Really Bad Classroom Discipline Practices

Really Bad Classroom Discipline Practices

"The ends justify the means." (Attributed to Machiavelli.)

There are many techniques that teachers have used from the beginning. The very worst evolve from poor understanding of human behavior and justice. They tend to be based on the little known philosophy of consequentialism, which in its simplest form defines moral behavior in terms of results. 

Consequentialistic behvior is observed frequently in children because they have not yet learned that our society is based on pre-established morals which define how we should act first. The outcome may be unpleasant, but we are willing to accept the consequences because of the rules of an accepted morality. In other words,"Do the right thing."

Consequentialism when applied by teachers can reinforce the use of the behavior in children and offer an unclear model of justice or "fairness."

Consequentialism in The Classroom 

These rules are offered in  no particular order. They are all demonstrate a weakness in classroom management skills.

1. Punishing the who class when because one or two students do not comply with the teacher's request. In the adult world this could be compared to making everyone leave a movie theater because someone is talking on his cell phone.

2. Assigning homework as punishment because the class was talkative. This practice defines homework as "punishment," rather than a learning experience. In teaching, there are good days and bad days-- get over it!

Mom has homework because her son's
class misbehaved.

3. "Zero tolerance" rules. Although intended to demonstrate a no-nonsense approach to the worst violation (E.g., drugs, weapons, etc.), they really allow administrators to bow out of the decision-making process. Extreme examples of zero tolerance are rampant. They can have consequences that are entirely inappropriate for the violation.

4. Reading an intercepted note aloud to the entire class. Children often use poor judgement about what they choose to put in writing. Sometimes their words can be intensely embarrassing when heard by others or might even place them in jeopardy. Either possibility is not a desirable form of punishment.
5. Rewarding children for behaviors that are generally accepted as societal norms. Doing so can turn well-behaved children into materialists. As adults we don't expect someone to suddenly appear an hand us a five-dollar bill every time we leave a store without having shoplifted.