Operant Conditioning: The Role of Discipline in the Classroom.

    Discipline is a topic that I hold near and dear to my heart, and one that I have thoroughly investigated as an adult and future educator. Discipline is essential for the success and development of a child. It is not something done TO a child, but rather something done FOR the child. It is a tool by which we train a child in the way he/she should go. In my opinion, the key to successful effective discipline is the spirit behind it. What is the driving force…to control or to guide? I am not an advocate of paddling in school. If that is the discipline of choice of a parent, that is something the parent should be responsible to administer in the privacy of their home. I will be candid and admit that I am a product of paddling or spanking. As a little girl my mother used this form of correction; but she never did it in a spirit of anger or frustration. After she caught me, she would explain to me the consequence of my bad behavior and administer the correction. I believe it worked with my disposition as long as she was consistent. I can really only recall being paddled a handful of times. However, every child is different. Suspending or taking away a privilege is the end of the world for some kids, a phone call home to a parent will whip a child into shape in a heart beat, just sitting and having a heart to heart with a child can get to the root problem and change a child’s behavior. I believe we need to be incredibly discerning as parents and teachers. Humiliation is NOT the answer! Something I learned in preparation for becoming an educational missionary overseas that has always stuck with me warranting a desired behavior from a student, is that a student should be praised in public, and punished (or corrected) in private. We must be careful not to crush a child’s spirit, but seek to modify wrong behavior. What I have witnessed and experienced first hand is that the children in the long run will love you more for it! Any discipline is not pleasant for a time, but it will reap a good return in the end. If possible, due to age appropriateness, I believe is is essential that we give children UNDERSTANDING of why their behavior is inappropriate. Is it detrimental to THEIR own successs or health (mental, physical, spiritual or emotional). Is it hurting or causing harm to another child or affecting the learning environment in a negative way? Boy! If we can get kids to possess compassion and instill in them perspective and the simplicity of treating others the way they would like to be treated, then we’d have it made! We need to let kids know that when any kind of discipline, correction or punishment is administered it is not because THEY ARE BAD or unacceptable, but rather, in the words of The Super Nanny ( and it is much cooler spoken with that British accent) their behavior is not acceptable.