Positive Discipline: A Tool for Classroom Management

May D. Manalili

A classroom teacher does not only concern herself with planning and delivering instruction, but rather, she also realizes the importance of classroom management for learning to be effective and enjoyable for the learners. Many teachers tend to be very effective at delivering knowledge and applying strategies to make children grasp concepts but find it hard to deal with behavioral problems.

Handling misbehavior is one way to employ effective classroom management. All teachers are aware that pupil misbehavior often leads to disruption of learning, thus, she must use techniques to properly deal with it, and one way is by applying Positive Discipline.

Positive discipline is a more effective way to manage misbehaving students in the classroom, rather than using punishment or rewards. It allows students to learn and adapt their behaviors to meet expectations in the classroom, while simultaneously teaching them how to make better choices in their path to adulthood. (study.com)

Imposing penalty or punishment on a learner for breaking rules does not change or minimize the misbehavior, but may even be detrimental as it may develop a feeling of rejection and may have negative impact later on in his life. Applying positive discipline aims to develop self-control in children and make right choices. Developed intrinsically, such tends to yield constructive results for the child.

Teachers have applied a variety of ways of reinforcing good behavior with positive discipline and the following are just some of them:

1. Learners should have set goals.

As early as the first day of class, the teacher should set classroom rules with the learners. This gives a sense of direction to the learners as they are aware of what is expected of them.

2. Acknowledge Appropriate Behavior

Praising a learner for a good act encourages him to repeat the act as he wants to receive the same recognition again.

3. Be fair in dealing with learners

As a teacher, we earn our learners’ trust by treating them equally. During a dispute between learners, see to it to hear both sides of the story.

4. Provide the learners options

Since we aim to train learners to make right decisions, we should provide them choices and not merely dictate them on what to do.

5. Be a Good Example

A teacher is the best model for proper behavior, as learners look up to their teachers so they are sure to follow their example.

The use of Positive Discipline hopes to develop a positive atmosphere inside the classroom that may address the daily challenges teachers face. Following the given techniques, learners tend to develop respect towards the teacher, which makes them more engaged in learning, that comes from a sense of enjoyment in attending their classes regularly and as a result, improves their academic performance. As teachers, we must keep in mind that education does not only mean the transfer of knowledge but more importantly, it is a manifestation of a learner’s change in behavior.

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The author is Teacher III at Sto. Domingo Integrated School