I think it is a very good idea to introduce your discipline plan and consequences on the very first day of school. Students need to know from the ‘get-go’ what will happen to them. It can be reassuring to know what you will do if they are disobedient. They want to know how safe they are from punishment or how near to receiving rewards.
Everyone makes mistakes. Build a system that includes some forgiveness and room to correct errors. Regardless of the system of discipline you use, the most important principles are:
Be clear, consistent, and fair!
It helps students to be able to have visual references for discipline matters. Some teachers employ clothespins marked with students’ names, or reserve a place on a black/whiteboard where names are written if there have been discipline infractions during the day.
You will need to work out for yourself ‘how much is too much.’ Some teachers use the old baseball metaphor, “Three strikes and you’re out…,” and send recalcitrant students to the principal’s office after three infractions.
I also think you also need a carrot, not just a stick. You can motivate your students to want to do and behave well in the class. Gold stars on a score sheet, candy rewards, and other “carrots” have long been used in the classroom. The focus of the class should be about
individuals and the group learning and achieving excellence, not about taking a lot of time to punish a “bad boy or bad girl.”
