Submitted by Jill Young, North Carolina

Idea posted April 24, 2002

Question: Any ideas for discipline systems that are more "corrective" in nature and geared more toward helping individuals make better behavior choices immediately?

Answer: "Dancing around discipline" used to really be my weakness. With one class immediately following another - and I have to deliver them to their next teacher then pick them up - I don't have a lot of time. I used to be guilty of temporarily solving the problem just to get finished with the lesson! I quit that about four years ago, and now I just occasionally catch myself letting something go that I should be lowering the boom on right then, usually at the end of the day on Friday. :-) Usually, now, I immediately jump on the problem.

Depending on the degree of cooperation from the classroom teacher, I now use the following things as the child may need them, though the starred items are not on my official list of consequences (I save them for special cases):

  • Name on board
  • A good "chewing out" in the hall which serves as a warning sometimes, with dire consequences promised if it happens again (This one works wonders - I've learned from the best!)*
  • No instruments (especially if the infraction involves an instrument, they get NO WARNINGS, the instrument is gone!)
  • Note to teacher (I only use this in the most supportive of situations)*
  • Time out, with various degrees of written work
  • Silent lunch or miss recess
  • Sit in another teacher's classroom (I have a couple of friends with FEARSOME reputations!)*
  • Miss their next special and sit in my room for Time Out*
  • Report to my room and make up the music time they missed by misbehaving during something they really like: party, recess, etc.*
  • Note home
  • Call home*
  • Office referral

For notes home, the school gave us a pack of notes made like a receipt book, so we always have a copy of the note we send home. This is very, very quick.