What are some creative disciplinary consequences?

Question

I teach high school mathematics and I'm always looking for new ideas. It's my first year of teaching and some of my consequences for behavior problems work and some don't. My school does not have a detention and I am not allowed to hold one. In fact, my administration is not very supportive at all, so I'm looking for more creative and effective ways to discipline students. One of my consequences is that they have to copy all the words out of the glossary of their text book under a certain letter, including diagrams. This has been a good consequence. The kids don't like it so they avoid getting in trouble again if that is their consequence. I call parents and occasionally send kids to the office if it's bad enough, but it's not very effective. I'm just wondering if there are other teachers out there with more ideas on ways to discipline students creatively without isolating them. Thanks.

I use positive reinforcements as well. I keep a marble jar for each class period and when they do something outstanding, I put a bag of marbles in their jar. If they do something negative, I take out a bag. When they fill their marble jar, we have a party or I make them cookies or something like that.

Answer 1

Post class rules and discuss them. Make a contract that includes the expectations in your classroom. Have students sign and have their parents sign it too, and keep the contract in a file.
Have students in each class keep a log of students who broke the rules and the rules they broke. Once a month, have court to decide what punishment should be appropriate for rule breakers. Let the students with no violations sentence rule breakers to x amount of time for cleanup duty at the end of class. That helps you and it gives the kids a chance to vote on what the 'bad kids' do. Keep a calendar with student names and the date of their duty. Let the students know the consequences of not performing their duty - a formal write up, including your student's signed contract and a parent conference.
I don't recommend sending a student out of the room to the office. Sometimes all they want is to get out of diong the work.
I also don't think int is a good idea to use writing and copying as a punishment. It tends to make to some students hate to write and copy things down. These are good skills to develop, but not as punishment.
As for administrators who don't support their teachers, they aren't worth the poo on my shoe.

Answer 2

Okay, this may or may not work for highschool age. We were taught in our elements of education class to have a positive reinforcement at the end of every week. For high school age it could be a video or a music party or even a junk food party. Each student has their name on the bulletin board in the class. Under each name are 3 symbols. Since you are teaching math maybe you could use 3 different types of triangles. If a student does something that requires consequences, you have them remove a symbol from under their name. At the end of the week, all the students who still have symbols under their name, can participate in whatever the positive reinforcement is. Those who have lost all or most of their symbols can't.
In order for this to work, you need to be very clear about which behaviours will cause them to lose a symbol. You also have to have a reinforcement they are going to want. Finally, you can even build in positive behaviours that they can have in order to win back a symbol. These need to be very clearly outlined as well.

Answer 3

properly reinforcing the regulations and robust behaviour has particularly worked for our son -he's 4 yet he's been interior the unfavourable 2's (or unfavourable 3's) section considering the fact that final 365 days. working example he loves observing video clips, so we tell him in case you behave right at swimming training right this moment and dont make a fuss approximately going you will get to computer screen a video whilst come abode!! And he gets particularly excited approximately that!! and then now and returned by the day we remind him of the compliment for solid behaviour... remember approximately video, or this or the different. additionally working example with a youthful new child which contain yours.. remind of the regulations formerly hand.. working example make him be an element of the regulations: can we kick and scream on the save?? Noo we dont, we behave right and carry mommy's hand... on the save if he's behaving right remind him what a solid interest he's doing!! and how happy you're... and maybe if he keeps being right behaved he gets a manage... working example. I dont think of this is undesirable in any respect to compliment him with a small manage for solid behaviour, you like her to affiliate solid behaviour=manage! Then he will behave right as she gets older you may shrink down on those.. and manage might desire to be something, someting type the dollar save, or a movie, or a raffle to pass to the park something your son likes. additionally if there became solid behaviour make a huge fuss approximately it,"ohh what a solid boy you have been right this moment!! We gotta tell daddy that when he comes abode! those are a number of the failings we actual do with our son, and that have worked. And it is trial and mistake. It additionally relies upon on how undesirable the behaviour is.. we at one component made a recurring chart-considering the fact that each and every thing became a conflict!! ANd for ever little concern he did he gets a decal!! And on the top of the day we'd count selection the stickers and say ohh what solid day you had!! and evaluate what stickers he have been given and which of them no longer... we've come a looong way with our son and now he's very almost out of this point!! Thank goodness!! yet our youngest is 21 mos!! LOL solid success , i'm hoping it helps!

Answer 4

Welcome to the classroom of the 21st century.

My punishments (now called disciplinary measures!!) in school included writing lines (100 times "I must not chew gum in room three hundred".) Or having to stand in the corner of the room, nose touching the wall. Or standing outside in the hall, missing the teaching and on 'view' for other students and teachers to notice me. OR running laps in gym classes.

Now math class? Maybe writing out some multiplication table?

Sorry that the admin is not supportive.

My best advice is that the classroom activities and your lesson plans be dynamite and interesting and wonderful. Always have more prepared than you think they can handle. Play games with the kids - team games maybe, boys vs girls?

You have chosen a noble profession.

Answer 5

This is what my middle school teacher used to do. If one of us students were being disruptive he would punish us by taking our chair away. It sounds silly, and not very "threatening" but we had to do our school work at our desk standing. After a few minutes of not being allowed to sit we were ready to be good kids and not get into any more trouble. Try standing in front of a students desk and completing a math assignment! It is very awkward and makes your legs feel as if you have been running laps! Kids will be great full for their seat once you let them have it back!

Answer 6

You can make them clean the room, scrape gum off of desks...or, this may sound silly, but I teach high school and I have a spray water bottle that I use to clean off my overhead. Somewhere along the line I started spraying kids with it who weren't paying attention or who fell asleep, but then it morphed into "the next time you talk I'm spraying you" or similar things like that. They HATE it and I can't believe how well it works. Now please keep in mind I have a great relationship with my boys and I only spray the kids I know can handle it and I only use it for mild issues like talking, sleeping, and other general annoyances. I even tell parents at conferences and they think its a great idea...some of them even say "please, spray them all you want." I never spray them in the eyes and at this point all I have to do is point it in their direction and they shape up. Its crazy how many of my kids don't even acknowledge you when you threaten them with a detention, but point some water at them and they are like Superman and Kryptonite.

Answer 7

If kids are continuing to hit each other or use any other form of touching threaten that they will have to hold hands for 5 mintues (works good on boys)