Proactive teaching means taking care of discipline issues before they occur. Setting up classroom structures and procedures for students to follow on a daily basis can help prevent discipline problems before they happen. When students know a teacher’s expectations, they tend to perform to those expectations. However, outbursts sometimes occur and a teacher must be prepared to take immediate action by redirecting a student’s attention, moving the student’s desk or even removing the student from the classroom setting. These reactive approaches to student behavior need to be quickly administered so the class can get back to work with few distractions.
In his book “The First Days of School,” Harry Wong stresses the need for setting up routines for students and guidelines for respectful behavior at the very beginning of the school year. Knowing students’ names and greeting each one as they arrive to class shows students the teacher is interested in them as a person. Allowing time to discuss and practice expectations for behavior before students move to different activities within the classroom will also help. Using quiet music as a signal to move within the class or just as a calming background can make the room feel more comfortable. Having assignments posted in the same place each day so students can get started immediately gives a sense of structure to the class. Proactive teaching requires planning to make sure each day begins and ends successfully.
Sometimes, despite the best structure and routines, students act out. Whether it’s just a bad day or anger at the teacher, some students will try to disrupt the flow of the class. At these times, teachers need to react quickly to stop the behavior from accelerating. A system of restrictive discipline strategies can prevent behavior from escalating to the point of disrupting the entire class. For example, a teacher notices a student who won’t stop texting during class. Rather than shouting, the teacher should go to the student and give a quiet reminder about staying on task, giving the student a moment of individual attention. Should the behavior continue, the teacher might move the student to a different part of the room or even out to the hallway. As a last resort, involving the principal might be necessary. The teacher should react to stop the disruptive behavior and return to the rest of the class as quickly as possible
A good teacher needs to use both approaches to discipline. However, the more proactively a teacher structures a classroom, the less time will be spent on reactive responses. When students know exactly what a teacher expects from them, discipline problems tend to be minimized. Planning and practicing classroom routines will help prevent disruptions and maintain a positive classroom climate for students and teachers.