/ 23 October 2012

Drop the punishment mentality

Discipline does not equal punishment.
Discipline does not equal punishment.

Often, teachers indirectly associate discipline with punishment of pupils for transgressions they have committed. Usually they think discipline is something that must be done to pupils instead of it being a personal skill pupils must be taught or develop from within. This punishment mentality leads to a situation in which pupils are even afraid to be happy in class in case their happiness is classified as noise or disruption. I have always believed that I have to teach discipline and not use it as punishment. Discipline is a process through which you teach pupils to be self-controlled and self-managed. Each child, being conscious of their behaviour, will lead to an environment of good discipline. The starting point towards developing discipline is to teach your pupils good manners. Go back to the basics; revisit forms of behaviour that are acceptable and those that are not. Have discussions with your pupils and hear what they have to say; understand why they hold particular views about their behaviour. Self-discipline is what they must be taught.

Create space for understanding
Often, teachers do not give pupils a chance to understand why certain things have to be done or not done. Pupils walk into class and already the teacher has set up rules and regulations (preconditions), which are usually non-negotiable. Anyone who transgresses will be met with a series of punishments. In response, pupils do one of two things; they either meekly oblige or they silently or overtly challenge the rules. It has always been a good idea to talk to pupils about issues they need to make sense of. Most teachers assume that having the same rules from last year will help to set the tone for the pupils in the current year. They forget that pupils are different and that there has to be great effort on the part of the teacher to customise the rules according to the calibre and personalities of the current group of pupils in the class. I am not asking teachers to abandon any form of discipline or order in their classes. I am merely emphasising the importance of consultation and communication as a way to improve on the concept of self-discipline. Well-behaved pupils are not necessarily those who keep quiet because they have been told to, but it is the pupils who understand why they cannot disturb others who may be busy in class. In this case, the absence of the teacher at a particular moment will not be seen as the absence of authority.

Where do teachers start?
It is important for teachers to create a classroom atmosphere that allows for openness and trust. Pupils must be encouraged to trust their opinions and be allowed to express them without fear of the teacher and classmates. It is the duty of the teacher to create a culture of tolerance in which dissenting and affirming views or thoughts are welcomed without discrimination.

Next, the teacher should assist pupils with the way in which they need to express their thoughts. Helping them to know that having a thought is not enough if that thought cannot find proper channels of expression. It is important to instil in pupils the importance of knowing when, why, how and what to express. In this way you will encourage the skill of self-reflection so that pupils think before they speak.

Teach self reflection
Self-reflection is another form of self-discipline. Pupils must be taught how to handle themselves. They can be taught how to control their own emotions. They will struggle at first and that is acceptable. They can never be taught to be faultless, but at least an attempt must be made to teach them how to deal with emotions, particularly those emotions that might cause harm to themselves and to others. Pupils should be constantly reminded of their own acceptable or unacceptable behaviour at all times without being threatened with punishment. Pupils will learn, one way or another, how to be conscious of their behaviour and attitude. The duty of a teacher throughout this process is that of being a guide. The teacher should not tell pupils the dos and don’ts. Their duty should be to illuminate issues and to help pupils to find their own behaviour path. The teacher should create a scenario during class discussions and help pupils to find their own voice and develop reasonable ways to find acceptable expression too. Pupils, like the rest of human beings, are likely to resist what they do not understand. That is why it is important for teachers to give pupils space to make sense of things they are being asked to do.

The best form of behaviour for pupils is the one coming from within rather than the one imposed from outside.

There will be challenges at first as pupils battle with the concept of self-expression. With the right guidance and consistency on the part of the teachers, chances are pupils will find their own feet and control themselves with minimal supervision. I will reiterate the importance of having a solid framework from which to build from. It is vital to have basic standards of discipline that form the basis for further rules of acceptable behaviour and standards in class. Being adaptable will assist teachers to come up with discipline strategies that are suited to the nature and character of their present class, not simply copying and pasting rules from the previous years. Magic can be had when pupils know how to behave by themselves without threat of force or punishment.
Xolani Majola is an education policy analyst