Is Discipline a No, No in Primary Schools?

#schooldiscipline Mar 17, 2022

 If you are a primary educator, then you have probably heard the true stories from your colleagues around the country or perhaps even the world explaining about their experiences with students physically harming them with little to no consequences. How can this be happening in our schools? What will happen to our education system if we continue to ignore the behaviors that are so prominent across grade levels beginning in preschool.

The Great Teacher Resignation 

Each and every time I read a story about a teacher who has been hit, kicked, punched, or whatever the behavior might be, my eyes fill with tears. Primary teachers, especially, join this profession to show young children how much the world has to offer, but here we are facing The Great Teacher Resignation, which according to Forbes will be the biggest challenge for 2022.

What is more infuriating as an educator, is reading and hearing about all of these behaviors happening in classrooms that are designed to be safe places, but students face little to no consequences for their behaviors. Yes, we can all agree that the pandemic has left its mark on the lack of social-emotional skills, but are we seriously going to allow teachers to be hit and kicked in our classrooms while other students are hiding or cringing hoping they’re not next? And why isn’t anyone talking about it?

 Is Discipline Absent From Primary Schools?

So this brings us to our next question. Is discipline absent from schools? If it is, how do we get it back?

As educators, we are trained to have classroom management systems in place to help our classrooms flow without too many disruptions. In fact, in almost any interview a teacher attends, she/he can almost be sure this will be one of the questions asked. 

On paper and in our minds, the management system works. We construct behavior expectations whether it is through rules or a contract and share what consequences are for behaviors. When this system is not in place or is not consistent, is usually when problems arise for a teacher.

 

Now, let’s talk about classroom management post-pandemic/virtual learning. We all knew that with students being home and facing their own challenges of virtual learning, once we returned to school it would take everyone time to adapt to new Covid protocols. Is this when things went awry?

Teachers had the task of teaching to online and to in-person learners at the SAME time and often being the only adult in the classroom. How in the world did anyone think that teachers would be able to control behaviors if having to divide their attention right off the bat? How many inappropriate behaviors were missed simply due to the fact that students knew when the teacher’s attention was with the online students? 

Many districts also implemented a policy in which students were not to be retained unless the parent requested it. In actuality, the majority of our student population across the country should have been retained for not mastering grade level standards, but clearly, that is impossible. So guess what happened next?

 

You guessed it! We now have students who are a grade level or more behind the standards that are being taught to them. Rather than adjusting the standards to push everything back a year, we are continuing to push our students to learn on grade level without the prior mastery of standards. During Ed 100 in college, we learned that students will act up in class when they are frustrated and do not understand the content.  Hmmm…

Has the Pandemic Made Us Soft On Discipline?


Has the pandemic made us soft on discipline? Have we given too many “passes” because we are so worried about the social-emotional wellness our students have been lacking these past couple of years?

However, does this explain the physical behavior displayed by the youngest learners? Not quite because they weren’t even in school yet when we were dealing with the pandemic. So how can we explain their behaviors?

 

Well, considering that many of our social-emotional habits are fostered from early childhood and this generation has grown up in a world of isolation, they are lacking the appropriate skills to collaborate with peers. School is a key factor in developing these skills, but with the push for students to reach academic goals earlier and earlier, this can often get brushed to the side in classrooms. Teachers have very little time built into their days to address this let alone the resources needed.

Yes, even the youngest of learners need discipline and boundaries. You’ve heard the saying, “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” This couldn’t be more true for the youngest of learners. If they get away with an inappropriate behavior once or twice, then you can almost be guaranteed to see it again and again. Set boundaries and have clear consequences for behaviors. Be sure to communicate with parents and your administration so everyone is on the same page.

So what’s a primary educator to do?  

 Well, isn’t this the million-dollar question on the minds of not just primary educators, but all educators regardless of grade level?  

We are going to offer some suggestions to help get you on the right track, but know that much of this is trial and error.

  1. Class Meeting - Hold a daily classroom meeting where you check in with students about how they are feeling. Be sure to discuss different feelings and what they mean so students have clarity. You might even create an anchor chart where students can move their names to show how they are feeling.
  2. Teach Conflict Resolution - This is missing across the board in our schools. Lumen Learning offers a great description on what conflict resolution should look like. Here is an overview of their steps:
    1. Clarifying and focusing: problem ownership
    2. Active, empathetic listening
    3. Assertive discipline and I-messages
    4. Negotiation (be sure to read what this looks like because it may not be what you think.)
  3. Talk with Administration - Don’t ever be afraid to talk to your administration, especially if you feel that your safety or the safety of your class is at risk. Brainstorm with them a plan that will be implemented when behaviors escalate. This might involve the student being sent on a walk to the bathroom or another classroom, the student meeting with the principal, or perhaps even having the student go home for the remainder of the day depending on the severity of the behavior.
  4. Encourage Play - Believe it or not so much of a child's social-emotional development comes through just playing. Find time each day for children to have unstructured time to build relationships and simply with each other. This is clutch for our 21st-century learners.
  5. Be Sure to Document - Documenting has become as crucial to our jobs as teaching students to read. Each and every day takes time to jot down an overview of the day and major events that occurred. It’s amazing how fast one day blurs right into the next, so try to do this as soon as you can.

Conclusion:

In all of history have you ever seen behaviors escalate to the level it is this year? Probably not. We’ve all heard the stories from our parents and grandparents about the strict discipline policies that were in place way back when. These were probably too extreme. Unfortunately, in this post-pandemic world that we are living in, our policies aren’t tough enough.

 

If you or someone you know is experiencing extreme classroom behavior, then be sure to speak up and share with your administration. You need to have a plan in place to keep yourself and your students safe physically and mentally. 

 

Here are links to the WeAreTeacherHELPLINE Facebook Group and Crisis Prevention Institute which may be worth exploring. They may be worth exploring as a starting point on how to get help.

 

As always, know that you can reach out to us anytime here at @lessonplantoolbox or email ([email protected]) and we are happy to listen and find you the help or resources that you need.

 

In case you missed it…

 In case you missed it here are some of the causes and prevention of teacher burnout. If you are short on time, then simply read this at your convenience.

 

Reminder…

We continue to support K-3 teachers, both new teachers, and veterans, on their journeys. If you are interested in joining and earning some of the EASIEST PD hours you will ever earn, then be sure to check this out. Feel free to contact us with any thoughts or questions.

 

The mission of Lesson Plan Toolbox:

 

Our mission at Lesson Plan Toolbox is to save K-3 teachers time and energy while providing resources and knowledge of 21st-century learning.

 

Until next week…

 

Teach~Relax~Repeat

Lauren

Lesson Plan Toolbox, LLC

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