Positive Discipline Techniques for the Classroom

Mark Beadle, EdD, has been a principal and teacher for a total of 25 years in public, private, and international schools. He is an elementary principal in Ohio at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, which has been named twice as a No Child Left Behind—Blue Ribbon Recognized School.

Teachers—not students—are the heart of discipline in any school. Many theories about discipline exist, and I have seen some ideas work particularly well at the school in which I serve. The results have been few discipline problems, a positive atmosphere, and teachers able to teach!

Many people confuse discipline and punishment, thinking these terms have the same meaning. Yet discipline, which is instructive and corrective, has the same root word as disciple. All of us need and even want discipline, and God has given primarily to parents the responsibility of disciplining children. We as educators are to assist parents. As we do so, we would do well to remember Ephesians 6:4 (NIV): “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Punishment can exasperate children, but discipline helps them.

I propose a discipline system using positive reinforcement and negative consequences, but it is best to begin with positive reinforcement. Too often we think only of punishment in regard to discipline. Every time we talk about discipline with a parent or administrator, we should start with positive reinforcement strategies. We learn from Proverbs 3:12 (NIV) that our discipline must start and result in actions that show love: “The Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”

Because the goal is to establish an atmosphere in which learning takes place and students ultimately learn self-discipline, we should use positive reinforcement, which makes desired actions more probable. At the same time, we must be careful not to reinforce bad choices, such as when the student who really doesn’t want to be in class gets kicked out, the whiner gets his way, and the student without a Bible or pencil doesn’t have to work.

So how do we reinforce the student who listens, obeys, comes to class on time, and is polite or cooperative? Instead of simply expecting these behaviors, we should reinforce them with comments that build self-esteem and that stress the importance of students. The following examples do both, each using the word you:

• "You certainly get to work quickly."
• "You are so creative when you draw."
• "You’re always on time!"
• "That’s a perceptive comment; you are really thinking."
• "Be sure to show this to your parents so that they can see how well you did."

General reinforcers also work. They are not specific to a person. For example, "I see four people working hard" is better than "Mary is working hard."

We should offer continuous, then intermittent, and then occasional reinforcement for behaviors that are new and productive. Currently, teachers at my school are focusing on positive reinforcement. I see about 20 students who are caught being good and sent to the principal’s office for every student who has done something wrong. As holidays and other breaks such as summer approach, we educators are tempted to crack down in the area of discipline because more problems occur during these times. Increasing positive reinforcement works to decrease the problems.

If R stands for reinforce and I stands for ignore, an effective pattern of positive reinforcement might look like RRRRIRIIRIIIIRIIIIIIIIR. The more positive we are, the less we will need to use consequences, whether positive or negative. If our classes are running smoothly and we think we are being too positive, we should not worry. The balance is in our favor.

In exploring a negative balance, let’s consider the people who continually make positive comments about us. We like them even when we know they aren’t addressing the whole truth, and we respond well to them. Shouldn’t we as educators be like that? Have we had days in which we have spent the entire morning reprimanding students instead of encouraging them? Have we had to use the words no, don’t, stop, and wrong more than good work, nice job, and terrific? We may have even made more negative phone calls or sent home more negative notes than positive. The following guidelines can help us balance on the positive side of discipline:

• Don’t use group discussions and lectures as a routine.
• Don’t be afraid to contact parents and request their help with discipline.
• Don’t use anger, threats, humiliation, criticism, or group punishments.
• Don’t manipulate or become overly controlling.

Besides taking the form of comments and notes, positive reinforcement should take place through tangible reinforcers, at least when a new positive behavior appears. An easy way of using these reinforcers is to tie privileges to correct behaviors. For example, students can help the teacher, read the verse, answer the question, and pass out papers. Teachers at my school use tickets, tokens, and marbles. As classes and students do a great job, they work toward prizes, auctions, or the especially popular reward of lunch with the teacher or principal.

Teachers make the difference in effective discipline. One teacher can succeed and another fail—with the same lesson and the same students. Teachers are responsible for controlling the climate of the classroom. If we want to improve our discipline, we can visit other classes, read relevant books or articles, and ask other educators to offer their advice after they visit our class. The following positive discipline techniques can also help us achieve our goal of maximizing student learning:

• Pray daily for guidance and inspiration.
• Pray weekly for students and other teachers by making and using a prayer chart.
• Involve students in setting ground rules, and post these five or fewer simple rules.
• Communicate with students about the rewards and consequences.
• Communicate with parents, giving them positive and negative reports.
• Monitor the classroom continuously.
• Treat all students with fairness and a positive attitude.
• Praise students, recognizing their individual characteristics and talents.
• Use praise that is sincere, specific, and tied to effort—not to ability.
• Although you can overdo praise, note that spoiling a child is often the result of giving too little discipline.
• Watch for good behaviors and reinforce them.
• Intervene early when students violate rules.
• Be firm, fair, friendly, and consistent, yet remember that you may need to adapt your program to meet students’ needs.
• Distinguish between bad students and bad behaviors, and address the behaviors.
• Plan ahead and consider students’ needs as you plan.
• Have a relevant assignment, such as journaling, for students when they arrive in class.
• Develop motivating grabbers to get students’ attention at the beginning of a lesson.
• Use an active format that uses group activities involving all students.
• Move from one activity to another with planned transitions.
• Use a variety of methods and activities that are interesting and relevant to students.

Positive Discipline Techniques for the Classroom  7.3