Kendra Jones
T O P I C :
How Much Is Enough?
Kendra Poses the Question. . . .
October 19, 2007
I am having a hard time will getting students to actually stay quiet. I feel like I have to intimidate them after the second or third warning. "If you dont stay in your seat and raise your hand when you want to speak, you will have to go to the office." Is it okay for me to just say after their second or third time, "Ok, you need to go out in the hall," or send them to the office? Or should I warn them that one more time that they will be sent out? My question is, can they get told once and then the second time sent, or do they need to be officially warned?
Megan McGrew answers....
November 4, 2007
The most I have had to do to discipline my students has been to send them to the hall, though I have also had trouble with keeping the students quiet and getting them back on task after an activity. I asked the other teachers for suggestions, and one gave me this idea. She said to look at your watch while looking impatient, like tapping your foot, until they get quiet. Eventually the students get quiet. When they do, you say, "You just took (insert time) minutes away from learning, so you will stay after the bell for (insert time) minutes to make it up." This works really well for the period right before lunch.
My mentor has kept students until the tardy bell has rung for the next period. The students then start policing themselves because they do not want to have to stay after the bell has rung. They know when you start looking at your watch that means they are not being quiet. It helps if you actually wear a watch. I don't think it would have the same effect without one. :-)
If a student is just not behaving, I give them a warning, and the next time I just tell them to get out. My mentor teacher usually doesn't even give them a warning. I like to give them a warning because it doesn't seem like they always realize that they are being disruptive.
Michael Figueroa answers....
December 4, 2007
I think it would be fair to send them out right away if they knew far in advance what could happen. Set your rules now, and then enforce them. If you feel like you should send them to the office on the second or third call down, tell them that immediately in some fashion, and when the situation arises in the future, they will know what the punishment is and can't rightfully complain. If you don't set the rules now, you really just have to go case by case.
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