There are no ‘rules’ for child discipline, and there are no ideal methods of disciplining a child. Yet there are some useful guidelines that can ensure that a child, at any age, can be given better guidance and helped to evolve with all-round growth. Many teachers, despite good intentions and genuine interest in students, find themselves overreacting and becoming very strict in the classroom. This not only affects the teacher-student relationship, but also hampers the motivation of the child to study.

There is no doubt that discipline is absolutely essential in any academic set-up. The debate is not whether discipline is necessary or not! It is on HOW discipline should be ensured, the techniques that should be used to enforce discipline, keeping in mind the overall objective of increasing, rather than decreasing, the motivation and learning of students.

First ask yourself the crucial question

Before we even begin to analyse different forms of discipline, there is a need for the teacher to ask herself, when faced with a behaviour issue of a student — “Why do I need to discipline him in this particular area or action?” It could be because he is hurting others, he will do worse things if not stopped, so that others should not copy him, he is creating bad image of family or school, etc. The “why” should be answered by you truthfully to your own self. When you are open to introspection you will be able to run through a checklist within your own mind, thereby reducing impulsive tendencies and looking at the issue very objectively.

Check
*overreaction on your part
*are you comparing him with others
*mixing up his right to have fun and enjoy, with his lack of studies
*any form of humiliation you are putting him through
*whether he has outlets for his pent-up anger or strong emotions

*have you provided outlets to him for his mental/physical energy
*are his actions within today’s fashion and acceptable norms
*are you succumbing to your own peer pressure
*are you using him as soft target for your personal tension
*have you informed him of existing rules and norms, etc

When you are clear that you are imposing discipline or punishment only where it is absolutely necessary, and for the right reasons, you can start reviewing the different alternatives by which you can implement positive discipline. Punishment should utilise the time and energy of the student in a constructive way, and not make the child more lazy and disconnected from studies and school.

Some methods

1. Positive strokes vs negative strokes, ie carrot vs stick
2. Consistency, eg, do you punish all students the same way for same action?
3. Discuss between adults (teacher-colleague, teacher-parent, teacher-principal), before deciding on how you will deal with different situations.
4. Use discipline immediately, without delay, and explain to him why he is being given the scolding or punishment. 5. Avoid humiliation, comparison, or targeting his self-esteem
6. Never repeat his misdeed eg, a teacher should never shout loudly herself and say, “WILL YOU STOP SHOUTING?”
7. Appreciate good work, create a healthy balance between praise and scolding. For students who are prone to receiving repeated punishment, create situations where you can praise or reward them for the smallest good deeds.
8. Change your methodology when one method doesn’t work. Do a continuous introspection and be creative.
9. Don’t feel shy to seek external help when things seem to be going out of control. Discussing case studies with others helps you get a more objective view.
10. Always keep in mind the purpose of discipline, and never allow it to become a battle or ego issue between teacher and student. 
11. Don’t forget to talk to the child after punishment, ask how he feels, and discuss how such punishment can be avoided in future. This really helps in behaviour modification.

Traditional methods of punishment
1. Caning, slapping, or otherwise hitting the child
2. Sending the child out of the class
3. Making a child write, “I will not repeat this mistake again” hundreds of times
4. Making the child stand up in front of the whole class, or stand on the bench, or squat
5. Suspending the child from attending school

As you are aware, these forms of punishment are very widely used. Please do some introspection about how useful and constructive they are, and what results they achieve in terms of transformation, long-term change or positive development of the student.

No teacher can be an ‘ideal’ teacher. But the best teacher is one who is open to change and correction, who is willing to introspect and improve. Just keep modifying your actions to come as close as possible to the innumerable techniques of positive discipline.

More than anything else, keep an open communication with the student and make him a partner in the process of discipline and norms of behaviour. Today’s child has a lot to contribute, and the joys of teaching and interacting with these bright and promising brains can be increased multifold. 

We invite brief and concise contributions from teachers to share with us  innovative or creative methods that they have successfully been practising to implement positive discipline. Selected inputs will be reproduced in subsequent weeks. Write to DH Education, Deccan Herald, No 75, MG Road, Bangalore - 560001, or email at dheducation@deccanherald.co.in