In a classroom of 30 students, teachers have to develop a behavior management style that works for large groups. The assertive discipline classroom management style is a discipline plan that is based on the concept that the teacher is in charge of the classroom and that students have expected rules and guidelines to follow. In the assertive discipline approach, student misbehavior has consequences and good student behaviors are rewarded. The discipline plan within the construct of the assertive discipline approach also keeps teachers consistent. According to Lee Canter, the developer of the assertive discipline theory and program, without a discipline plan teachers become inconsistent in the classroom, which opens up the door for more misbehavior.
A successful classroom management style has consequences and rewards built into it to keep students on track. However, without a strong framework or a disciplinary plan, a consequence and reward system can lose control and become inconsistent. A basic consequence and reward system lacks the same level of structure that the assertive discipline management plan contains, which can lead to student confusion and may not be as effective for creating uniform behaviors among large groups of kids.
Both approaches to classroom management are based on classroom rules and guidelines that are established by the teacher. In an assertive discipline classroom management strategy, the teacher sets the rules, informs students of the expectations and even sends home copies of the rules and the consequences for breaking them to the students' parents. In this management style, the teacher makes it known that she is in charge. In a consequence and reward approach, sometimes the teacher will set the rules and guidelines with the students on the first day, so that students have an input and feel involved in the classroom-management process.
Consequences are necessary in the classroom to help students understand why they cannot act out or misbehave, and rewards are just as essential for continuing to steer students in a positive behavioral direction. With assertive discipline, the expectations for good behavior are clearly defined and apply to all students equally and fairly. This setup helps reduce the risk of teacher bias, parent complaints or students feeling picked on. In a consequence and reward classroom management style, the expectations are not as concrete, which means certain negative behaviors in the classroom might get punished while others might not.