes that conflicts are humanly inherent, but how one handles a conflict says a lot. The educator should teach students how to resolve conflicts on their own, which is a vital part of growing up. Parents and teachers are not always going to be around when a conflict arises. So it is important for teachers to teach students correct conflict resolution strategies. 

  Spiritual Application: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6 (New King James Version). In this verse God commands us to train children in the way that they should go. The key is consistency. Educators need to be consistent in how they manage and discipline the class. Discipline should lead to self-control and when consistency is apparent children will not depart from it for they know what is right.