Chapter 3 - Handle Discipline in the Elementary Classroom by William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

1. 8
Chapter 3 – William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
Handle Discipline in the Elementary Classroom
Maintaining classroom discipline is essential to a healthy school environment.
Behavioral problems must be dealt with quickly, fairly, and constructively. Hold children
accountable for their actions. Behavioral problems will be greatly reduced if
responsibility for personal behavior is placed upon the children’s shoulders. Positive
measures circumvent problems by conveying to the child that his teacher has faith in
him as a person.
Begin now to move from supervising and policing children to allowing them to
accept responsibility for their behavior and any actions resulting from their misbehavior.
Start by having less direct teacher supervision in such places as the cafeteria during
lunch, in the halls, or in the classroom during discussions. When it becomes evident that
students are accepting responsibility for their actions or their behavior, you need to
praise and congratulate them.
When one student fails to accept responsibility, avoid criticizing the entire group.
Deal with the individual separately, away from the group setting. When disciplining one
or a few students because of misconduct, remember that the other class members are
doing great and continue to praise them heartily. Children can never receive too much
praise!
Conduct the affairs of the classroom so that children feel lucky and privileged to
come to school each day. Be enthusiastic when teaching. Organize each day’s learning
activities so they will be completed by the children in an interesting manner. Provide
opportunities for children and teacher to cooperate in the selection of various learning
adventures that are to take place in the classroom. Cooperating with the children will be
a motivating force that will energize the entire class. If children are motivated by
challenging schoolwork, they will not fake illness in order to stay home. Instead, they will
realize such a stunt hurts only them.
For those students who are continually absent from school, the teacher may be
compelled to put on a counselor’s hat. Inform the child that he places himself in

2. 9
jeopardy by not attending school regularly. Though some absences are unavoidable,
too often they are the result of poor emotional outlook toward school. A child must
believe that he/she belongs. A sense of belonging to a group of children and to a
teacher gives the child the security he needs. Take the necessary steps to develop
group, as well as individual pride. Building group and individual student pride is
important in strengthening positive learning environments in elementary classrooms.
Definite disciplinary policies must be established in classrooms and should spring
from the teacher and children jointly. Allow the children to voice their thoughts about
policy enforcement and consider these opinions when formulating policies. Disciplinary
policies must meet the teacher’s professional needs and obligations, as well as the
children’s personal needs.
Children must clearly understand that punishment is administered for specific
reasons. Explain these reasons to the child before punishment is administered, making
certain the child understands that the behavior is being addressed not the character of
the child. Determine the severity of the punishment by the degree of misbehavior, and
never discipline a child when angry. This protects the child as well as the teacher. It is
wise to contact the principal when faced with the temptation of punishing a child in an
unusual manner.
Many disciplinary problems can be addressed in weekly class discussions on
character development. Social skills are presently neglected in the classroom. Each
week, various incidents must be discussed which testify to the important roles that
character development and social skills play in adjustment phases. Along with the
presentation of academic subjects, general personal conduct must be discussed with
children.
The newspaper is an excellent tool for deterring disciplinary problems. Have the
class read articles about the good things people do, then have them read about the
horrible things people do. Point out the reward for good behavior and the consequences
of bad behavior. Soon, students will realize for themselves that people, more times than
not, cause their own problems.

3. 10
Children who are experiencing severe problems in school must be reassured of
their teacher’s support. Read the accumulative records of a child to learn as much as
possible about the child’s home setting. Being interested in the welfare of the child is the
first step in wanting to help a child who is having difficulty in school. Some teachers visit
the homes of people who are sick. Before this is done, the teacher may want to consult
with the principal to make sure this is advisable. Others show their interest by attending
an activity the child is participating in, whether it be in school or in the community.
Conference with these children and contact other teachers so problem situations can be
corrected immediately. Problems can mushroom out of control if not handled
expeditiously. It is easier to prevent a problem than to correct one. Most behavioral
problems can be prevented by striving to resolve them quickly, and many problems
would never have become realities had the appropriate steps been taken to prevent
them.
The principal must be informed if the problems continue. The principal or
counselor can offer helpful suggestions in dealing with problems before they become
unmanageable. In such cases, soliciting parental cooperation or cooperation from the
caretaker may be necessary. Getting the parents/guardians involved usually assures
that the child will be encouraged to improve his behavior at school as well as at home.
Getting children to accept responsibility in the elementary school is a continual uphill
battle for every teacher. When children have problems, they must be encouraged to
establish goals they can achieve for their own individual safety, development, and
improvement.
A growing problem in the school continues to be classroom discipline and
management. Becoming competent in managing the classroom comes with time and
experience. By ensuring that teachers have the appropriate information on preventative
and corrective behavior management strategies, this will help to minimize classroom
discipline problems. If professional development is warranted, the principal may
develop a professional development plan to assist the teacher in this area.
If corporal punishment is to be administered, it must be done as a last resort.
Teachers will deal better with the student problems if they realize that corporal

4. 11
punishment is useless, a waste of time, and solves few problems. Corporal punishment
must never be administered on or about the child’s head or face. When corporal
punishment is administered, it is the teacher’s prime responsibility to ensure that a
certified school system employee is present to witness the punishment. Children must
not be spanked unless written consent is given by the child’s parents.
Do not threaten children. Firmness is a must with children at first, but later, the
teacher may ease the rules. Some teachers create their own problems if they begin in a
relaxed manner and then expect to bear down on the children when trouble develops.
Because actions speak loudly to children, teachers must be good examples in
and out of the classroom. They must display characteristics of honesty, integrity,
courtesy, fairness, ethics, and courage. The mature teacher understands the child but
also realizes that control must be maintained in the classroom in order for learning to
take place. Practices such as rules being posted throughout the classroom, non-verbal
communication cues, redirecting behaviors, avoiding power struggles could assist in
alleviating anti-social behaviors. If strategies used by the teacher are not proving to be
beneficial, a behavior plan may be developed for the student. This is a contract between
the student and the teacher with specific behaviors identified, positive consequences
noted, and consequences of failing to follow through on the agreement.
A child must go through certain procedures when he is tardy, and the tardiness is
excused. On the other hand, if he skips school, it is the principal’s responsibility and
duty to administer the disciplinary action. If the child leaves school early or the
classroom unexpectedly, the teacher and principal must both agree on measures to be
taken in order to solve the problem. The parents or guardian of the child must be
informed by the teacher or principal. A note sent home to the parents or guardian,
mailed, carried by the child or emailed is effective as long as it is signed by a parent and
returned to the school. The returned, signed note should be kept in the student’s
personal files in the school’s office until the matter is corrected. A personal conference
with the children’s parents/guardians is usually effective in solving difficulties.
Teachers must realize that some classroom problems require special attention
and they must not hesitate to request assistance if the demands of the situation warrant

5. 12
it. Counselors can help tremendously. The school psychologist, principal, educational
specialists, and nurse are employed to help, and their services must be requested.
Discipline problems will always be present in the classroom. When problems
arise, maintain poise, always considering the child first. Trust the student’s sense of fair
play, and his desire to do right. In most cases, children want to do the right thing. Treat
each disciplinary incident as an individual problem and make a sincere effort to
understand the child’s difficulty. Many times, in the eyes of a child, his teacher is the
only adult who cares.
A Thought in Words
The foundation of every state is the education of its youth. Diogenes
Copyright © 2018 by William Allan Kritsonis
William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
Editor-in-Chief
NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS
17603 Bending Post Drive
Houston, Texas 77095
Global Website: www.nationalforum.com
832.483.7889 Cell
281.550.5700 Home