Seven Keys to Improving Student Discipline

It is not unusual for a campus to focus on improving student discipline.  If this is to be a priority on your campus this year make sure that your campus discipline improvement plan addresses these seven keys.

1. Recognize that adult practice drives student performance.  If your plan doesn’t address proactive adult practices, then you are really addressing symptoms not causes.

2. Reduce student movement. Most student discipline issues occur either during or immediately after transitions.  If you can reduce the frequency of transitions, the duration of the transitions, and the distance of the transitions, discipline issues will also decrease.

3. Improve adult supervision.  Students are smart. Misbehavior occurs most frequently when adults are not paying attention or are absent from an area.  Much like adults are more apt to speed when they haven’t seen a traffic cop in a while.

4. Post and follow daily schedules and routines.  Predictability creates stability in student behavior.

5. Teach bell to bell.  When we don’t have something to occupy our student’s time, they will fill the void.  And there is a good chance that the teacher will not appreciate their self-selected activity.

6. Improve first line instruction.  When students are frustrated academically, their behavior suffers. 

7. Model everything.  The most powerful form of teaching is modeling.  If you are not willing to model the behavior then it is hypocritical to expect students to perform the behavior.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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