Positive discipline in the inclusive, learning-friendly classroom: a guide for teachers and teacher educators Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok, 2006 vi+110 pp.

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2 Positive discipline in the inclsive, learning-friendly classroom: a gide for teachers and teacher edcators Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok, 2006 vi+110 pp. (Embracing diversity: Toolkit for creating inclsive, learning-friendly environments Specialized Booklet 1) 1. Inclsive edcation. 2. Classrooms. 3. Teacher s gide. 4. Corporal pnishment. 5. Positive discipline. ISBN UNESCO 2006 Pblished by the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Brea for Edcation 920 Skhmvit Rd., Prakanong Bangkok 10110, Thailand Printed in Thailand The designations employed and the presentation of material throghot the pblication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal stats of any contry, territory, city or area or of its athorities, or concerning its frontiers or bondaries. APL/06/OS/21-500

3 Embracing Diversity: Toolkit for Creating Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Environments Specialized Booklet 1 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom A Gide for Teachers and Teacher Edcators

4 This booklet is dedicated to the UN Secretary General s Stdy on Violence against Children (UNGA Resoltion 57/190) that is rooted in children s hman right to protection from all forms of violence. The booklet aims to promote action to prevent and eliminate violence against children in schools and edcation settings.

5 Foreword For children in many contries, corporal pnishment is a reglar part of the school experience; it is also a form of child abse. Corporal pnishment is deliberate violence inflicted on children, and it takes place on a gigantic scale. Legal defenses for teachers who hit or beat children still exist in most contries of the world. Corporal pnishment, however, has not been shown to be effective, especially in the long-term, and it can case children shame, gilt, anxiety, aggression, a lack of independence, and a lack of caring for others, and ths greater problems for teachers, caregivers and other children. One of the major reasons why corporal pnishment persists is that teachers do not nderstand that it is different from discipline. While corporal pnishment seeks to stop a child from behaving in a certain way, positive discipline techniqes can be sed to teach a child learn new, correct behaviors withot the fear of violence. Another major reason is that teachers are often not taght why children misbehave and how to discipline them positively based on those behaviors. Many times, when a child feels his or her needs are not being met, sch as the need for attention, he or she misbehaves. The frstration that a child s misbehavior cases, and a lack of skills to handle it, leads some teachers to strike ot at their children and se corporal pnishment or hmiliating forms of emotional pnishment. This gide for teachers and teacher edcators enriches the UNESCO pblication Embracing Diversity: A Toolkit for Creating Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Environments (ILFE Toolkit). It is a specialized booklet intended to help teachers, school administrators, and edcation officials to effectively manage stdents in the classroom by giving non-violent ways to deal with behavioral challenges positively and pro-actively. It presents positive discipline tools that are concrete alternatives to sch pnishment practices as caning, spanking, pinching, threatening, pleading, bribing, yelling, commanding, name-calling, forced labor, and other even more hmiliating actions.

6 This gide is trly a collective prodct. It was first drafted and then revised by George Attig of the Institte of Ntrition, Mahidol University, who has also served as a UNESCO consltant on inclsive edcation and gender, as well as a consltant to UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) and Save the Children for the development of child-friendly schools. This gide also benefited from the comments and sggestions of edcators arond the world. UNESCO Bangkok wold like to thank all of them for their contribtions. Every single inpt was thoroghly considered and contribted to the enrichment of this gide, as well as to the ILFE Toolkit. Ochirkhyag Gankhyag, as Programme Assistant at UNESCO s Asia and Pacific Regional Brea for Edcation, coordinated the process. Sheldon Shaeffer Director, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Brea for Edcation

7 Contents Overview 1 Or Challenge 1 What is an Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom? 2 Why is This Docment Needed? 4 What Will Yo Learn? 5 Understanding Pnishment verss Discipline 8 Children Past and Present 8 The Meaning of Pnishment 11 The Meaning of Discipline 21 Positive Discipline in the Classroom 26 Avoiding the Discipline Dilemma 33 Bilding Positive Teacher-Stdent Relationships 35 The Basis of a Teacher-Stdent Relationship 35 Why Children Behave as They Do 36 Why Children Misbehave 39 Learning abot Yor Stdents 44 Understanding the Context of Yor Stdents Lives 47 Learning abot Yor Stdents Families 56 Parent-Teacher Commnication 59 Encoragement Strategies 63 Creating a Positive and Spportive Learning Environment 65 Classroom Management in an ILFC 65 Making the Learning Environment Comfortable 66 Developing Classroom Rotines 70 Developing Classroom Rles with Stdents and Parents 71 Standards for Behavior and Good Management 76 Providing Positive Reinforcement 81 Dealing with Challenging Stdents 85 Improving the Effectiveness of Positive Discipline Techniqes 85 Positive Discipline Tips 86 Positive Classroom Teaching Tips 90 Using Appropriate Conseqences, Positive and Negative 92 Use Cation in Using a Timeot 94 Conflict Resoltion 96 Age-Specific Teaching and Positive Discipline 99 Assisting Children with Special Needs 103 Sggested Readings 107

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9 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom 1 Overview Or Challenge Children come into this world helpless and nable to flly develop withot s. As teachers, or job is to nrtre them and to teach them how to live. This is no easy task. On some days, or classes are exciting, fn, and joyfl places to learn for or stdents and orselves. On other days, we may feel tense and ncertain abot or ability to do or job. Being a teacher is rarely dll; bt being a teacher is also the most important work we ll ever do. We know how togh teaching can be. We also know how mch yo care for yor stdents. Bt children don t come with instrctions. Unlike parenting, yo are responsible for many children at once, not jst a few, and all are niqe in many ways. They also don t always behave in the way yo want them. It seems that jst as yo figre ot what works with one class, they re gone, replaced by a new set of faces with a whole new set of joys and challenges. All teachers shold want the best for their stdents and shold be concerned with fostering confidence in their abilities and raising their self-esteem. Bt when yor stdents don t listen to yo, refse to do what yo ask, defy or ignore yo, it is easy to become annoyed and frstrated. When this happens, or better yet before, trn to this docment for help. It will give yo ways to deal with this challenge positively and pro-actively by preventing misbehavior before it starts, by dealing effectively with nexpected challenges, and by encoraging yor stdents to listen and cooperate within an inclsive, learningfriendly classroom. The positive discipline tools presented here are concrete alternatives to sch pnishment practices as caning, spanking, pinching, threatening, pleading, bribing, yelling, commanding, name-calling, forced labor, and other even more hmiliating actions.

10 2 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom What is an Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom? When we walk into or classrooms, we see the faces of the children we are to teach. Bt we need to remember that these children may not be the only ones who are spposed to be in or classrooms. There may be others who are not inclded becase they are not able to get to school. Still others, who are physically there, may feel that they don t belong there, and may not trly participate in class or may misbehave. An inclsive, learning-friendly classroom (ILFC) welcomes, nrtres, and edcates all children regardless of their gender, physical, intellectal, social, emotional, lingistic, or other characteristics. They may be gifted children or children with physical or learning disabilities. They may be street or working children, children of remote or nomadic peoples, children from lingistic, ethnic or cltral minorities, children affected by HIV/AIDS, or children from other disadvantaged or marginalized areas or grops. 1 An ILFC is ths one in which the teacher nderstands the vale of this diversity in the classroom and takes steps to ensre that all girls and boys come to school. 2 Bt getting all children into or classrooms is only half of the challenge. The other half is in meeting all of their different learning and behavioral needs so that they want to stay in or classrooms. All classrooms are diverse in terms of the types of children we teach and the ways that they learn. We need to consider what each child needs to learn, how she or he learns best, and how we as teachers can bild positive relationships with each child so that they want to actively learn from s. Eqally important is that we need to discover how to get all of the children to want to learn together. Children behave and learn in different ways becase of hereditary factors, the environment in which they live, or their own personal or 1 UNESCO. Embracing Diversity: Toolkit for Creating Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Environments. Bangkok, UNESCO. Booklet 3: Getting All Children In School and Learning. Embracing Diversity: Toolkit for Creating Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Environments. Bangkok, 2004.

11 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom 3 psychological needs. 3 Many times, when a child feels his or her needs are not being met, sch as the need for attention, he or she may misbehave. Conseqently, we need to nderstand why children behave as they do so that we can try to prevent misbehavior before it happens and se a variety of different ways to gide their behavior in a positive manner. Classrooms can then become inclsive, welcoming, and enjoyable places for all children to learn, and ones in which misbehavior is rare. We can ths spend more time teaching and learning with or stdents. At first, this can be a frightening idea. Many of yo may be working in large classrooms, or even mlti-grade ones, and may wonder, How can I se different teaching and disciplinary methods to sit individal children when I have over 60 children in my classroom? Actally, the frstration that this sitation cases, and or lack of skills to handle it, may lead some of s to strike ot at or stdents and se pnishment to try to stop misbehavior, sch as sing corporal pnishment or hmiliating forms of emotional pnishment. In or frstration, we often forget that children misbehave for many reasons. Some of these reasons may be personal; others may reslt from the way they are being taght, sch as when they become bored with the lesson or constant lectring; still others come from external factors associated with the family and commnity that may case the stdent to be frstrated and nhappy. Frthermore, in some cases, and particlarly among new teachers, an incident may be interpreted as a discipline problem when it is not; for instance, when a child s qestion is interpreted as challenging or athority or knowledge, bt, in fact, the child simply had difficlty in phrasing the qestion properly and politely. That misidentification or miscall often creates anger among stdents, ths casing a real discipline problem. 4 In any case, the temptation is always there to take the qick way ot throgh severe pnishment to try and stop bt not necessarily correct the child s misbehavior. Bt fortnately, misbehavior and the se of pnishment can be prevented when yo create a well-organized 3 UNESCO. Booklet 4: Creating Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classrooms.Embracing Diversity: Toolkit for Creating Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Environments. Bangkok, Know When to Discipline! Wire Side Chats. isses/chat/chat020.shtml [accessed online on 10/4/2005]

12 4 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom learning environment in which yor stdents are interested and active in their learning. The goal of an inclsive, learning-friendly classroom is active stdents. Stdents who actively and enjoyably participate in classroom learning have fewer disciplinary problems.5 They want to be there, and they will do whatever is necessary to stay there. Why is This Docment Needed? The prpose of this docment is to help yo reach this goal. Yo may be an experienced teacher who wants to adopt positive disciplinary practices, bt who needs gidance in how to do it. Yo may be a stdent enrolled in a teacher-training instittion who is learning how to manage the behavior of stdents effectively. Yo might be a teacher-trainer who is giving instrction in positive discipline within pre-service and inservice teacher training programmes. This docment will be especially sefl for those of yo who are working in schools that are beginning to change into more child-centred and learning-friendly environments. In many contries, sch schools are being called Child-Friendly Schools, ones in which the inclsion of all children in school and the prevention of violence against them are core principles, bt, in many cases, the techniqes to do so need strengthening. Some of yo may also be working in large class settings with many stdents. A class is large whenever it feels large to yo. While a class of more than 50 stdents is sally considered a large class, to those teachers who normally teach 25 or fewer stdents, a class of 35 can be large and overwhelming. The tools and resorces cited in this docment will help yo to effectively manage yor stdents, no matter how many yo have in yor classroom, and with as few behavioral challenges as possible. Most of all, the tools in this docment will be valable for those of yo who are facing policy reforms introdced by a Ministry of Edcation, and especially in contries where policies have been set, or 5 Caght in the Middle: A Perspective of Middle School Discipline. ed/fischettij/david.htm [accessed online on 10/6/2005]

13 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom 5 are being set, against the se of corporal pnishment. In spport of these policies, many pblications exist that advocate a ban on corporal pnishment and its benefits in terms of ensring all children s rights to a good qality basic edcation in a safe, healthy, and participatory environment, as noted in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Unfortnately, however, many teachers have very limited access to resorces on how to actally go abot it, that is, how to positively discipline children and eliminate violence against them in schools and classrooms. For those of yo involved in this reform process, beginning teachers and their instrctors, or those who simply want to abandon corporal pnishment altogether, this docment will be a valable tool for helping yo to learn abot and adopt positive discipline in yor classrooms. What Will Yo Learn? Experience has shown that one major area of concern for teachers is their feeling of inadeqacy in managing stdent behavior.6 This is not srprising. Althogh many recommendations exist, there is no magic formla that will atomatically give yo the skills yo need to ndertake this important task. These skills are learned and improved pon over time. Yet, every teacher knows that the right skills and strategies can make the difference between a calm classroom and a classroom in chaos. Teachers in well-organized ILFC, in which all children are actively learning and follow clearly defined rles and rotines, spend less time disciplining and more time teaching. This docment has five major sections. Each section contains tools that yo can se to create an active, positive learning environment for yor stdents, one in which yo gide their behaviors effectively, rather than simply react to them negatively. These tools are ones that teachers and edcation specialists have developed throgh experience and have sed sccessflly in actal classroom settings among both yonger and older aged stdents. Yo are also encoraged to explore 6 Classroom Management, Management of Stdent Condct, Effective Praise Gidelines, and a Few Things to Know Abot ESOL Thrown in for Good Measre. [pdated April 3, 2005] [accessed online on 10/5/2005]

14 6 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom the references cited in this docment for more information. They are excellent sorces for ideas and are grateflly acknowledged here. In this section, yo have learned abot the challenges of teaching, what an inclsive, learning-friendly classroom is, and what is its goal. In the following sections, yo will explore the process of positive discipline. This process has for essential elements, each of which is the topic of a specific section in this docment. (a) An nderstanding of the difference between pnishment and discipline. In this section, yo will learn abot the tre meanings of pnishment and discipline, the natre and conseqences of corporal pnishment, and the power of positive discipline. (b) A positive and spportive relationship between a teacher and a stdent, one based on nderstanding and emphathy. In this section, yo will learn why yor stdents behave as they do and why they may misbehave. Yo will learn abot yor stdents from their perspective, how the context from which they come may affect that behavior and yor interpretation of it, as well as how important it is to involve each child s family in developing his or her behavior. Yo will also learn some important encoragement strategies. (c) Creating a positive and spportive learning environment for yor stdents and yorself. Proper behaviors mst develop within well-organized and managed classroom learning environments. In this section, yo will learn abot managing yor classroom s physical environment so it is comfortable for learning and promotes good behavior even if yor class has many stdents. Yo will also learn the importance of setting rotines and standards of behavior for yor stdents, as well as involving parents in their children s behavior management. Since yo are an important role model for yor stdents, yo will also gain insights into yor management style and how to improve pon it, as well as ways to provide positive reinforcement for yor stdents.

15 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom 7 (d) Knowledge of constrctive ways to stop misbehaviors when they arise, as well as to prevent them. All children misbehave at some point in time. As they test their limits, it becomes an important part of developing their self-control. In this docment s final section, yo will learn a variety of ways to deal with challenging behaviors, inclding ways to prevent them and how to resolve conflicts. Yo will also learn some age-specific positive discipline techniqes, as well as those for children with special needs.

16 8 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom Understanding Pnishment verss Discipline What Yo Will Learn: Children Past and Present What is Pnishment The Perils of Corporal Pnishment What is Discipline Positive Discipline: What It Is and How It Works Children Past and Present The Past Children now love lxry, they have bad manners, contempt for athority, they show disrespect for their elders, and they love chatter in the place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their hoseholds. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble p dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize over their teachers. This statement was made by Socrates, an Athenian philosopher who lived from BC. 7 Do yo think anything has changed? 7 Classroom Management. [accessed online on 10/20/2005]

17 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom 9 The Present: The Case of Ramon 8 I m not going to that man s class! I don t have to do what yo say! I m not even spposed to be in this class; my momma says I m spposed to be in a special edcation school. They said I m learning disabled and have ADHD, whatever that is. [ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.] He rns down the hallway bmping into other children and teachers, walks into the classroom in the morning stating what he isn t going to do, and yells or rns arond the room whenever he feels like it. He calls classmates members of the dmb clb and swears other sixth graders are committing acts that I hadn t even heard of ntil I was in my third year of high school. This is my homeroom stdent, Ramon. I feel angry abot his behavior. I m tempted to hate him, bt most of all, I m frstrated with him, my lack of skills, and the system. I left school that day in tears, sick to my stomach becase of this child. What Wold Yo Do? Ramon s case, thogh to an extent extreme, is not ncommon. Virtally all of s have experienced stdents who have challenged or athority or who have disrpted or classes and pset or stdents in many ways. Ramon is in desperate need of discipline, bt what alternatives are there? Reflection Activity: How Were YOU Disciplined? Think back to when yo were in primary school. If yo or one of yor classmates had misbehaved like Ramon, what disciplinary methods wold, 8 This case stdy is adapted from the diary of Ellen Berg, a langage arts teacher in Trner Middle School, St. Lois, Missori, USA. msdiaries01/msdiaryellenb6.html [accessed online on 10/6/2005]

18 10 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom or did, yor teachers se? Write these methods down in the table below. Then, write down how yo felt abot these methods, as well as whether or not yo thoght they were effective in the long-term. How do yo think the child felt? Did yo see or experience a lasting change in behavior? Next, ask yorself, If I had a stdent like Ramon, what wold I do, and why? Do yo think it wold be effective in stopping ftre misbehavior? Write yor thoghts down as well. Are yor methods similar to those of yor teachers? Disciplinary Method Why was this method sed? Was the method always effective, especially in the long-term? How did the child feel? Yor Teachers Actions Yor Actions In many contries and classrooms, Ramon wold have been physically pnished for his misbehavior, most likely by being beaten with a cane or another object. What methods wold yor teachers have sed? What methods might yo have sed?

19 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom 11 In completing the table above, it wold not be srprising if many of yo answered To pnish the child for misbehaving or to stop his misbehavior nder the colmn on Why was this method sed? Likewise, nder the last colmn on Was the method always effective, especially in the long-term? many of yo if yo thoght long and hard probably answered No. Sooner or later, the same child misbehaves again, often in the same way. Why? The answer lies in the difference between pnishment and discipline. The Meaning of Pnishment Pnishment is an action (penalty) that is imposed on a person for breaking a rle or showing improper condct. Pnishment aims to control behavior throgh negative means. Two types of pnishment are typically sed with children: Pnishment involving negative verbal reprimands and disapproval; this type of pnishment is also known as negative discipline. Pnishment involving severe physical or emotional pain, as in corporal pnishment. Unfortnately, both forms of pnishment focs on the misbehavior and may do little or nothing to help a child behave better in the ftre. Moreover, the child learns that the adlt is sperior, and the se of force be it verbal, physical, or emotional is acceptable, especially over yonger, weaker persons. This lesson can lead to incidents of bllying and violence in school, where older children dominate yonger ones and force them into giving the bllies money, food, homework, or other valable items. Frthermore, rather than leading to a child with inner control, sch pnishment makes the child angry, resentfl, and fearfl. It also cases shame, gilt, anxiety, increased aggression, a lack of independence, and a lack of caring for others, and ths greater problems for teachers, caregivers, and other children. 9 9 Positive Gidance and Discipline. edcation/gidance_discipline.htm [accessed online on 10/10/2005]

20 12 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom Verbal Pnishment and Dealing with Anger Negative discipline is a form of pnishment meant to control a stdent s behavior, bt oftentimes it involves only short verbal commands or statements and does not lead to an otright, often severe penalty, sch as being hit or painflly hmiliated. Teachers who do not se corporal pnishment may se negative discipline approaches instead. Bt like corporal pnishment, these also can case children to become angry and aggressive or have low self-esteem. Negative strategies inclde: Commands Sit down and be qiet! Write 100 times, I will not waste my time on meaningless tasks. Forbidding statements Don t do that! Explosive, angry statements Yo re in more troble than yo know. Criticizing statements Is that the best yo can do! Threatening statements If yo don t stop talking, I ll send yo to the Principal s office. Belittling statements When will yo ever learn to write well? Often, we se these negative strategies, as well as corporal pnishment, when we are angry or frstrated. Yet, there are a variety of positive ways to deal with anger and frstration. Some teachers tell their children, I need a moment to calm down; I am very angry right now. Others calm down by conting to 10 or by leaving the room for several mintes. Some teachers describe their feelings to their stdents to help them nderstand what annoys them. The children then learn what not to do and why. They might do it again, bt they are responsible for their actions and will have to deal with the conseqences. What wold work best for yo?

21 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom 13 Action Activity: DON T How Negative Am I? Most of s natrally give don t commands to stdents as a form of negative discipline: Don t talk in class. Don t rn arond the room. We may not know orselves how often we give these negative commands; they jst come natrally; bt or stdents know. If yo want to find ot how often yo give don t commands, select a stdent in yor class (or ask a teacher s aide for help) and give him or her a box of small stones or shells and a cloth or plastic bag. Ask the stdent to listen to yo throghot the week. Whenever the stdent hears yo give a don t command, ask him or her to take one of the stones or shells ot of the box and pt it in the bag. At the end of the week, cont how many stones or shells are in the bag. Were yo srprised? Instead of constantly giving don t commands (althogh sometimes they are necessary), learn to rephrase in a positive way while clearly stating the desired behavior. Instead of saying, Don t rn in the classroom, for example, try saying, Walk in the classroom. This states clearly how yo want yor stdents to act. Sometimes yo may want to give reasons for the rle, especially when yo state it for the first time. Explaining a rle might sond like this: Walk in the classroom. If yo rn, yo might trip over a chair and hrt yorself; then yo might have to go to the doctor. Corporal Pnishment In dealing with stdents like Ramon, many teachers probably wold have resorted to some form of severe pnishment. Two types of severe pnishment that can occr separately or together are corporal pnishment and emotional pnishment. Both are forms of violence against children that violate their rights as hman beings to respect, dignity, eqal protection of the law, and protection from all forms of violence. Corporal or physical pnishment, and the threat of it, occrs when a teacher, parent, or caregiver intends to case physical pain or discomfort to a child, sally in order to stop a child s misbehavior, to penalize him or her for doing it, and to prevent the behavior from being

22 14 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom repeated. 10 Increasingly arond the world, corporal pnishment is illegal and is not condcive to better learning. What constittes corporal pnishment varies across and within cltres, and it incldes, for example: hitting the child with the hand or with an object (sch as a cane, belt, whip, shoe, book, rler, etc.); kicking, shaking, or throwing the child; pinching or hair plling; forcing a child to stay in ncomfortable positions, forcing a child to ndergo excessive physical exercise or forced labor; brning or otherwise scarring the child; and forcing the child to eat fol sbstances (sch as soap). While corporal pnishment is meant to case physical pain, emotional pnishment is meant to hmiliate the child and case psychological pain. Similar to negative verbal pnishment, bt mch more severe, it can inclde pblic ridicle, sarcasm, threats, name-calling, yelling, and commanding, or other hmiliating actions, sch as denying a child clothing or food or forcing them to stay in ndignified positions for everyone to see and comment on. While corporal pnishment is more visible, emotional pnishment is more difficlt to identify. Nonetheless, pnishing a child by sending him or her otside to stand in the sn for hors, to ndermine a child s selfesteem throgh pblic ridicle, or to deny a child food or clothing is as damaging as different forms of corporal pnishment. Moreover, there is no clear line between corporal pnishment and emotional pnishment. Very often, children perceive corporal pnishment as also being hmiliating or degrading. 11 In this docment, therefore, we se the term corporal pnishment to inclde both physical and emotional pnishment. 10 Drrant, Joan E. Corporal Pnishment: Prevalence, Predictors and Implications for Child Development, in: Hart, Start N (ed.), Eliminating Corporal Pnishment: The Way Forward to Constrctive Child Discipline. Paris: UNESCO Pblishing, Ending Corporal Pnishment of Children in Zambia. Save the Children Sweden, Regional Office for Sothern Africa, Arcadia, 2005.

23 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom 15 Action Activity: Is This Corporal Pnishment? Read the following actal case stdy. Think abot and maybe discss with yor colleages whether this is an example of corporal pnishment and if the penalty is actally teaching the child a lesson. Shireen s Lesson Shireen goes to school every day and, for the most part, she enjoys it; all except her spelling lessons. The days she dreads the most are spelling test days. For every word she or her friends spell incorrectly, her teacher makes them climb the hill behind the school and carry down five bricks. The bricks are being sed to bild a wall arond the school. Shireen doesn t nderstand how carrying bricks will help her to learn to spell, bt she has no choice bt to do the labor. Sometimes when she finishes, her clothes are very dirty, and then she gets scolded at home, as well. How Prevalent is Corporal Pnishment and Why? Think back to yor own schooling. Were yo or any of yor friends ever physically or emotionally pnished? Chances are yo will say Yes becase corporal pnishment is a common practice throghot the world. Only 15 ot of the 190-pls contries in the world have banned the corporal pnishment of children. In the many remaining contries, parents and other caregivers, inclding teachers, retain the right to hit and hmiliate children. 12 While most of s wold condemn violence in general and violence towards adlts, especially few people in the world have given any serios attention to violence against children. Why? Longstanding traditions and cltral beliefs exist that perpetate the se of corporal pnishment in many societies. Spare the rod and spoil the child is a very poplar one. Others inclde the beliefs that corporal pnishment: (1) is effective; (2) prevents children from getting into troble; 12 Newell, Peter. The Hman Rights Imperative for Ending All Corporal Pnishment of Children, in: Hart, Start N (ed.), Eliminating Corporal Pnishment: The Way Forward to Constrctive Child Discipline. Paris: UNESCO Pblishing, 2005.

24 16 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom (3) teaches them right from wrong; (4) instills respect, and (5) is different from physical abse. Research has shown, however, that corporal pnishment does none of these and is, in fact, a form of violent abse against children. 13 Other related myths and facts abot corporal pnishment follow. 14 Have yo ever heard anyone sing one or more of these to jstify his or her se of corporal pnishment? Have yo ever done so, or at least thoght so? Be honest. Myth No. 1: It happened to me and did me no harm. Fact: Thogh they may have felt fear, anger, and mistrst from being hit by parents or teachers, people who se this argment often do it to redce the gilt they have for sing corporal pnishment on their children today. In their minds, they are defending their violent actions against their children. However, their actions reveal that corporal pnishment did, in fact, do them harm: it perpetated the cycle of violence that they now inflict pon children, and similarly these children are more likely to perpetate the violence for generations to come. 15 In addition, many things that former generations managed to srvive are no longer common practice now. For instance, the fact that some people may not have received vaccinations when they were children does not mean that they wold prefer this NOW for their own children. Myth No. 2. Nothing else works! or They ask for it! Fact: While positive discipline reqires developing a trsting, mtally respectfl relationship between a child and his or her teacher, inflicting pain on a child is really a lazy way ot. It is an admission that we have 13 Drrant, Joan E. Corporal Pnishment: Prevalence, Predictors and Implications for Child Development, in: Hart, Start N (ed.), Eliminating Corporal Pnishment: The Way Forward to Constrctive Child Discipline. Paris: UNESCO Pblishing, Adapted from: From Physical Pnishment to Positive Discipline: Alternatives to Physical/Corporal Pnishment in Kenya. An Advocacy Docment (Draft Two) by ANPPCAN Kenya Chapter, Janary ocment%20anppcan.htm?dskriv+on%5d [accessed online on 9/29/2005] 15 Drrant, Joan E. Corporal Pnishment: Prevalence, Predictors and Implications for Child Development, in: Hart, Start N (ed.), Eliminating Corporal Pnishment: The Way Forward to Constrctive Child Discipline. Paris: UNESCO Pblishing, 2005.

25 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom 17 failed to do what it takes to help the child to learn and internalize good behavior. If we reglarly se corporal pnishment, it will take time and effort for new methods to work. If we have been nagging, yelling, threatening, or physically pnishing or stdents for a long time, it is difficlt to bild an effective, trsting relationship with them overnight. This may in trn create the feeling that nothing else works, or that the children are asking to be beaten; bt the problem is the disciplinary approach, not the misbehavior of the children. Jstifying that a child has asked for violence is really intended to make the perpetrator feel less gilty: blame the victim. Besides, do yo normally hit yor boss, employee, spose, or best friend when it appears that nothing else works? Hopeflly not! Myth No. 3: Corporal pnishment works best. Other methods don t. Fact: Getting yor stdents to behave throgh fear of pnishment is not the same as discipline. Corporal pnishment seems to work only if yo look at it sperficially and in the short-term. Corporal pnishment teaches children to do what yo say, bt only when yo are arond. In effect, it teaches them to be sneaky, as well as to lie abot misbehavior to avoid being hit or pnished in some other degrading manner. By creating a sense of distrst and insecrity in the child, it destroys the teacher-child relationship. Children become angry at why someone who is spposed to teach and care for them is instead threatening, beating, or inslting them. While a single act of corporal pnishment may seem to be effective, it only temporarily frightens a child into sbmission. Myth No. 4: Corporal pnishment teaches obedience. Fact: In the past, it may have been the practice to teach children never to qestion athority, bt times have changed. Many teachers are adopting child-centred learning techniqes that encorage children to explore, to think for themselves, to ask qestions, and to learn the joy of finding answers as a major way of learning. Corporal pnishment, however, stops a child from qestioning, thinking critically, and achieving personal goals; yet these are qalities that both adlts and children need in order to excel in a dynamic, competitive, and innovative society. Enforcing blind obedience throgh the threat of corporal pnishment greatly stifles initiative and creativity in children (and adlts).

26 18 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom Myth No. 5: I only do it as a last resort. I had no choice. Fact: This excse rationalizes for s, and teaches or stdents, that the se of violence as a last resort is jstified. This argment is not acceptable; for example, is a hsband jstified in hitting his wife as a last resort? It shold be no more acceptable when it comes to or stdents. Besides, it is qite common for parents and teachers to reslt to physical pnishment at the first instance not as a last resort and for very minor miscondct. Myth No. 6: It s the only way I can control the children in my class. I have too many! Fact: This excse is common among teachers who face large classes, sometimes arond 100 children all in one class. It sally arises becase the classroom has no set rles or rotines; the children do not know what is expected of them and the conseqences for misbehaving; and the teacher did not take the time to bild a positive relationship with the children so they wold want to be good. This may be de to his or her athoritative classroom management style, one that says, I m the teacher and we ll do things my way! In trying to maintain control, the teacher may also se corporal pnishment not jst to stop misbehavior in one child, bt also to pt fear into the hearts of the other children so, hopeflly, they won t misbehave as well (bt they do). Like Myth 4 above, enforcing blind obedience throgh threats of physical violence does not encorage children to learn from the teacher, only to fear him or her. As a reslt, they don t want to learn, which makes or job harder, and they don t learn well, which reflects poorly on or performance as a teacher. Myth No. 7: Corporal pnishment is a part of or cltre. Fact: Corporal pnishment is sometimes defended as a part of growing p in one s society, and the idea of promoting alternatives to physical pnishment is a Western imposition that doesn t consider Asian vales. Asian societies depend pon age-related stats hierarchies and the idea that the yong shold respect, serve, and obey older people inclding teachers. Althogh physical pnishment is widespread in Asia, there is no necessary connection between traditional belief systems and violence against children throgh corporal pnishment. On the contrary, two core vales of Asian societies are maintaining social harmony and learning to se mental abilities to discipline the body, especially in terms

27 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom 19 of maintaining self-control in the midst of chaos. Violence throgh corporal pnishment actally goes against these traditional Asian vales. It destroys the social harmony in the classroom in terms of stdentteacher and stdent-stdent relationships, and it threatens any ftre relationships that the child will have. It erodes children s confidence and self-esteem, and it legitimizes the lack of self-control as an acceptable way to dominate others. Rather than corporal pnishment, traditional ways can be sed as alternative forms of discipline that do not inclde violence; 16 for example, when respected adlts model good and nonviolent behavior, which is then imitated by their children. 17 Moreover, individal and cltral belief systems that perpetate the se of corporal pnishment can be changed in a relatively short time. 18 Does Corporal Pnishment Work? What Are The Conseqences? Corporal pnishment persists largely becase teachers believe that it works; it s effective. Bt is it? Research spanning over two decades has shown that the only positive otcome of corporal pnishment is immediate compliance, while its negative conseqences far otweigh this otcome. 19 The se of corporal pnishment rarely prodces the desired reslt, that is, positive, lasting behavior change in the stdent. On the contrary, it can have very dire, negative conseqences for the child and for yo. 16 Save the Children. How To Research the Physical and Emotional Pnishment of Children. Bangkok: Sotheast, East Asia and Pacific Region, Information provided by Elizabeth Protacio-de Castro, Head of the Programme on Psychosocial Trama and Hman Rights, Centre for Integrative Development Stdies, the University of the Philippines, and docmented in: Power, Clark F. and Hart, Start N. The Way Forward to Constrctive Child Discipline. in: Hart, Start N (ed.), Eliminating Corporal Pnishment: The Way Forward to Constrctive Child Discipline. Paris: UNESCO Pblishing, Drrant, Joan E. Corporal Pnishment: Prevalence, Predictors and Implications for Child Development. in: Hart, Start N (ed.), Eliminating Corporal Pnishment: The Way Forward to Constrctive Child Discipline. Paris: UNESCO Pblishing, Ibid.

28 20 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom When we se corporal pnishment, the reslts are npredictable. They inclde sadness, low self-esteem, anger, rage, aggressive behavior, desire for revenge, nightmares and bedwetting, disrespect for athority, higher states of depression, anxiety, drg se, sexal abse, child abse, sposal abse, child delinqency, and, of corse, more corporal pnishment. 20 In the long term, children who have been physically pnished have been shown to develop anti-social behavior and are likely to resort to violence qickly, ths creating a continm of physical abse from one generation to the next. 21 By sing violence, we teach violence. As teachers, we are responsible for improving the growth and development of or stdents. Corporal pnishment can seriosly harm a child s development and reslt in edcational as well as social, interpersonal, and psychological adjstment problems. For example, stdies have shown that some victims of corporal pnishment are forced to drop ot of school becase they fear being beaten or hmiliated. Once ot of school, they are likely to resort to sing or selling drgs or other socially nacceptable activities. 22, 23 Even when we are sccessfl at stopping inappropriate behavior for the moment, or se of corporal pnishment still doesn t foster appropriate behavior in the child. Why? The child doesn t know, or learn, what to do; what behavior he or she is spposed to adopt except only to stop doing what he or she is doing. It s similar to telling yo not to se corporal pnishment, bt then not teaching yo what alternative disciplinary methods yo can se. 20 Ibid. 21 From Physical Pnishment to Positive Discipline: Alternatives to Physical/Corporal Pnishment in Kenya. An Advocacy Docment (Draft Two) by ANPPCAN Kenya Chapter, Janary PCAN.htm?dskriv+on%5D [accessed online on 9/29/2005] 22 Ibid. 23 Cotton, Katherine. Schoolwide and Classroom Discipline. School Improvement Research Series. Iclose-Up #9. [accessed online on 10/6/2005]

29 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom 21 Or se of corporal pnishment can sometimes back-fire; that is, it can become nintentionally reinforcing. For instance, when it brings attention from teachers and peers, something that the misbehaving child, like Ramon, may be seeking. Corporal pnishment often creates resentment and hostility, making good teacher-stdent and stdent-stdent relationships and trst harder to create in the ftre. It ths makes or work harder, less rewarding, and immensely frstrating. We begin to dread going to class and teaching. Or stdents may sense or displeasre and regret coming to class, too. Children who are victims of corporal pnishment may end p with injries that need medical attention, leave permanent damage, or case death. Even threatening to se corporal pnishment can case damage; for instance, when a teacher threatens to se a cane, and in raising it, he or she nintentionally pokes a stdent s eye ot. (Unfortnately, this incident has actally occrred.) The Meaning of Discipline Discipline is an often missed word, especially when it is mistakenly eqated with pnishment. To many teachers, discipline means pnishment. This child needs disciplining translates into This child needs spanking or caning. This is WRONG! Discipline is the practice of teaching or training a person to obey rles or a code of behavior in both the short and long terms. 24,25 While pnishment is meant to control a child s behavior, discipline is meant to develop a child s behavior, especially in matters of condct. It is meant to teach a child self-control and confidence by focsing on 24 Kersey, Katharine C. Don t Jime It Ot On Yor Kids: A Parent s and Teacher s Gide to Positive Discipline. [accessed online on 10/10/2005] 25 Welker, J. Eileene. Make Lemons into Lemonade: Use Positives for Disciplining Children. [accessed online on 10/10/2005]

30 22 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom what it is we want the child to learn and what the child is capable of learning. It is the basis for giding children on how to be in harmony with themselves and get along with other people. The ltimate goal of discipline is for children to nderstand their own behavior, take initiative, be responsible for their choices, and respect themselves and others. In other words, they internalize a positive process of thinking and behaving that can last a lifetime. For instance, when yo think of a disciplined person, what do yo think of? An Olympic gymnast, someone who has given p a bad habit, sch as smoking, someone who remains calm in the midst of chaos. All of these reqire self-control, which is the goal of discipline. Discipline shapes a child s behavior and helps them to learn self-control when it provides encoragement, not painfl, meaningless conseqences. If yo are a parent, or yor friends have children, think back to a child s first year or two of life. How was he or she taght to clap hands, to walk, or to talk? Yo or yor friend probably sed teaching techniqes like showing throgh example (also known as modelling ), as well as giving praise and opportnities to practice; not yelling, spanking, inslting, or threatening. This encoragement is a type of reward that stimlates the child to work, learn, and achieve. It bilds self-esteem becase the child learns that he or she was directly responsible for earning his or her praise or other reward. Children can choose to earn it, or not to earn it. This gives them a feeling of control over their lives, which is a key ingredient for healthy self-esteem. Likewise, not giving encoragement for misbehavior sch as ignoring attention-getting behaviors like temper-tantrms or being late for class will, over time, teach the child self-control if he (or she) doesn t get the attention he is trying to obtain throgh his misbehavior. He learns that he only gets attention when he behaves calmly or arrives promptly; that is, when yo catch him being good. Let s trn once again to Ramon and how his teacher disciplined him and learned from him.

31 Positive Discipline in the Inclsive, Learning-Friendly Classroom 23 A Case Stdy: Ramon s Change 26 The new week started off mch as the week before had. Ramon was contining his disrptive, nrly behavior and was driving everyone crazy. Bt I had thoght a lot abot Ramon over the weekend. I began to think abot how he was making me feel, and the overwhelming emotions that srfaced were anger and irritation. According to the book Cooperative Discipline, the way we feel when a stdent acts inappropriately gives s cles abot the stdent s goals for the misbehavior. Once we nderstand why the stdent is doing what he is doing, it is easier to find appropriate ways to deal with him.27 Feeling angry is a cle that the stdent is seeking power, and irritation is a cle that the stdent is seeking attention. As I thoght abot it, I nderstood that most of Ramon s irritating behavior was done in front of peers and adlts in as lod and wild a manner as possible in order to get attention. Once he had or attention, he soght power by directly refsing to comply with or reqests to stop, casing most of s to become extremely angry. I then realized that I had willingly been giving Ramon control over me and my classroom. I can t blame him; after all, I am responsible for my own actions. I began to nderstand that althogh I cold not control him, I cold control what I did and said. A new plan and attitde were created. I resolved on Wednesday morning that no matter what Ramon did, I wold not give him the attention that his misbehavior was demanding. I wold ignore him. When he came to class ten mintes late, I pretended he hadn t entered. I gave the teacher s aide a piece of paper and asked her to record everything Ramon did, bt not to interfere with his behavior in any way. Ramon did everything bt get naked dring that class period. He ran p and down the aisles, played with another stdent s hair, pt the aide s glasses on, inched towards the door as if he was going to walk ot, 26 This case stdy is adapted from the diary of Ellen Berg, a langage arts teacher in Trner Middle School, St. Lois, Missori, USA. msdiaries01/msdiaryellenb7.html [accessed online on 10/6/2005] 27 Albert, Linda and Desisto, Pete. Cooperative Discipline. American Gidance Service, 1996.