Maintaining Classroom Discipline (1948)

the vast majority of behavior problems in the classroom involve minor breaches of discipline these incidents frequently originate in the classroom situation itself under within the control of the teacher disciplinary problems in the classroom are symptoms of underlying weaknesses in the total learning situation mr. Grimes mathematics teacher is displeased with the progress of his ninth grade class in mathematics you see what's low grade you made on your weekly mathematics test more than half of you failed most of those who pass just got by nobody had a hundred percent this is the poorest class I've had in a long long time most of you have no foundation at all now the troubles with your attitude you don't pay enough attention in class you don't do enough work outside of it you don't know what the word study means you haven't the slightest idea don't you realize that mathematics is an important subject I tell you right now that unless you get over your lazy habits and come up to the standards I've set for this class many of you will have the pleasure of repeating this course next semester what is it alright that's one I have to leave for a few minutes now I want you to open your books workout correct solutions of the problems you missed I can't make any sense out of that I might have all quit seeing your leaving took up this third problem it's a he's got me scared to death I'll just never pass this course nothing used to taking this stuff anyway I'm afraid to take my paper home Egypt a soundless the trouble is you don't know what the word study me you haven't the slightest idea this what kind of behavior do you call this wait a minute to stay where you are this is the kind of behavior I might have expected of you all I do is leave the room for a few minutes and what do I find confusion disorder and you're what were you doing I was just going going to what throw the eraser I suppose the good thing I caught you I'll make an example out of you but that's enough out of you leave this room and report to the principal's office immediately Oh hurry up don't take all day who did that all right since you think it's so funny the whole class can stay in for 45 minutes this afternoon then you'll see how funny it is remember the whole class is to report back here at four o'clock where were we I can't tell Magan a newspaper ought to do I got football practice he can go fly a kite I have a piano home stop that her spring mr. Grimes do not have a happy time of it that week do drop that book alright I'll wait till you're quiet many of you failed to hand in your homework yesterday now you know that that what is this stop that noise two detentions three detentions leave this room and don't come back until you're ready to apologize to me well this is going to get us nowhere maybe we better go back to see if we can't find some of the causes of this undesirable learning situation just what was mr. Grimes purpose in making such statements as these this is the poorest class I've had in a long long time hmm this is hardly the way to win friends or influence people you don't know what the word study means getting the slightest idea might not be a bad idea to show them how I tell you right now that unless you get over your lazy habits and come up to the standards i have set for this class many of you will have the pleasure of repeating this course next semester what kind of motivation is this to what does it lead the trouble is you don't know what the word study means you haven't the slightest idea this reaction is the answer it was the result of mr. Grimes provocative remarks now take this the good thing I caught you I'll make an example out of you oh come now mr. Grimes by taking it out on the boy aren't you covering up a symptom of your own deficiency who did that yes who did some boy probably but the chances are it summarises the feelings of the group there is an unwritten code covering such situations why try to buck it alright since you think it's so funny the whole class can stay in for 45 minutes this afternoon mass punishment is a dangerous weapon and doesn't work too well two detentions three detentions leave this room and don't come back until you're ready to apologize to me it's a long way to the end of the term when will this end thus what should have developed into a sequence of pleasant and valuable learning experiences had deteriorated into a series of disagreeable and injurious personal tensions this is all wrong eat any of these incidents have occurred at all suppose mr. Grimes had tried another approach most of you are disappointed in the low grades you made on this test so am I nearly all of you had trouble with that last problem on ratio perhaps I didn't do a good job explaining ratio now ratio is commonly used in everyday life mother uses it in the kitchen when she takes a recipe for a big cake uses proportional amounts of ingredients to make a little cake vice versa I don't know anything about baking but let's suppose the recipe call for 8 cups of flour and four eggs I want to make take half that size how much would i use you need 4 cups of flour and chew it that's right you boys use it and shop but you read a blueprint as you know blueprints merely a scale drawing of something that usually larger suppose I had a blueprint of a bridge it's going to be a hundred feet wide but on this drawing the bridge is only ten inches wide now how many feet would each inch represent 10 feet that's right now that's using ratio let's see where we made our mistakes the problem was this what is the ratio between four and a half yards one and a half feet now you were terribly four and a half and one and a half said the answer was three that's where you fell into a trap what you forgot was that before you can divide you have to reduce all units of measurement to the same unit now what the unit here that's right my god sure fell for that one first of all let's change four and a half yards in defeat that gives us 13 and a half feet and now we can divide 13 and a half feet by one and a half feet right answer is 9 well I see where I made my mistake I want you to look over your papers very carefully and see where you made your mistakes I'll come down the aisles and if there any questions don't hesitate to ask me yes exactly all right thank you I have to leave for a few moments on page 15 of your books the first three problems are exactly like number one on the test Rose you do as many as you can until I get back I get the idea now I sure messed up my test paper I'm glad he's going over these questions I'd never make hair a tail out of him otherwise you know I'm beginning to get some sense out of this I hope I do better next time I'd hate to bring another paper like this home the way he explained that it doesn't seem too hard oh come on cut it out I want to do these problems oh let's have some fun while mr. Grimes is out poor to do these all problems anyway now you know where that board eraser belong I'll try footer thing drives sure court ending he act old grinds are the three KAG hmm that's more like it now you're getting it let's see if you can get an extra classroom control and learning efficiency are products of good teaching learning must be made meaningful interest in work for which learner's see a purpose provides its own discipline but in spite of interest in meaning it must be remembered that some incidents will occur skill in handling such occurrences prevent their growth into problems that's a pretty good catch for a moment a budget miss I'm sorry but I owed him the Apple well I guess it all is expected to pay his debts I'd suggest though in the future you do your baseball practicing outside of class a friendly attitude with a sprinkling of humor goes a long way toward winning the regard and cooperation of the class for respect is a more desirable molder of behavior than fear the development of mutual understanding between teacher and pupils will help eliminate disciplinary problems