Discipline: An important part of the classroom.

In order to have a successful classroom, a teacher cannot ignore the task of discipline. My definition of discipline is to constructively correct someone for actions that are not appropriate behavior. If a teacher did not have discipline in a classroom, the students would not be able to learn and achieve a successful education because the classroom would be nothing but a chaotic mess. No matter what age the students are, whether in 1st grade or in 12th grade, they all need guidance and help in making sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. As they get older, of course the guidelines can be a little more lenient, but they still need them just like they did before.

This week’s discussion has impacted my personal philosophy regarding student management because I realize and understand how important it is to have discipline in the classroom. It is a very important aspect of having a successful learning environment for the children. A teacher can enforce rules and guidelines without always having to be a Nazi about them. However, no matter how good the students’ behavior is or how bad it is, there must be rules to follow. Without rules, there would be no order or control in the classroom.
I have a very outgoing personality and I love playing and being around kids. I like to make kids happy and see them have fun at the same time. I love their smiles and giggles as they play and use their imagination to go in a world beyond this one. It will be a challenge to decide at what point I will draw the line in a situation where it is border line of needing correction. Some kids are very quiet and sensitive and can sometimes do things that are not appropriate, without realizing it. Times like this, a teacher will feel that they should say something to help the child understand what it is they are doing and why they shouldn’t do it. However, one must be careful how they approach the child and go about talking to them.

One example I have in my own life, I experienced the other day. I was baby-sitting 3 kids and I we had just come inside the house from playing outside. The little girl, who was 3 years old, had to go the bathroom. However, she didn’t make it to the bathroom in enough time apparently. Next thing I know, she comes out telling me that there is pee on the floor and that she went the bathroom on the floor right in front of the toilet. In a time like this, I didn’t want to get on to her and tell her how she should have not gone the bathroom on the floor. However, one has to decide in situations like this, whether or not the child did it on purpose or if it was merely just an accident. I think with practice and if you really know the child, one will know how to handle the situation and if discipline is necessary in that moment or not. This will be one challenge that I will have to learn to discern how to handle in the classroom. However with my outgoing personality, I think it will help me to get to know the children quickly and build relationships with them easily.

I love being around children and playing with them. I do not feel that just because I am in college that I have to always act grown up. There is a time to be silly and other times to be serious. When I am around kids, sometimes even my own peers, I do not have a problem with being goofy or acting silly or childlike. I know how to have fun and use my imagination and am not afraid of “being too old” to be acting that way. There is a difference between acting immature and knowing how to have fun and act like a child would act. As I begin to teach children, I think my “fun” personality will be very beneficial to me as a teacher, in my future classroom.