1. Make any statement that tells the student that s/he is a worthwhile person.
2. Being available, helpful, supportive and caring.
3. Asking the student for help.
4. Demonstrating understanding, caring and liking.
5. Taking the student seriously.
6. Sharing with the student.
7. Being fair, considerate and respectful.
8. Accepting students’ feelings.
9. Create opportunities for personal contact with students.
10. Model the desired behavior.

For today, take a look at the things you did and said in a particularly difficult lesson you recently experienced. Did you come across as one who is accepting of your students? Try and separate the student’s misbehavior from the person. Maybe you need to have a tutorial with this problematic student to settle some of the difference. But avoid any confrontations during in-class instruction – that will just negatively affect your classroom climate.

To deflect some of the tension that goes along with the problematic behavior of negative students, you might consider employing some of these techniques to help you create a more positive environment.

1. Allow students to participate in the rule setting. (You may wish to do this later if you feel you are too new to a class)
2. Allow the students to plan and set goals for learning.
3. Allow the students to use self-evaluation procedures.
4. Allow students to give input about assignments. (You could do this as an in-class writing assignment)
5. Allow students to select the books they want to read.
6. Allow students input into daily schedule.(You could do this as an in-class writing assignment)

Try it!

Are You in the Discipline Trap?

Reporting discipline problems as a way to "control" the students is not  effective classroom management because habitual reporting can lead to decreased performance and motivation.

Many new teachers fall into the trap thinking that by adopting an authoritative approach to discipline ("I say, you listen") they will have done the following things successfully:

• they will have "taken care" of the discipline problem.
• they will have gained more respect in the eyes of the students
• they will have created a more serious atmosphere for learning
• they will have "won" the students over
• they will have established their authority as classroom managers

Taking Control of the Discipline Game

Taking control of the discipline game is not taking more and more control - it's actually giving the control BACK to your students. You need to set-up your class with special self-directed procedures and systems that help engage your students from the very start so there is no room for doubt, questioning and challenging your authority.  Special self-directed procedures are those that organize and settle students in right away from the moment they enter their classroom.

You need to set up a system so that you are helping them take control over their learning and behavior without you EVER having to control it for them by reporting discipline related issues and incidents.

Know What to Say and When

New teachers often talk down to their students which often alineates and isolates them. Control such visual and verbal warning cues that already signal off "a discipline message" which often signals a lack of respect and trust. 

Stay Away from the Discipline Trap

The key to escape the discipline trap is to keep the consistent focus on them by reinforcing and reviewing those systems that self-direct their learning and bheavior, so that they are constantly following your rules and procedures. Not only will you feel your way of speaking to your students different, but more importantly, your students will feel it too.

Don't fall victim to the discipline trap! My special six page report on Effective Classroom Management Tips for Mixed Ability Classes can help. Click here to learn more about what is a special teaching report. Click here to find out more about this special report.