Part A. Classroom Discipline, Policies, and Procedures
The classroom discipline is vital in promoting healthy interactions, class cohesion, and effective learning (Borich, 2017). In the learning environments, some policies and procedures demonstrate what constitutes discipline and how to respond to violations of the code of conduct. Effective discipline policies help to eliminate distractive classroom behaviors, attention-seeking behavior, bullying, and other undesired behaviors. Some of the critical policies include respecting the classroom rules, being courteous, obeying authority, being prompt, and showing respect to school property. Indiscipline emanates from the failure to adhere to such policies.
On being prompt, it is vital that learners begin to appreciate hard work and taking responsibility (Borich, 2017). Homework should be completed before the student enters the class the next day. Tardiness should be discouraged, and the learning should be at the right place at the right time. If the principle of time management is not instilled in the minds of the learners at the early age, they will have a problem of lateness, procrastination, and unable to deliver assignments within the stipulated time (Mahmoud, 2017). Failure to time management, finishing assignments, and homework for no good reasons should be treated as an indiscipline.
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Obeying authority and respecting school property are vital. Learners should be careful not to damage school properties (Borich, 2017). Respect towards teachers and classroom rules demonstrates the learners’ willingness to obey authority. Learning to take instructions from teachers will enhance effective learning. Being courteous is equally essential. The goal is to train leaners to be grateful, to show respect to others, and to have a positive attitude towards others.
While policies and procedures are vital in enhancing discipline, there are circumstances when they (policies) do not yield the desired results. In enforcing the discipline policies and procedures, the teacher should be fair, consistent, avoid arguments with learners, and be prompt in the administration of discipline. Being fair in the disciplining process dictates the approach to discipline. Discipline incidences are not the same; some are more severe. So, it is vital for the teacher to know how to apply suitable disciplining approaches for a particular case.
When administering discipline, the goal should be to let the student understand what policies they have violated. At all times, the teacher should try not to raise the voice and be rational. The rationale is to foster effective communication concerning how the student is expected to behave in the future.
In the primary and intermediary levels, issues of dressing code, theft, bullying, and violent incidences are common. A strong policy on such matters is necessary as well as outline the discipline procedures. Again, fairness is imperative. Sometimes the administration of discipline will require the integration of parents and school counselors. The goal is to get to the root of the problem, especially when conduct disorders become more frequent in a student.
Studies have demonstrated that emphasizing on the school rules, being open and friendly, enhancing consistency in disciplining, treating learners with respect and fairness, and being supportive, helps to prevent indiscipline incidences. Engaging the services of a counselor will also help to identify the stresses, learning disabilities, and conduct disorders that might increase the indiscipline incidences.
Part B. Creating Positive and Safe Environment
A positive learning environment is characterized by learners’ emotional and social connection, feeling supported, and being able to contribute effectively to the day-to-day learning. An effective classroom environment ought to observe safety standards in the designing of the classroom. The following factors demonstrate how a teacher can create a positive and safe learning environment.
Enhance Emotional Connection Among learners
The effective relationship among learners plays an imperative role in responding to one another’s emotional needs. The teacher helps students to connect emotionally by encouraging interactions and regulation of negative emotions. Bullying behaviors, for instance, will discourage good relationships between the children. The role of the teacher is to ensure that any undesired behaviors are addressed immediately to foster social and emotional connection.
Address Attention-Seeking Behavior
There is a tendency for some learners to engage in attention-seeking behavior, which can interfere with effective learning (Wong, Wong, Jondahl, & Ferguson, 2014). The goal should be to identify such students and behaviors and determining the best approach to address the problem. Usually, the teacher can use the communication and the physical space strategies. The communication involves letting the learner understand the rules and regulations governing a classroom (Wong et al., 2014). For instance, the teacher should teach learners how to respect fellow students and to communicate directly to the instructor whenever there is a problem. Learners should also know that any distractive behavior will not be entertained in the classroom. Ensuring that every student is engaged in the learning process is vital. It makes every student consider themselves an integral part of the learning environment. Also, the learner feels appreciated. The classroom layout is equally important. There should be enough spaces between rows to foster movement and easier in monitoring every learner.
Engagement and Supportive Environment
It is vital to note that every learner is unique and has special educational needs. Assuming that all learners learn at the same pace only leads to more problems. In a classroom setting, the instructor should foster the learner-centered learning approach to teaching (Wong et al., 2014). This allows the teacher to address the needs of every student. The strategy also helps to identify the emotional and behavioral problems enabling the teacher to address the issues in advance before they begin to affect learning. The equal treatment for every learner regardless of their strengths and weakness creates the feeling of acceptance and love. This eventually creates a supportive environment for every learner.
Safety Environment
Safety is a significant concern in many learning environments. The focus should be on the physical safety of every child by ensuring that the class layout is designed appropriately (Hill & Miller, 2014). Firstly, the teacher should ensure that the class is as clean as possible at all time. Dust, for instance, can lead to flu and other healthcare complications, particularly to asthmatic students. Littering the flow should also be avoided at all cost. Instead, proper disposition of litter should be enhanced. This prevents the situations where the floor becomes a slippery posing danger of falling. The class should be well-ventilated to create a favorable environment for learning and preventing infections (Wong et al., 2014). Good lighting is equally important to enhance learning. During the admission, it is vital for teachers to identify health issues such as allergies to particular times of foods. This is important to avoid complications when students eat food they react to. In addition, it is equally important to identify health issues such as diabetes and any other physical problems in learners. This helps to plan for physical exercises, the type of foods to eat, and generally how a teacher handles every student.
References
Borich, G. D. (2017). Effective Teaching methods: Research-based practice . Enhanced Pearson eText with loose-leaf version -- access card package (9th ed.). San Francisco: Pearson.
Hill, J. D., & Miller, K. B. (2014). Classroom instruction that works with English language learners (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ACSD.
Mahmoud, R.A. (2017). The impact of effective teaching strategies on producing fast and good learning outcomes. International Journal of Research . 5. 43-58. 10.5281/zenodo. 259563
Wong, H. K., Wong, R. T., Jondahl, S. F., & Ferguson, O. F. (2014). The Classroom management book . Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.
