Position and Alternatives

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Home : 2003 : November : 19

Position and Alternatives
By Chicago Teacher

My personal opinion is similar to those who have already posted. I taught in an inner city environment (private school) for the last 2 years - and I actually had a parent pull their child out of my class because they begged
me to spank their child to discipline him and I refused. They told me that he would not respect me if I didn't, but I refused - so the student left (thank goodness!!). The primary reason I would never spank, paddle, etc. a child is that I feel that my classroom is a safe place, sometimes the only safe place, for my students. I feel that it is part of my job to encourage students to

love to learn and come to school (especially in the primary grades). If they enjoy learning activities, if they feel a connection with me, the behavior problems decrease - inner city situation or otherwise.

I think it would be appropriate for this link to focus on things you could consider doing OTHER than paddling your students. I agree with the above poster who said to find the thing the student doesn't like. Take away whatever they consider to be a "reward" - recess, sitting with the rest of the class in class or at lunch, a class treat/reward/game. Add things they dislike - sitting alone, extra homework, contact the parents, time out, writing an apology, etc.
More important than this, I think, is to really encourage the positive behavior that you see from your students. Recognize those members of your class who are doing what they are supposed to do. My first year at the inner city school I literally kept stickers in my pocket all day and gave them out for anything from working quietly, encouraging another student, working well with someone else, not talking when they stood in line to get a drink of water, participating well during a lesson, putting away supplies correctly. Whatever! They "decorated" their desks with the stickers and often used their spare time to count how many stickers they had collected!
I think you would be surprised to see how your students would react if you refused to use the paddle in your classroom. There may be an initial bad-behavior outbreak, but overall I think that not having this aspect in your room would encourage many other positive behaviors from both you and them.