At the beginning of every school year, it is important to go over expectations with the students. Covering expectations is not just explaining rules, but also communicating what students are to do and how they are to behave every day. Teachers' expectations of students can cover both abstract and concrete topics. Expectations can be classroom ideals like honesty, kindness, respect and trying your best. They can also assert classroom protocol like focusing on morning activities, raising hands or using hall passes. Outlining expectations should be a high-priority goal at the start of any school year, as it can pay off in classroom discipline throughout the year. It is important to discuss consequences for students who do not live up to expectations. Consequences could be losing recess, eating lunch with the teacher, bad grades or a call home. When disciplining students, it is important not to make empty threats.
Teaching students to monitor their own behavior is another effective way to regulate classroom discipline. Self-discipline takes practice, persistence and patience but helps teachers in the long run. Concepts of self-discipline include taking responsibility, proactively following classroom procedure, identifying authority, effectively communicating and being prepared. An effective method in teaching students to monitor themselves is asking thoughtful questions about their progress. The questions could address whether they understand their assignments, what habits they are proud of and their work approach. The questions will serve as a way for students to conduct a self-analysis that will help them make better choices.
Addressing discipline in the classroom can be better achieved by creating lesson plans that benefit different learning styles. The three main learning styles to address are visual, auditory and kinesthetic. Visual learners do well with notes on a chalkboard, flash cards and written examples. Auditory learners do best with oral instructions, lectures and even songs. Kinesthetic learners benefit most from lessons that involve physical objects, moving around or games. Varying teaching formats can also take the monotony out of learning. You can mix it up with small groups, discussion groups, role playing and peer tutoring to keep the students occupied enough so they do not act out. For example, teachers could make a role-playing exercise where students demonstrate correct classroom behavior. Teachers could also create discussion groups that address the importance of each classroom rule, like raising your hand before speaking.
When teachers schedule daily activities, they can prevent discipline issues by overplanning. Keeping the students occupied leaves no room for distraction. If students have something to do from the moment they walk into the classroom until the end of the day, they will be far more likely to behave well. Many teachers have daily activities that are self-directed at the start of each day. Students develop a habit of completing these activities in the morning rather than chatting away with classmates. For example, teachers could write a subject on the board each day, and have their students look in their textbooks for facts about that subject to write down. Afterward, the class could go over the facts together. This self-guided activity would be far more constructive than chatter.