MAINTAINING CONTROL AND DISCIPLINE

Task

A. Interview four teachers about their personal experience relating to the following issues:

1. The most effective ways of maintaining control and discipline in the classroom./ Jak zapewnić dyscyplinę, ład i uwagę w klasie.

- organizing lessons in groups (dividing the class into groups) so that there are less students in the classroom;

- keeping the students occupied with the tasks, making them participate so that they have no time for talking;

- making use of both rewarding and punishing;

- not being either too strict and too lenient;

- maintaining close contact with the head-teacher of the class, the school educationalist and parents

2. What are the most frequent cases of “closed” transgressions (misbehaviour cases not directly aimed at the teacher) and how to deal with them most effectively.

- talking with the classmates;

- doing things other than required by the teacher;

- leaving the fixed place;

- making noise;

- writing text messages with the cell phone

How to deal with them most effectively:

- simply tell to stop;

- collect all the items which divert the attention (cell phones, books other than the required textbook, etc.);

- talk with the student;

- talk with the parents;

- engage the students with the activities they find interesting.

3. How to handle “open transgressions” (confrontation with the teacher).

- talk to the student individually;

- talk to the head-teacher of the class, the school educationalist and the student's parents;

- talk to the headmaster of the school;

- lower the student's behaviour grade;

- suggest that the student should receive an individual teaching program;

- suggest that the student should change the class;

- in some serious cases he student might be expelled form the school.

B. While observing lessons be on the lookout for misbehaviour cases. Describe 4 of them using the following grid:

Students' behaviour	Teacher's reactions	Students' response
Talking with the classmates Reading books other than an English textbook Leaving the fixed place Writing text messages with the cell phone	The teacher hushes them and engages them in an activity. The teacher takes away any other books. The teacher tells the student to stop, but when he keeps on leaving his place she ignores him. The teacher tells the students not to bring the cell phones to school and if they do, to leave them in their backpacks.	The students stop talking and focus on the task. The students start focusing on the subject of the lesson. The student leaves his place whenever he wants to. Students stop using their cell phones during the lesson.

Answer the question:

1. Would you have reacted to these instances of students' misbehaviour? Why/ why not? If yes, how?

In most cases I would have reacted the same way as the teacher did. She was patient, calm, but at the same time not too lenient. Besides, she achieved what she desired by using her methods. However, I could not have ignored the student who kept on leaving his place, but in fact it is next to impossible to make him obey the rules. The boy has an ADHD syndrome and I was told that everyone just had to be extremely patient with him. I would have suggested individual lessons for him.

---