When it comes to classroom management, I would much rather use the carrot than the stick. Part of the reasoning behind this is that it just works better. Students will consistently respond better if they know they are likely to be praised for their good behavior. If the sixth graders at my school anticipate a class where they will be yelled at, they’re likely to just skip that class all together. And where will they be instead of class? Some of them just wander the halls. Some of them hang out in the bathroom the whole time. But some of them have caught on that we monitor those areas and so have found more creative places to hide. The other day, I found graffiti on the roof of the second story (I was on the third floor looking down out the window, not on the roof myself). That tells me that if the kids aren’t in the classroom, their safety cannot be guaranteed.
However, if I make my classroom a place that rewards good
behavior more than it punishes bad, then students are more likely to attend and
put in effort. As I’m spending more time in the classroom, I’m finding that the
best way to reward students is to get to know them to see what their individual
motivations are. For example, one of my students has made it known that he
enjoys and is talented at beatboxing. My mentor quickly shuts him down when
attempts to make music during learning time. Perhaps this is rightly so since
other people may be trying to work. But I’ve kept his passion for hip hop in my
back pocket. The other day I made a review game for the students. The reward
was to be a celebration dance, but I designed the game so it was almost certain
to end in a tie. So the game concluded with a class-wide dance party set to the
live music of my beatboxing pupil. He was definitely jazzed to finally have a
chance to show us his rhythms without being scolded, and everyone enjoyed the
chance to loosen up and have fun – even those who aren’t natural born dancers.
They seemed to just appreciate the atmosphere.
Some of the students constantly crave as much attention as
they can get. Others are introverts who are happier without the eyes of the
class on them. But even the quieter students deserve to be noticeably valued. Pedagogist
Randall Sprick writes that we need to provide students with noncontingent
attention (259). To me, that means that each student should be able to tell
that I am interested in who they are. Each student should know that I want them
to be there. And they should be able to tell that by my actions toward them.
Once they know that I’m on their side and not just trying to punish them into
brainwashed conformity, they are going to be more likely to work with me. Then,
when a student inevitably does act out of line in my class, the words “I’m
disappointed in your behavior” become more effective than treating them as if
they are problematic at their core. They have to know that I believe that they
can do better. I’m teaching because I see the potential in kids and people who
don’t get told enough that they can achieve. I want my students to know that
they have worth. Poor behavior isn’t always an indication of rottenness of a
person. Kids are learning. They have to have the space to make mistakes and
then correct their behavior. I still have hope that they can.
Sprick, Randall S. Discipline in the Secondary Classroom: A Positive Approach to Behavior Management. Jossey-Bass, 2021.
