It’s three weeks in and I haven’t adhered to any of my so-called discipline manifesto, except for not giving detentions. A colleague’s idea of giving extra work is so genius, that I don’t have to eject kids from my classroom. So far, I may have asked one kid to leave. But for the most part, I’ve been able to mortify students just by giving them something to write.
Before, I couldn’t think of any extra assignments that I’d care to grade. When punishment equals punishing myself, shoot me. But then, an epiphany. I decided to have students atone for their offenses by simply copying about 4-5 pages out of their History or Science books for no academic credit. To make it applicable and redemptive, I check with their History/Science teacher to see what they need to read or study in the near future. If they don’t finish it by the same period the next day, I make them finish it 8th period. If it’s not done by the third day, then it’s a parent call, an athletic consequence, or a trip to the principal’s office. But the writing assignment never goes away. It must be done. The students hate it. They’ll take detentions, athletic consequences, paddlings, suspensions, etc. But they hate to read and write.
For once, I enjoy giving out discipline. The thicker my write-up binder gets, the more satisfied I feel. It’s made a difference in my classes and I’m making believers out of students who once didn’t care for the gift of education. Spare the book, spoil the child.
Recent Comments