Teachers' skill in fostering students' engagement and limiting disruptive behavior is important for maintaining a safe, productive, and effective learning environment. Yet, teachers lacking specific training in classroom and behavior management continue to report high levels of stress and are more likely to leave the profession (Ingersoll,…

Dr. Vern Jones shares his reflections on a career that focused on providing avenues for encouragement for youth and teachers who daily face challenges. His career is marked by an unflagging work ethic regardless of the role in which he was placed. Vern's work in enhancing the field of classroom management has resulted in approaches that have…

When Alexis Wiggins returned to full-time teaching after having a baby, she took with her an idea from the book "A Path With Heart" by Buddhist Jack Kornfield. The idea was that each day might go better if she viewed everyone she encountered during that day, including any student or parent who seemed to make her teaching life harder, as…

Over the past 25 years, Gallup polls have consistently reported that disruptive behavior and discipline problems are some of the top concerns of school staff and community members. In fact, problems with classroom management are among the most common reasons that teachers leave their jobs. In response, many schools are turning to more formal…

The classroom assessment process can have encouraging results when it begins with "early assessment" that addresses student learning, as well as the social and emotional needs of student(s) in the classroom. This paper presents a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis for classroom assessment. It will review literature…

This article describes a teacher's experience with a child who had emotional and behavioral problems in the regular classroom. At the beginning of first grade, the student had a negative reputation with the staff based on his previous behavior. The teacher shares ways in which the child was given support in school. Generosity, belonging, mastery,…

Addressing the problem of children being emotionally abusive to each other in the form of heckling and the more serious "put-down," this paper suggests that this behavior can stem from a need for attention, resistance, an inability to express feelings more appropriately, or a desire to test an adult's strength. It is important to listen…

This article discusses the author's experiences with the reflective discipline approach. It concludes that for the author, using this system dramatically reduced classroom discipline problems and acting out no longer garners an amused audience of peers. Finally, and the author finds, perhaps most importantly, this solution teaches children to…

Every professor encounters difficult students. Some students are simply uninterested, while others are more troublesome. The aggressive passive-aggressive student, the interrupter, the hijacker, the shy student--most faculty members are familiar with them all. In this article, the author offers a few tips on how faculty members should approach…

In this article, the author addresses the concern of a teacher with students who exhibit discipline problems. She presents several suggestions to help make children obey and respect the teacher. Some of her suggestions include: (1) greeting each child by name at the door as they arrive; (2) standing tall and using a firm voice to convey authority;…

Those who accept some responsibility for the young owe it to them to search for alternatives to punishment as a means of assisting the progress of their education. Alternatives are discussed. For example, one appropriate alternative is the separation of children from particular environments where they do not do well. (RM)

Argues that discipline must be conceptualized as a problem solving process that includes problem identification, problem analysis, intervention, and evaluation. Discusses each of these points in detail. (FL)

Eight theme articles discuss discipline in the classroom, including a definition of student management, ways to recognize and ward off problems, and how to cope. (JOW)

In this article, the author responds to a teacher's request for advice on how to handle a child in her class who keeps on shoving and bopping other children, sometimes hitting them on the head with hard objects. The author offers support and suggestions on how to help children who use negative behavior to communicate their wants and needs. She…

This paper presents an overview of the literature concerning discipline in the classroom, focusing specifically on the root causes of discipline problems and the development of problem-specific responses. A bibliography and suggestions for further reading are also included. (DS)