To what extent should teachers be allowed to discipline?

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I was wondering what other people thought of the disciplining power of teachers as of late compared to many years ago. How much power should teachers be given and what punishments should be allowed? According to my own personal observations, currently teachers are given very few disciplinary powers without fear of being sued or fired, but how are they supposed to teach when students are being disruptive or otherwise respective to others? Is there any sort of law like the "Good Samaritan Law" that protects teachers?

-- JLPalmer (band_jam@byu.edu), June 04, 2003

Answers

This is more of a personal opinion, which can be voiced here, vs. a legal issue.

Teachers should have the right to correct and positively motivate students. However, if the schools are going to be given the right to discipline, it should be done on a school management or counseling level. The teacher is stretched enough with the curriculum and maintaining the proper classroom environment. To expect them to dish out punishment to each individual student is adding more burdens to an already stressed position.

Teaching and learning are both gifts. If a student is set on disrupting the class and not taking in the knowledge presented to them, they should be removed from the class. If a teacher is stopping the class to discipline an individual student, or a small group of students, it disrupts the class and deprives the students that are taking advantage of the situation. The disruptive party/ies should be removed from the classroom and dealt with according to the set policy of the educational institution.

Yes, this is a tight position between the need and want for education. And is the administration's policies affecting a positive change in the discipline bound student? This all depends on how the discipline is 'dished out' and the acceptance of the student to the change that is necessary to correct his/her actions in the classroom.

The legal issues on teachers and discipline are another issue. It all comes back to the school policy and accepted role of the teacher. Is there a "Good Samaritan" law for teachers? I would have to say no. Even though the teachers in our community are there to educate and form minds, they are not in a position to discipline. If the right has been granted by the administration, they should abide by the policies set forth for them, and use them to the fullest extent available.

-- SD Griswold (midtownskin@yahoo.com), June 13, 2003.


Without the firm appearance of disciplining in the classroom the environment will never be condusive to learning. The students NEED to SEE that the teacher has absolute power in her classroom. It has been my experience that except in a very few cases once the teacher takes out the main trouble maker publicly two things happen. One, the offender NEVER repeats that mistake again and, two, EVERYONE else sees the teacher means business and they do not want to be embarressed. I'm not talking about humiliating the student. My favorite "discipline" is to stand in the corner on tiptoes or squate in the corner. About 5 to 7 min. later the teacher has absolute control of her classroom and no one loses a day's learning. It takes about 15 min. max to get this control and once gotten there is much Less messing around by the students. This equates to more time learning.

-- chris a. hoover (chrisahoover@yahoo.com), August 08, 2003.

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