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Helping students to govern their own behavior in ways that help them learn is a longstanding goal of all teachers. There are a number of ways that a teacher can promote good discipline in the classroom.

Know school guidelines for discipline procedures.

Be fair, positive and consistent. Be the kind of person young people can like and trust-firm, fair, friendly, courteous, enthusiastic and confident. Keep your sense of humor.

Provide a list of standards and consequences to parents and students. Make sure they are consistent with district and building policy. When in doubt, ask a colleague or your principal.

Keep your classroom orderly. Maintain a cheerful and attractive classroom rather than a disorderly one which might encourage disruptive behavior.

Get to know your students. Learn their names quickly and use them in and out of class. You will soon develop almost a sixth sense for anticipating trouble before it begins, but don't act as though you expect trouble or you will almost certainly encounter some.

Let the students know you care. Determine jointly with the class what is acceptable in terms of behavior and achievement and what is not. Show interest in what students say, whether or not it pertains directly to the lesson.

Treat students with the same respect you expect from them; keep confidences.

Learn the meaning of terms, especially slang, used by students.

Begin class on time and in a professional manner.

Make learning fun. Make education interesting and relevant to the students' lives. Poor planning and a full curriculum can provoke disruptions.

Praise good work, good responses and good behavior.

Don't threaten or use sarcasm. Never use threats to enforce discipline. Never humiliate a child.

Avoid arguing with students. Discussions about class work are invaluable, but arguments can become emotional encounters.

Be mobile, moving around the room as students work or respond to instruction.

Keep your voice at a normal level. If "disaster" strikes and you trip over the wastebasket, don't be afraid to laugh.

Grade assignments and return them as soon as possible.

Give reasonable assignments. Don't use schoolwork as punishment. Give clear directions.

Keep rules simple. Establish as few classroom rules as possible, and keep them simple.

Handling Classroom Conflicts

Here are a few practical suggestions for dealing with an angry student in the classroom who is defying your authority and is out of control:

Do not raise your voice.

Try to remain calm and rational.

Do not touch an agitated or angry student.

Try to keep the student seated. In many instances, this is impossible. You can only suggest the student remain seated so that he might explain to you what is wrong.

Be reassuring to the student as well as the rest of the class. Explain the importance of protecting every student's right to learn. Talk about options for resolving the conflict.

Send another student for help. The student should be told to go to the nearest office to summon assistance from the administration.

After the incident is over, immediately document everything that happened. This documentation should include time, name(s) of student(s) involved, a brief description of the events that occurred, and any information that pertains to the student(s) or the incident. This report should be submitted to the administration. You also should keep a copy in case of a future conference with parents or school administrators regarding the incident.

What if I "blow" the first week?
If you "blow" the first week, don't worry. Just re-evaluate your rules and policies, tell the class you're making some changes, and be consistent from then on.
Expect the unexpected.
Schedules will be changed without warning and unanticipated events will occur. Be flexible in responding to the unexpected; ask your colleagues for suggestions on how to deal with situations like the following.
What will you do if:

it rains at recess time?

your class arrives too early at the cafeteria?

a student tells you her pet died?

a student tells you she is pregnant?

a child wets his pants?

a student is verbally abusive?

a parent is angry and unreasonable?

a student refuses to do what you ask?

you have no textbooks?

a student falls asleep?

a student cuts her head falling out of her desk?

you are called to the office in the middle of class?

non-English speaking students are assigned to your class?

a student has a seizure or goes into a coma?

Be fair to your students
Here are some ways to help you win the respect of your students:

Be consisent in application of discipline and just in your requirements and assignments.

Don't refuse to let a student tell you his or her side of the situation. Be willing to consider mitigating circumstances.

Don't talk about the misdeeds of students except to those who have a right to know. Don't openly compare one student to another.

Apologize if you've treated a student unjustly.

Make sure punishments are appropriate for the misbehavior, and explain to the student why he or she is being punished.

Discipline - The LEAST Approach.

There are several good methods of classroom discipline. One of the best is the LEAST Approach, developed by NEA, which helps you determine the appropriate level of involvement. If discipline problems can be handled at Step 1, there is no need to progress to Step 2, etc.

Briefly, the LEAST Approach includes these steps:

Leave it alone. If the event is a brief and minor disturbance that is unlikely to occur again, leave it be.

End the action indirectly. When learning is disrupted or someone may get hurt, let the student(s) involved know you are aware of the inappropriate activity with a facial expression, a body gesture, or a quiet action such as walking toward the student(s) or calling the student(s)' name(s).

Attend more fully. Secure more information from the student on who, what, when, where and why. Be objective rather than emotional.

Spell out directions. When a situation threatens to get out of hand, making learning impossible or risking harm to someone, clearly explain to the student(s) involved the consequences of his/her actions and your intent to follow through.

Treat student progress. Record what happened, when, where, who was involved, what you did, and who witnessed the incident.

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Maintaining Classroom Discipline Promoting Good Methods of Classroom Discipline Helping students to govern their own behavior in ways that help them learn is a longstanding goal of all teachers. There are a number of ways that a teacher can promote good discipline in the classroom. Know school guidelines for discipline procedures.

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For teaching to be effective, classroom management and discipline is very important. Here are some strategies which can prove quite helpful for a teacher to create a proper learning environment in the class.

Many new teachers and even some experienced ones, find it extremely difficult to maintain discipline in their classrooms. There are a number of reasons why discipline in the classroom is such a challenge for teachers. The primary reasons being, if the teacher is under-prepared for her class, or if her lecture is not interesting enough, or if the children in her classroom are problem creators. There are a number of steps which a teacher can take for improving the overall discipline in the class. Here are a few of the most effective strategies.

Set Clear Standards and Expectations
A classroom management plan is incomplete without clearly laying down the rules and regulations for the class. Making the students clear about what the expected behavior is and what isn't, is equally important. Many times, there is indiscipline in the classroom if the students do not know what is right and what is wrong behavior. So, setting certain expectations at the beginning of the year itself, and making the students aware of it is very important to create discipline in the class.

Plan Lectures in Advance
The primary reason why children get distracted in the class and tend to talk among themselves or misbehave or create indiscipline is when the lectures are not interesting enough or are not easily understood by them. So, in order to avoid this, the teacher should plan the lessons in such a way, that they have a clear objective and they generate interest in the students. Students should be taught in an easy manner and followed by some assignments to work upon. In the end, assessment by the teacher should be checked to evaluate whether the subject has been well understood.

Treat All Students Equally
It is very important that the teacher is fair to all his students. Similar rules for punishments as well as rewards should be applicable to all. A teacher should not be partial to some and against other students, as this might result in the unfairly treated students breaking the rules of the classroom and creating indiscipline.

Handle Indiscipline
If a student is creating a nuisance in the class or is continuously talking while a teacher is teaching, the teacher should try to handle the student without interrupting the entire class. A good way to do that is to go and stand near the student. This unspoken communication strategy will work in most cases. A teacher should never ever shout at the student or confront him in front of the entire class, as the student will feel humiliated, and will never listen again in future. Another way to handle undisciplined students is not to take the situation too seriously and try to diffuse it with a joke. A fun teacher is much more likely to be liked by the students than an uptight one.

Form Relationships
A very important part of successful classroom management is the relationship that is formed between the teacher and the students. A teacher who makes an effort to create a trust between himself and the students, who tries to know about the student's life even beyond the classroom, who works as a support to his students, and makes extra efforts for their well-being, will be respected by the students, and will not face indiscipline problems in the classroom.

Besides the above mentioned strategies, it is very important for the teacher to be very consistent regarding the rules and behavior expectations. Ignoring misbehavior one day and punishing the students for the same the next day can confuse them and create indiscipline. Also, starting with a positive frame of mind everyday, with a belief that today the class will be disciplined, contributes to successful classroom management.

Source: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/classroom-management-and-discipline.html

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For teaching to be effective, classroom management and discipline is very important. Here are some strategies which can prove quite helpful for a teacher to create a proper learning environment in the class.

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Conquer the Classroom Troublemaker, Help for Secondary Teachers

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Pozytywna Dyscyplina | książki - warsztaty - kursy on-line

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Skuteczna metoda wychowawcza oparta na wzajemnym szacunku i miłości, która nie uznaje kar i nagród. Pomaga rodzicom zrozumieć i wspierać swoje dzieci

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CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

27 January 2019/ By Zineb DJOUB

In each classroom, there are students who refuse to participate and get involved in their learning process. This annoys us as teachers because it makes us feel that what we are doing is alien to those students and we will never reach out to them.

Ignoring those and focusing only on active students is not the proper way to react in such situations. Rather, we have to understand the reasons that make our students passive and refuse to take part in their learning. This can support us encourage their participation and maximize more learning opportunities for them.

To support you achieve this goal, here are 6 reasons for students' resistance to participation in class along with suggested ways to deal with them.

1. Personality Traits

Resistance to participation in class can be due to students' personality. This plays a great role in dictating students' decisions and behaviours in learning. Introversion and shyness can lie behind such resistance.

Introvert students those who feel more connected to their inward thoughts and feelings, prefer to stay away from the crowd, listen to others and concentrate. These students are more likely to stay silent in your classes.

Shy students are those who dread being at the centre of attention because of their fear of negative judgement by others.

What makes shy students different from the introvert students?

If you ask a shy student to participate you'll notice that he gets worried, perplexed and he may even avoid eye contact with you. Even if he's got the answer, you can just get a few words from him. With an introvert student, you may not notice that panic and anxiety as with the shy one.

Still, we have to admit that both introvert and shy students would say 'no' to participation in class. So, what could you do here?

When it comes to students' personality it becomes really tough to get what you want. Yet, there is always a way to make these students speak.

Shy students need to feel more secure and good about themselves. So, provide them with a healthy learning atmosphere where they can speak up and make mistakes. Your role here is to facilitate, motivate students and foster collaboration and empathy among them.

Provide them with opportunities to experience success. Involve them in tasks of their own interests and help them achieve them. Praise their efforts and success.

Avoid making them 'victims' pointing at them. This will make them more anxious. Instead, pair them up or put them into groups where they can work together, take turns and feel more supported by others.

For introvert students, you need to help them experience and enjoy the social aspect of learning. So, pair them up with extrovert students and create positive competition to make them speak.

Because introverts are good listeners and like concentrating, you can ask them more cognitive demanding questions. Use proper prompts to make them speak and give them time to think over those questions ( To learn more, read Strategic Questioning: What every teacher needs to boost students' learning ).

Also, assign individual tasks and ask them to present them in class to discuss and share their ideas with others.

Both introvert and shy students can have a valuable contribution to their own learning. Do not limit their participation to asking and/ answering questions in class, but give them more opportunities to take their learning beyond the classroom and feel free to practise it in different ways. Doing projects, writing reports, creating videos, are examples of the kind of learning opportunities these students need.

2. It's a question of time

Participating in class is a risk-taking process where students' attention, energy and self-determination are required. Being active in learning may seem easy for us while for most students it is an attempt full of assumptions, doubts and fear.

Taking such a risk may not seem an easy decision to make for students mainly at the beginning of the school year since they still do not know what kind of teachers they have.

Being sceptical of your reaction to their responses or initiation, they will hesitate to say a word even if they have a lot of ideas to share.

So, students' participation can be a matter of time. If your students are reluctant to participate, do not stress out or feel down. Be patient, because students need to be familiar with you and mostly feel more comfortable to voice their ideas.

Do not force them to speak. Show them clearly that you like listening to them, their ideas do really matter for you and they make a great difference to their learning.

Call them by their names and use prompts to encourage them to speak, even few words. Correct gently their mistakes where necessary and praise their efforts and achievement.

Talk to them after class about their interests and concerns. You will see a great difference in their participation.

3. 'Not worth doing'

The beliefs students hold about their learning process are so pertinent because they shape their learning attitudes. If a student sees participation in class as worthless to their learning goals, he will not care about saying a word.

For some students, grades are what counts most in learning. So, they prefer keeping the information for themselves, avoiding sharing with and showing others what they've learned.

Such a selfish act is reinforced by the belief that participation would serve nothing: ' It is but a waste of time and energy, the things I need to preserve for my exams and tests'.

So, even if they have answers to your questions or fruitful ideas to add to your lessons, these type of students will be watching instead of acting in the classroom.

If we want to encourage students' participation in class, we have to give it much more importance in the teaching-learning process. How?

Show clearly its value to students' learning progress. Raise their awareness of the need to contribute to their own learning whether through asking, and answering questions, initiating ideas or sharing materials and resources with others.

Make from students' participation an integral part of their learning. This is by providing them with a variety of opportunities to voice their ideas and make choices.

Show them that they are taking part in your teaching and their contributions are of great value. Listen to their suggestions and take their ideas and choices into account to make further decisions and plans.

Praise and reward the efforts of those students who participate and keep on encouraging the rest to get more involved.

4. Previous learning experience

Another reason for students' resistance to participation relates to their previous learning experience. Students who have been humiliated by their teachers because of their mistakes, have been laughed at by their teacher, and/ classmates are more likely to have a negative stance towards participation.

Such learning experience, may not only lead to that refusal, but also to a lack of self-confidence in students' abilities to speak up and share their ideas with others.

It is important to note that these students are not shy because their fear of making mistakes is not innate or part of their personality traits, but it has developed out of their previous learning experiences. It is a kind of response to avoid experiencing again frustration.

Experiencing failure in the past can also result in students' lack of self-confidence and the conviction that they are unable to reach success, so failure is inevitable.

To support your students feel good about themselves and overcome those uneasiness moments of self-doubt, hesitation, and avoidance of others, you need to enhance their self-esteem.

Help them experience success and enjoy their self-achievement.

Talk to them about their potential. Even if they are not good at your subject matter, support them trust themselves and their ability to make progress. Equip them with the tools to achieve that. Listen, listen and listen to their fears and support them overcome them.

Embrace the culture of learning through mistakes, nudge them to do better and never give up. Value their contributions and keep encouraging them.

5. Devaluing teaching and learning

When the teaching content and materials seem irrelevant to students, they show no interest in getting involved.

We know that such content and materials need to match students' interests and needs. But, because these differ from one student to another, we may not meet all of them.

It is worth noting here that we are not just concerned with selecting the kind of tasks and materials our students need and prefer. But we need to consider as well the appropriate level of challenge for them.

A common situation which I often hear from my in-service teachers is having students who see their teaching as irrelevant. This is because they need more challenging and thought-provoking tasks. As a result, they devalue teaching and learning, refuse doing tasks and getting attentive in class.

So, what to do here?

First, you need to understand the reason why that student perceives your work as irrelevant. Then look for what he needs and wants to learn instead. You need to talk individually to him, devote time to that and listen attentively to understand that reason.

Do more personalized learning. Provide variety within the same task so that students can do tasks that match their needs and interests. Also, bring a variety of tasks; avoid sticking to the same type and check how your students get on with them.

Provide your students with the choice. They can select from your suggested materials and/ or bring their own into the classroom. So, let them make decisions. This will help you know what types of students you have and thus how you need to improve more your instructions.

6. Having nothing to say

After explaining our lesson, we raise questions to check for understanding and elaborate more on the tackled points. We expect our students to react and provide us with the necessary feedback.

But, students will not participate in raising questions or holding discussions if they are still struggling with understanding that lesson.

So, if you see some of your students watching you, having nothing to say, this might be because they have not understood quite well your content and so they dare not speak about it. Therefore, you need to reexplain, ask other students to do that and provide much more practice.

Having nothing to say also occurs when students have not done your assigned tasks for a number of reasons (such as being absent, not being serious, not understanding your instructions, etc). In such a case, seek for the reason and try to push students to work hard.

Students' participation is a necessary component of learning. It is a goal, we teachers need to plan for and achieve. When students say no to participation in class we should seek for the why and understand what lied behind it. Then we have to make decisions and act to foster it.

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6 Reasons for students resistance to participation in class and ways to deal with them - EduLearn2Change

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CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 27 January 2019/ By Zineb DJOUB In each classroom, there are students who refuse to participate and get involved in their learning process. This annoys us as teachers because it makes us feel that what we are doing is alien to those students and we will never reach out to them.

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Jak odzyskać uwagę dzieci, gdy klasa nagle kompletnie się rozproszy - zapytano mnie niedawno w czasie warsztatów, które prowadziłam. Oto kilka podpowiedzi, wcale nie tak banalnych jak by się wydawało na pierwszy rzut oka:
Szczera rozmowa. Gdy klasa zaczyna wariować, poproś wszystkich o uwagę i zacznij o tym rozmawiać. Bez szukania winy i wyznaczania kar. Spytaj ich, co możemy wspólnie zrobić, by przywrócić spokój. Zwykle uczniowie mówią, że tracą koncentrację, bo się nudzą. Spytaj, co ich zdaniem można zrobić, by przykuć ich uwagę. Połowa sukcesu to sprawić, by dziecko poczuło kontrolę nad tym, w jaki sposób się uczy. Dla nauczyciela oznacza to, że ma całą klasę pomocników gotowych rozwiązać ten problem.

Złamanie rutyny. Rutyna często bywa naszym przyjacielem, bo dzięki niej możemy działać sprawnie, jednak często zapominamy, że z czasem rutyna staje się nudna. Nie namawiam do żadnych błazeńskich wygłupów, a jedynie wyczulam na moment, w którym rutyna przestaje działać. Wtedy następuje czas na jej złamanie.

Muzyka. Zauważyłam, że muzyka świetnie działa, jeśli umiejętnie dobiorę jej tempo do nastroju klasy. Jeśli dzieci są ospałe, włączam dynamiczną piosenkę. Jeśli rozrabiają, puszczam coś wolnego i łagodnego.

Medytacja. Gdy wchodzę do rozbrykanej klasy, uruchamiam projektor i puszczam krótkie filmy z pozycjami jogi lub ćwiczeniami oddechowymi. To często jedyna skuteczna metoda na likwidację pisków i śmiechów. Trzy minuty świadomych oddechów znakomicie wyciszają i wzmagają koncentrację.

Unik przed katastrofą. Kiedyś, gdy czułam, że lekcja zmierzała ku katastrofie, przyspieszałam w nadziei, że z rozpędu jakoś dotrwam do końca. Teraz nauczyłam się, że trzeba się zatrzymać i spytać, dlaczego dzieci nie rozumieją materiału. A potem kompletnie przebudowuję całą lekcję. Dzięki temu, że codziennie uczę tego samego w pięciu klasach, potrafię to zrobić bardzo sprawnie.

Ruch. Brak koncentracji bardzo często jest wynikiem braku ruchu. Nauczyciele często nie zdają sobie sprawy ile czasu dzieci siedzą w bezruchu, wszak każdy z nas widzi tylko swój odcinek ich dnia. Dlatego często zalecam np. zamianę miejsc w ławkach lub jakieś proste ćwiczenia gimnastyczne, a czasami wychodzimy z klasy i idziemy do biblioteki lub do parku i tam kontynuujemy naukę.

„Przytaknij i odwróć uwagę". To jest technika, którą poznałam dzięki świetnej książce Angeli Watson pt. „". Gdy moi uczniowie wydają się smutni, przez kilka minut rozmawiam z nimi o tym, co ich gryzie, a następnie staram się przenieść ich uwagę na jakiś bardziej optymistyczny temat. Dla dzieci ważne jest, by docenić ich problemy, a potem pomóc przezwyciężyć przygnębienie.

Różne sposoby pokazania wiedzy. W czasie zajęć często używam techniki „turn-and-talk" (dzieci odwracają się do swoich sąsiadów i dyskutują w parach nad rozwiązaniem danego ćwiczenia). Często proszę też uczniów o pokazanie odpowiedzi ciałem, narysowanie jej bez użycia słów itp. Dzięki temu angażuję ich umysły w niekonwencjonalny sposób. Nie robię tak przez całą lekcję, a jedynie od czasu do czasu. Chodzi o to, by uczniowie mogli przekazać, co wiedzą, na różne sposoby, a nie ciągle tak samo.

Nauczanie indywidualne. To jest ostatnio bardzo modny temat. Ja mam na myśli wychwycenie konkretnych, specyficznych powiązań danego dziecka z tematem nauczania i skierowanie jego uwagi na nie. Każde dziecko podchodzi do tematu lekcji na swój własny, niepowtarzalny sposób, który nauczyciel dostrzeże tylko wtedy, gdy dobrze zna swoich podopiecznych.

Nowoczesna technologia. Staram się być na bieżąco z nowinkami technicznymi, ale niektóre z nich potrafią rozpalić w klasie prawdziwy pożar! (ostatnio np. ). Uważajmy jednak, by nie przesadzić. Gadżety nie zastąpią nauki, a jedynie odświeżają podejście do niej.

I na koniec: pamiętajmy, że uwagę uczniów zyskamy nie tylko dzięki tym kilku prostym sztuczkom, ale przede wszystkim dzięki głębokim zmianom w metodologii naszego nauczania. Najprościej jest zwalić winę na dzieci. Zamiast tego powinniśmy spytać siebie samych, czy to, co robimy, rzeczywiście warte jest ich uwagi? Najważniejsze, to głęboko wierzyć w nasze nauczycielskie powołanie i przenieść naszą pasję na dzieci. Bez własnego zaangażowania czy mamy prawo wymagać go od innych?

Autorka: Pernille Ripp - jest amerykańską nauczycielką, która dokonała wielkiej zmiany w swoim sposobie uczenia (pisaliśmy o niej tu). Swoje doświadczenia i refleksje opisuje w blogu Blogging Through The Fourth Dimension. Jest też autorką książek Passionate Learners: Giving Our Classroom Back to Our Students i Empowered schools, empowered students.
Tłumaczenie: Wojciech Musiał
Źródło: Blogging Through The Fourth Dimension, przedruk tekstu za zgodą autorki

zdjęcia:woodleywonderworks

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Jak odzyskać uwagę dzieci, gdy klasa nagle kompletnie się rozproszy - zapytano mnie niedawno w czasie warsztatów, które prowadziłam. Oto kilka podpowiedzi, wcale nie tak banalnych jak by się wydawało na pierwszy rzut oka: Szczera rozmowa. Gdy klasa zaczyna wariować, poproś wszystkich o uwagę i zacznij o tym rozmawiać.

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... czyli, jak motywuję uczniów do działania i jednocześnie zapewniam sobie (względny 😉 ) spokój podczas zajęć 😉 Czasami pytacie mnie, jaki sposób mobilizuję swoich uczniów do pracy. Właśnie dlatego cały wpis postanowiłam poświęcić pozytywnej motywacji 🙂

Na wstępie chciałam zaznaczyć, że stosowane przeze mnie sposoby są tylko dodatkiem. Stosuję je z umiarem tak, żeby dzieci uczyły się dla siebie, a nie dla nagrody.

Jeden ze swoich ulubionych sposobów opisałam już dawno temu. Mowa oczywiście o Quiet critters - cichych stworkach. Mieszkają one w słoiku i bardzo lubią język angielski, dzieci i ciszę (niekoniecznie w takiej kolejności 😉 ). Jeśli uczniowie ładnie pracują podczas lekcji, quiet critters wychodzą ze swojego słoika, siadają na ławkach dzieci i w ciszy pracują razem z nimi. Jeśli jednak w sali jest za głośno, stworki szybko uciekają do słoika. Bardzo boją się one hałasu i dlatego, gdy tylko ktoryś uczeń nie uważa, jest głośno lub zajmuje się czymś, czym nie powinien - stworek „woła" o pomoc. A usłyszeć go mogę tylko ja, ponieważ to ja jestem stwórcą wszystkich stworków i porozumiewam się z nimi telepatycznie 😀 Taka oto historia pomaga mi zapanować nad dzieciakami. Oczywiście stworki nie mogą pojawiać się na każdej lekcji - wtedy zapewne szybko znudziłyby się dzieciom 😉

Ten pokaz slajdów wymaga włączonego JavaScript.

Jedna z moich uczennic zrobiła swoje stworki - czasami przynosi je na lekcje i sama rozdaje dzieciom w nagrodę za ładną pracę podczas zajęć 😉 I zawsze najpierw pyta, czy może teraz nagrodzić kolegę/koleżankę 🙂 Poniżej zdjęcie quiet critters wykonanych przez Julę.

Z quiet critters korzystam w klasach 1 i 2. Dla trzecioklasistów mam pokrewny pomysł - Pochwałozbieracze. To kolejne stworki, tylko że tym razem znajdują się one na kartce A5, którą uczniowie wklejają sobie na ostatnią stronę w zeszycie. Za każdym razem, gdy ktoś ładnie pracuje podczas lekcji, jest aktywny itp to w ramach pochwały zostaje nagrodzony plusem przy jednym stworku. Dziecko może wtedy takiego stworka pokolorować. Gdy już wszystkie stworki będą wykolorowane, dziecko dostaje 5 za pracę na lekcji, naklejkę oraz ... kolejną kartkę ze stworkami czekającymi na kolorowanie. Sympatyczne Pochwałozbieracze są dziełem serdecznie dziękuję za piękne grafiki, w których zakochałam się już dawno temu 😉

Skoro już jesteśmy przy naklejkach ... Ja korzystam z dwóch rodzajów naklejek. W jedne z nich zaopatruję się na Aliexpress - są to małe naklejki w kształcie gwiazdek lub uśmiechnięte buźki. Takimi naklejkami nagradzam dzieci w różnych sytuacjach: za ładnie prowadzony zeszyt, za odrobione zadanie domowe, przepisane tekstu do zeszytu, recytację wiersza itp. czyli prawdę powiedziawszy za każdym razem, gdy uznam, że zaistniała taka potrzeba 😉 Natomiast za Pochwałozbieracze moi uczniowie otrzymują „specjalne" 🙂 naklejki z angielskimi napisami od SzkolneNaklejki.pl Dzieciaki szaleją na ich punkcie - czasami widzę, jak liczą sobie podczas przerwy, ile mają już naklejek 😉

Od SzkolnchNaklejek.pl korzystam jeszcze z , które uczniowie dostają za „szczególne osiągnięcia" 😀 Te małe karty dzieciaki traktują jako ogromne wyróżnienie - otrzymują kartę ze swoimi imieniem i nazwiskiem oraz z datą danego dnia. To naprawdę świetny pomysł, sprawdza się w 100%. Czasami, gdy zadaję jakieś zadanie dodatkowe dla chętnych to uczniowie pytają „czy to na kartę może być?" a nie „czy to będzie na ocenę?" 😉 Karty i naklejki ważniejsze od ocen 😉

Na koniec chciałam podzielić się pomysłem, który wykorzystuję podczas zajęć z pierwszakami, ale na pewno rewelacyjnie sprawdzi się on również w przedszkolu. Są to bilety motywacyjne od Mambiatki. Na czym polega cała zabawa? Otóż każde dziecko otrzymuje bilet do dziurkowania z 6 lub 12 dziurkami. Bilety dziurkujemy oczywiście w nagrodę - za dobre zachowanie, odrobione zadanie domowe, zaśpiewaną piosenkę ... Uczeń otrzymuje nagrodę wtedy, gdy wszystkie miejsca są już podziurkowane. Jaką nagrodę - otóż losuje kartę, na której jest zapisana konkretna nagroda. Przyznam, że nie wykorzystuję wszystkich kart z nagrodami, tyko wybrałam te, które wydały mi się najlepsze i dodałam kilka swoich 😉 ale największą popularnością cieszą się pochwała do dzienniczka, pomocnik nauczyciela oraz korona Króla/Królowej języka angielskiego, którą udało mi się znaleźć również u SzkolnychNaklejek.pl .

Uff ... To już wszystkie pomysły, jakimi chciałam się z Wami podzielić. Oczywiście mam kilka innych w zanadrzu, ale zostawiam je na inny wpis 😉 Jestem bardzo ciekawa Waszych sposobów na motywowanie uczniów.

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czyli, jak motywuję uczniów do działania i jednocześnie zapewniam sobie (względny ;) ) spokój podczas zajęć ;) Czasami pytacie mnie, jaki sposób mobilizuję swoich uczniów do pracy. Właśnie...

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1. Play the video below to start this lesson.
. . Please wait a few seconds for the video to load 2 .We have created a podcast to complement this lesson.
Student Discipline in the EFL Classroom Podcast - 15 minutes

Click on the link to play it here: Discipline in the EFL Classroom

You can download all our podcasts from our podcast page.
3. Basic Concepts
The best way to deal with student discipline in the EFL classroom is to have a good lesson plan that is active and encourages the participation of every student in the room. An active student is not usually a problem student.

That said, many students are not in the EFL classroom because they want to be. Many are there because their school or university program requires it, their employer requires it or their parents put them in the class. A few parents even use language schools as a babysitting service. So, sometimes, problems can be expected.

No matter what the problem, the best policy is to keep your cool. In fact, the best advice is to always act on a problem BEFORE you get upset while you can still think rationally and calmly about solving it. Plan ahead for dealing with common problems.

Set clear rules and explain them to students the first day of class. Be serious about the rules and enforce them consistently, without showing any upset and you are on your way.

Students who talk a lot or misbehave in a mild manner can often be quieted just by your presence if you stand next to them. Even quite disruptive teenagers can often be settled down with a simple gentle hand placed on their shoulder. You don't have to say anything; they get the message. Try not to take things too seriously. Just enforce rules with a smile on your face so as to not upset the rest of the class. Adults generally are not too problematic though in some cultures they can be.

Children present a special challenge. Remember the old rule that the length of an activity for a child should be no longer than double their age minus two and some suggest age equals length of activit y. Thus a four-year-old child can probably only tolerate an activity of six minutes or less and then you should move on.

Children will often act out for your attention and it would be best to study some basic psychology and behavior modification techniques to keep a handle on them. Generally speaking, giving a child attention for unwanted behavior is not a good idea. It is far better to target the child right next to the misbehaving child and reward them for doing what you want the problem child to do (like sitting down or working on the assigned task).

It is important to get some idea from your employer what rules they feel should be enforced and what they recommend you do about discipline problems. Language schools are typically private businesses and need you to deal with any problems gently, positively and in a way that doesn't chase their customers away. Ask the other teachers what the school enforces and if they "back up" their teachers. Some don't and it is better to know that before you have to press a point and lose.

Know that what might be perceived as "cheating" in the Western world might be considered "helping your friends" in some other cultures. Here, prevention is the best action. Move desks far apart and even all the way up to the front and back walls during examinations. Don't allow cheating but don't get too stressed by it. It is sometimes a cultural issue more than anything else.

Discipline in the EFL classroom is no different than discipline in any other type of classroom with the simple exception that you have one more thing to frustrate your students and that is language.

The enjoyable video below provides ten important points for classroom management

The following video is longer and more detailed, but she has some great ideas too.
Try to find a compromise between her details and the first videos more relaxed approach.
They are both great!

4. Expanded Concepts
Read the following link for excellent advice, information and help with discipline issues in the classroom.

Top 10 Tips for Successful Classroom Discipline
- read this page and peruse the links as well -

That should give you a good start and get you thinking about positive discipline and motivation.

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Student Discipline EFL Classroom | Discipline in EFL

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Student Discipline EFL Classroom: The best way to deal with discipline in the EFL classroom is to have a good lesson that is active and encourages student..

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Good classroom management goes hand-in-hand with student discipline. Educators from the novice to the experienced need to consistently practice good classroom management to reduce student behavioral problems.

To achieve good classroom management, educators must understand how social and emotional learning (SEL) influences the quality of teacher-student relationships and how that relationship influences classroom management design. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning describes SEL as "the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions."

Classrooms with management that meets academic and SEL goals require less disciplinary action. However, even the best classroom manager can use a few tips at times to compare his or her process with evidence-based examples of success.

These seven classroom management tactics reduce misbehavior so teachers can focus their energy on making effective use of their instructional time.

In their book, The Key Elements of Classroom Management, Joyce McLeod, Jan Fisher, and Ginny Hoover explain that good classroom management begins with planning the time available.

Discipline problems generally occur when students become disengaged. To keep them focused, teachers need to plan different blocks of time in the classroom.

Allocated time accounts for the total span of teacher instruction and student learning.

Instructional time covers the time teachers spend actively teaching.

During engaged time, students work on tasks on their own.

And in academic learning time, teachers prove that students learned the content or mastered a particular skill.

Each block of time in the classroom, no matter how short, should be planned. Predictable routines help structure blocks of time in the classroom. Predictable teacher routines include opening activities, which ease transitions into class; routine checks for understanding and routine closing activities. Predictable student routines work with partner practice, group work, and independent work.

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7 Ways to Take Control of Your Classroom to Reduce Student Misbehavior

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Good classroom management goes hand-in-hand with student discipline. Educators from the novice to the experienced need to consistently practice good classroom management to reduce student behavioral problems. To achieve good classroom management, educators must understand how social and emotional learning (SEL) influences the quality of teacher-student relationships and how that relationship influences classroom management design.

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Comprensión y tratamiento de los retos asociados a la disciplina en el aula
de lengua extranjera en escuelas públicas

Josefina Quintero Corzo
Universidad de Caldas, Colombia
josefina.quintero@ucaldas.edu.co

Odilia Ramírez Contreras
Universidad de Caldas & Institución Educativa Atanasio Girardot, Colombia
odiliarc@yahoo.com

This article was received on August 6, 2010, and accepted on June 13, 2011.

Complying with school regulations and teachers' instructions is a basic principle of an excellent class; both novice and experienced teachers face challenging situations when getting into real classrooms, especially those related to classroom management. There are various reasons that explain discipline problems in public schools, as well as varied strategies beginning teachers create and try when coping with those challenges. This article reports an action research study on how this methodology helped a group of teacher-trainees overcome indiscipline in English as a foreign language classrooms at public schools, and align with professional development initiatives which focus on reflection and decision-making processes that the new Colombian policies demand from new teachers seeking a higher quality of education.

Key words: Action research projects, class disruption, classroom management, discipline problems, English as a foreign language.

Responder a las normas escolares y a las instrucciones de los profesores es un principio básico de una clase excelente. Tanto los profesores novatos como los experimentados enfrentan situaciones problemáticas en las aulas de clase reales, especialmente en relación con la disciplina. Hay varias razones que explican la indisciplina en los colegios públicos y también estrategias variadas que los profesores principiantes crean y ensayan para superar tal reto. Este artículo reporta un estudio de investigación acción que ayudó a un grupo de profesores principiantes a superar la indisciplina en el aula de inglés en colegios públicos y a responder a iniciativas de desarrollo profesional con base en procesos de reflexión y toma de decisiones que las nuevas políticas educativas colombianas demandan de las nuevas generaciones de profesores para mejorar la calidad de la educación.

Palabras clave: dominio de grupo, indisciplina, inglés como lengua extranjera, problemas de disciplina, proyectos de investigación acción.

Teacher education (TE) programs comprise a wide range of aspects that determine the personal and professional development of young generations of teachers. TE programs at Caldas University have in mind the real needs and problems teacher trainees face when getting into real classrooms; that is why the university has adopted important curriculum reforms (Universidad de Caldas, 2009-2018) to provide teacher trainees with strategies that equip them with the methodological tools and research skills to solve immediate problems concerning their pedagogical practicum.

Most Colombian public schools are open to research (Quintero, Buitrago, Gallego, Infante, López & Zuluaga, 2007). A large number of innovative proposals have emerged from educational settings. According to Sánchez (2011), "it is worth reflecting upon the preparation that teacher education programs are providing since adjustments could be made in order to enhance this preparation and avoid potential problems and frustration on the part of student-teachers or novice teachers" (p. 7).

However, the applicability of research processes is limited by different factors. Some go from administrative to pedagogical constraints such as lack of stimuli, traditional teacher-centered models based on instrumental procedures, a content-based curriculum, lack of time, crowded classrooms, scarcity of didactic materials and technological resources, and changing policies (Ministerio de Educación Nacional [MEN], 2008).

Despite the constraints mentioned above, there has been some research that looks at and explores the classroom phenomena. In that vein, this research proposal intends to describe the reasons that explain discipline problems (e.g. class disruption) in public schools and varied strategies beginning teachers try when coping with those discipline problems. The following sections give an account of how five modern languages teacher trainees put into practice their research skills to lessen the levels of indiscipline in the English classroom, giving a great value to their reflective processes. Action research helped them to cope with indiscipline in the classroom based on the cycle approach of observing, questioning, decision-making, planning, acting, reflecting, and documenting (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1995).

The article starts with a brief literature review on issues dealing with teachers' role in classroom management; it proceeds with the statement of the problem area, the research questions, and a short description of the real context of Colombian public schools. Then, the research methodology is described with its data collection and analysis techniques and instruments; finally, findings and conclusions are presented under the scope of the research questions previously posed.

Classroom management is frequently referred to as the number one challenge student teachers face in their classrooms and "having control of the class is one of the concerns that characterizes novice teachers" (Pineda & Frodden, 2008, p. 148). Prada and Zuleta (2005, p. 168) refer to classroom management, too, and highlight the fact that most novice teachers are extremely concerned about the way they exert control in the class. According to Fontana (1997), "the feeling of insecurity to keep class control in a thirty-student group turns threatening in the minds of most novice and experienced teachers. Children, considered a mass, could offer a threatening -even intimidating-image" (p. 16).

Kyriacou (2000, p. 22) links students to frequent sources of stress among teachers; when listing the top ten reasons why teachers get stressed, the author starts with "teaching pupils who lack motivation" and "maintaining discipline". Thus, teachers find it difficult to encourage students who do not see the school setting as an interesting place to learn; these students do not necessarily misbehave, they just do not do their best, thus demanding more time and effort on the part of the teacher to accomplish their tasks. Referring to this kind of students, Kyriacou further states:

They [the students] will take every opportunity to work at as slow a pace as possible, they will be unresponsive when asked questions, they will lack the initiative to do anything other than what they are explicitly told to do, they will take every opportunity to engage in social conversation, and they are quite happy to hand in work that is incomplete and unfinished (p. 23).

Kyriacou insists that when teachers are challenged to cope with unmotivated classes their journey feels harder due to the "physical and emotional tiredness at the end of a school day" (2000, p. 23). The lack of interest or motivation lead learners to get engaged in activities different from what they are instructed like chatting, playing, walking around, sleeping, throwing paper balls, or littering. What starts with simple indicators of lack of motivation frequently ends up shaping discipline problems; at this point, teachers are stressfully called for different actions that Kyriacou refers to as follows:

Alertness and vigilance [...] to prevent pupil misbehavior occurring in the first place. This means that, with some classes, a teacher feels they can never relax. They continually need to be on the alert for a sign that there is a problem which if not dealt with quickly could lead to misbehavior (p. 24).

This means that teachers need to pay very close attention to everyday class moves to identify those that may seriously disrupt the class; for example, "trivial incidents, such as not paying attention [...] or serious incidents such as pupil swearing" (Kyriacou, 2000, p. 25) require immediate actions to keep the control of the classroom and the calm atmosphere that the teaching-learning process demands. In this sense, Duarte and Jurado, (2008) consider: "Pedagogical processes are an essential part of school life and they ought to be thought out by people who work in education, in order to create proper environments for students' integral development and the construction of a more civilized society" (p. 62).

Teachers need to take into account the differences among learners considering age, sex, aptitudes and socioeconomic and cultural background. Fontana (1997) further explains how these five factors represent the basis for the interpretation of students' conduct:

Table 1. Differences among Learners (According to Fontana, 1997)

Continuing with Fontana's rationale, students, when growing up, change their expectations about and patterns of interaction with teachers and adults, becoming more critical and, sometimes, blaming them for their own mistakes or failures. They are also affected by their concern or need for a good reputation and prestige among their peers, although sometimes they find it difficult to ask for help among colleagues because as Pineda and Frodden (2008) state, "novice teachers usually feel that their problems are unique and tend to try to solve problems on their own" (p. 154). Concerning their aptitudes, Fontana (1997) states that teachers need to plan their teaching according to the students' aptitudes in order to avoid frustration; levels of difficulty on task should match students' learning differences and pace. The author also reminds teachers to avoid any kind of discrimination in the classroom because of sex differences, but also to understand the changes proper to puberty and adolescence. Concerning socioeconomic and cultural background, Fontana also highlights that a classroom is a place where varied views of the world merge and, depending on the teacher's moves, those views may sometimes alter the learning atmosphere.

Disruptive behavior as one of the most common discipline problems is one of the main concerns for student teachers. Sureda (1989) reports that "the lack of discipline in the classroom is a common factor around the world: what makes the difference is the teacher's capability to maintain classroom management" (p. 3). In fact, teacher trainees "can sometimes be overwhelmed by a feeling of panic when faced by an unruly class whom they feel they cannot control" (Kyriacou, 2000, p. 36). The author also refers to disruptive behavior as a source of stress for both experienced and inexperienced teachers. Inexperienced teachers "become worried about the brutalizing effects on their personality of becoming strict disciplinarians" (p. 37) since the ways to display authority most of the time imply feeling uncomfortable and rude.

McDaniel (1986) comments on a humanistic view of discipline where "discipline is related to self-concept and communication" (p. 63). This idea explains why classroom management is so demanding for new teachers. The author reports how research has shown that "certain teaching techniques lead to better learning and better behavior. Teachers must master these techniques, the researchers say, if they hope to have well-managed and effective classrooms" (p. 63). This means that classroom behavior depends on or is determined by teaching (i.e. by the kind of strategies teachers implement to work on both academic and disciplinary issues at the same time). In his ten principles for classroom discipline, McDaniel (1986) suggests class procedures and patterns of interaction to raise and maintain students' motivation, interest, and desire to learn.

Ramírez (2004) elaborated on discipline problems when referring to disrespect in the classroom. She found that "students demanded more rules, actions, and intervention from the authority figures in the classroom" (p. 139). This means that students are frequently aware of the consequences of their moves in the class, but they also expect to be disciplined by their teachers or parents. Ramírez emphasizes that students expect teachers "to take immediate disciplinary actions based on the school code in order to make them be aware that their role also implies the observance of an authority system they agreed with when entering the school" (p. 139).

Although classroom management and discipline issues are related to both pedagogical and academic aspects in the teaching learning process, it is true that those issues lead teachers to transformations in their classrooms, and as Piñeros and Quintero (2006) state, "the implementation of transformations by teachers is not free from despair and pain since teachers need to abandon the comfort of readymade answers and recipes in teacher in order to explore the far-possible of risking their own selves both as people and professionals" (p. 185), especially at early stages in their teaching career. Additionally, Sánchez (2011) argues that:

Classroom management may be a tricky topic to describe. It certainly cannot be mastered by reading about it, and it encompasses diverse elements such as discipline, teacher's roles, class size, time management or cheating. When student-teachers start their practicum and their experiences are discussed as part of methodology courses, it is surprising to notice that this is the most challenging part of their performance. (p. 7)

The present study focuses on the views and actions teacher trainees take on the basis of reflection in action (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1995) when interacting with challenging classrooms in public school settings in Colombia. As we know, this demands high levels of transforming initiatives.

A wide area of research among scholars in the educational field is the experiences and challenges teacher trainees encounter in the beginning of their professional lives; discipline issues top lists of complaints, worries, and concerns among teachers and administrators in public settings (Ramírez, 2004; Duarte & Jurado, 2008; Sánchez, 2011). That is why the present study was conducted, aiming at the following research questions:

How do EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher trainees understand and explain discipline-related challenges in public school classrooms?

How do EFL teacher trainees characterize discipline problems in public schools?

What kind of strategies do teacher trainees use when they encounter discipline problems in the EFL class?

What impact does action research have on the treatment of discipline problems in EFL public school classes?

A typical public classroom in Colombia holds an average of 45 students; most classes last 50 minutes, and in some cases, classes are extended to 90 minutes, to be taken once or twice a week. Students stay in the same classroom the whole day and teachers travel around the school building according to stated class schedules. A regular classroom is composed of a set of chairs, a teacher's desk and a board. Teaching materials are scarce and the existing ones are not always accessible or available due to their location, normally away from the classrooms. Teacher-trainees generally identify different constraints and learning problems in their daily school life ranging from students' lack of attention, hyperactivity disorder, misbehavior, dyslexia, stress, lack of parental support, and low socioeconomic resources. Teacher-trainees make big efforts to balance their disciplinary and academic moves in the classrooms.

"Even though, classroom management has surely been a source of concern for many generations of teachers. It is a recent subject of discussion among LT [language teaching] authors" (Sánchez, 2011, p. 7). The research problem related to discipline challenges in the EFL classroom was identified by means of the follow-up procedures conducted by the practicum advisors in the Modern Languages Program. In Caldas University, advisory is provided on a weekly basis in trainee-advisor conferences in which they discuss lesson planning and assess the implementation of such plans; the pre-service program starts in the third year of the undergraduate program when student-teachers start observing classes in real settings and establish communication with their future head teachers; the program continues with two semesters of practicum in which the trainees shadow and substitute for their head teachers in their classrooms and become part of the school life as regular members of the school community. During these stages, observations, journals, interviews, transcripts, and evaluation forms reported that classroom management was the most important concern of advisors, teacher trainees, head teachers, and administrators. This problem consisted of a lack of teaching methodological strategies on the part of novice teachers to solve immediate problems related to discipline. Table 2 contains a summary of the reasons for discipline problems from the teacher trainees' perspective, as identified in the data collected.

Table 2. Reasons for Indiscipline in EFL Classes According to Teacher Trainees

The present study was conducted following an action research methodology, taking into consideration that the teacher trainees involved implemented research proposals aimed at problems dealing with discipline-related issues, which were intervened on a cyclical basis (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1995). Data collection techniques such as observations, interviews, journals, focus groups, video/audio taping, transcriptions and documentary analysis were applied (Spradley, 1980). The researchers played their roles as nonparticipant observers both in the practicum process and the advisory committees in the Modern Languages and Master's in English Didactics programs at Caldas University.

The student population the teacher trainees dealt with corresponded to seventh and eighth graders with a high percentage belonging to dysfunctional or disintegrated families. The students' ages ranged from 12 to 16 years old. They come from single or no-parent families and they belong to a low social stratum.

The population involved in the study corresponded to five teacher trainees, ages ranging from 21 to 25; as part of the requirements for graduation, they conducted action research projects at public schools in urban areas that serve low social stratum neighborhoods. These trainees went through a complete research preparation process before they started their practicum. They got a view of their settings by means of preliminary observations to state a diagnosis of possible intervention points. As teacher trainees, they shadowed head teachers for a while and got involved in school life reporting to assignments as regular teachers. Complying with the chosen methodology, data were collected in six cycles in each trainee's research project by means of different techniques: six classes per trainee were observed, five journals and 30 class-assessment forms were analyzed; the five head teachers were interviewed as well as the advisors and trainees themselves; informal talks and documentary analysis of their field notes were also conducted. The researchers completed observation forms and transcribed the lessons and interviews.

Data were submitted for categorization in which codes were used to identify relevant issues emerging from the class phenomena described in the instruments. The identified categories/themes were used to characterize classroom phenomena according to the research questions and objectives presented in the preceding sections. Quintero et al., (2007), following Spradley (1980), describe the process of data analysis as segmentation, coding, categorization and theme identification. Ryan & Bernard (2000) refer to a similar process with the term identifying themes.

The findings from this study were classified into three different and at the same time related issues. In the first place, the follow-up and analysis of data from the participants and their teaching experiences built an interpretation of classroom settings. In the second place, the insights and reflections helped the researchers characterize indiscipline in public schools; and thirdly, important and useful strategies were operationalized in order to provide EFL teachers with tools to understand and face the daily discipline-related challenges in the classroom. Such findings are presented below.
An Interpretation of Classroom Settings
Categories were built based on the pieces of data that were segmented and coded according to the relationships they stated. These data reported two particular views of the classroom from the perspective of teacher trainees. First, the classroom is a place full of life, experiences, and stories to discover; it is an opportunity to explore and try new things every day. The teachers', administrators' and students' testimonies in interviews and focus groups provided evidence that what is perceived as noisy and disruptive by people outside the classroom might be a real learning environment where the students have the chance to express themselves and fulfill learning activities. Public school classrooms are seen as a difficult world because of the many everyday situations that arise in a class period, situations that involve complaints, arguments, varying emotions, confusion, conversation, and playing. This flow of human experiences challenges teachers to make on-the-go decisions that deal with both pedagogical and non-pedagogical issues. Second, that picture of a classroom suggests that the classroom is anything else but a place to learn. In general, trainees reported their feeling that students attend school with only the purpose of socializing with peers, to make friends, to enjoy life. That is why the teacher trainees felt that it was a challenge for them to transform the classroom from a peer-meeting spot into a place where students learn with the guidance from a teacher. The comments presented below taken from the trainees' journals and the interview transcripts reflect the teachers' concerns about the situations they face in their classes when they try to teach learners who are not interested in the class:

The class was a chaos.

I did not have a single moment to teach in an orderly manner.

Students always make teachers feel bad and sad.

The most common is mess, confusion, lack of attention.

While I am trying to teach the class, the students are always talking, laughing, yawning...

Very frequently, the students ask questions that have nothing to do with the class with the only purpose of interrupting and bothering me.

As shown in their comments, the trainees described how one of the most challenging roles of teachers in public schools is getting students' attention. Words like chaos, mess, and disruption suggest a picture that by far distorts that of the ideal classroom. Indiscipline in the classroom is understood as any particular event in the classroom that prevents the teacher from completing the planned lesson. Most trainees complained that their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn and teach are cruelly smashed by sometimes minor, sometimes serious students' moves that hurt their self-esteem making them feel frustrated. The teacher trainees felt that due to their youth and inexperience, the students do not recognize them as an authority in the classroom; some of the comments they made in the interviews or wrote in their journals are presented below:

I don't know why they do that. They don't care about anything.

The students do not take advantage of what I can teach them.

They do not recognize the importance of my class.

They just laugh at me and ignore the efforts I make to help them learn.

I felt very bad because they do not see me as a real teacher.

These comments provided evidence of the teacher trainees' desperation and concern for the problems of indiscipline they faced in the classroom. The expressions used to talk about these class phenomena involved a high emotional load that led them to reflect on the actions to take to overcome such situations, which was the main contribution of the action research approach implemented in their research project. It was through reflection in action that the trainees got to turn the views of their classrooms into a more balanced teaching and learning interaction, in which they captured their students' attention and connected them to meaningful learning experiences that changed the interpretations that the school community used to make of their classes; at the same time, they reported that their learners became more aware of the role that the EFL class might have in their lives, going beyond the initial conception that it was only a site for socializing.
Characterization of Indiscipline
Reflective teacher trainees used different words and situations to describe what they interpreted as indiscipline; they referred to specific behaviors or features displayed by the students, e.g. hyperactive, restless, talkative, playful, aggressive, rebellious, violent, disobedient, liar, and snappy. Again, all these descriptors emphasize attitudes inside the classroom during the teaching learning process, and they sometimes show how desperate and concerned the trainees feel. Some of the trainees' written comments say the following:

That group is terrible! This is the noisiest group in school...

They get out of control very easily; whatever activity you do with them becomes a big mess; this group has driven me up of the wall.

On the other hand, trainees reported their concern about the different view of discipline from the perspective of administrators; they stated that they only focus on a few aspects related to social behavior, expecting children to be nice and respectful to others, to protect school property and to wear their uniform properly (without make-up or accessories). This concern reflected the fact that the classroom is somehow seen as a separate setting where teachers are assumed to have total control of discipline issues, for which most school policies do not have clear rules. Minor disruptive behaviors such as chatting or playing while in class have become part of the daily routine of the classroom, since no consequences follow due to the lack of time and staff to implement school code regulations in large classes. What most school handbooks state for the management of class discipline problems in public schools is to use a control book, generally called Observador del alumno (Student Record Book), in which teachers register the events that deal with class disruption; in this book, students and parents are supposed to sign and make commitments to improve on the recorded situation. Nevertheless, as mentioned before, the size of the groups, the lack of school staff to follow up on each case, and the school policies themselves make it difficult to discipline students. Some of the comments made by the trainees include the following:

The discipline coordinator is just a figure most students are afraid of; the students' behavior and attitudes change when classes are visited by him, and due to his heavy work load he does not have time to supervise classes.

Students almost laugh at me when I mention the 'observador del alumno'. They don't care about it.

John ignored me when I warn him that I would report him to the coordination office.

These comments give a sense of despair or discouragement that reflects the gap between the stated discipline policies and what really happens in the classroom. Concerning this aspect, trainees reported face-to-face dialogue more effective when trying to get changes in students' behavior. They also said that the more engaged they were in the language activities, the less discipline problems they would have. This fact leads to the more effective strategies described in the following section according to which it could be inferred that discipline problems are not only the students' responsibility; teachers trainees also reported their concern about not being able to meet the students' expectations in terms of teaching strategies; they said that they needed to try varied class activities to keep the kids engaged and motivated.

These findings match some teaching concerns in previous studies of authors like Duarte and Jurado (2008), Kyriacou (2000), McDaniel (1986), Pineda and Frodden (2008), Piñeros and Quintero (2006), Prada and Zuleta (2005), and Ramírez (2004), to mention just seven examples of research in the field. The observed classes where the teacher trainees conducted their research projects are not described as violent or malicious in terms of interaction. No sign of delinquent or abusive behavior was identified; what the data reported was frequent or permanent noise, lack of attention and interest, interruptions, all of them representing disruption that prevents teachers from accomplishing learning objectives in the way and within the time frame planned.
Strategies to Deal with Discipline Problems in the EFL Classroom
The most common questions among teacher trainees when dealing with discipline problems are: "What can I do to make them work?" and "How can I get their attention?" Always looking for the magic formula, teacher trainees reported a varied collection of actions in their attempts to make their classes better each day. The first one was direct talk with the involved students. This technique arose as a result of their frustration when failing to get their attention by means of the school handbook policies or guidelines. Most procedures or school regulations/guidelines take too long and the trainees felt that they needed immediate action to get immediate results. Talking to the students on a face-to-face basis provided better results since both trainees and students established a closer relationship in which they shared a sense of mutual support; some of their comments were as follows:

It was very difficult to get changes with the school rules in the handbook. I preferred to talk to the students and make them aware of the importance of the class for their future.

I warned the students several times and wrote different comments on their records, but they seemed not to care about anything. So I decided to talk to them and negotiate.

I noticed that the students preferred to talk to me instead to go to the office. They promised to improve and a good deal of students complied with them.

Along with the need for a smooth class atmosphere based on negotiated mutual support, the trainees highlighted the importance of lesson planning. Lessons should include different activities using attractive materials, drawings, games, songs; they claimed that the variety of activities determined the levels of attention they could get from the students. According to the trainees, a good lesson plan is expected to have a logical sequence and very clear instructions. Effective lessons should aim at the students' expectations, interests and needs which in most classes appear to be missing. The following is the list of the most highlighted strategies trainees proved to be effective:

Giving clear explanations for given exercises.

Making instructions clear and giving them before grouping students.

Organizing lessons in a sequence so that students know the steps to follow.

Keeping learners busy, always giving them something to do within the allotted time.

Managing time wisely.

Including and preparing attractive materials.

Stating rules for class procedures and activities, emphasizing the consequences for breaking rules.

Giving the students responsibilities.

Changing activities frequently.

Monitoring students walking around the classroom.

Respecting differences among learners, always taking into account their background and learning paces and styles.

Integrating language skills.

Conclusions and Implications for Reflection in Action

Teacher trainees referred to reflection as a time consuming activity, but they also found it rewarding. The whole practicum process is a cyclical reflection; the challenges a class with discipline problems poses demand a high level of reflection for which new teachers need to be prepared (Fontana, 1997). The trainees in this study gave a great value to the preparation action research provided them with; according to them, when conducting AR they are not reproducers of stated formulas but feel they are inquisitive and transformative in their own classrooms. The situations inexperienced teachers have to solve every day demand high levels of decision-making skills they get throughout their practicum.

Although teacher trainees get plenty of recommendations from advisors and head teachers, their suggestions do not always work due to the fact that every class context is different. That is why teacher trainees are asked for new strategies, building up their own teaching repertoire as a result of their reflective action. As suggested in the action research methodology (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1995), they get skillful in identifying problems, recording them in their diaries or journals, stating proposals for action, designing lesson plans to solve the situations that bother them, implementing those strategies and then observing the effects in the improvement of class objectives and procedures. That is the main contribution of action research in the teacher education process.

There are big differences between theory and real classroom practice. Some student teachers enter the profession as novice professionals in teaching, go through challenges that lead them to find a balance between what they learned from theorists in teaching and learning literature and what really happens when they deal with young learners.

Theory from regular methodology classes is not enough to understand classroom settings. The direct contact with real students is what most helps beginning teachers comprehend, try alternatives, and explain causes and effects in class phenomena. This implies a need for teacher education programs to prepare new teachers for those challenges providing them with skills to cope with the unexpected events that might arise in a classroom with discipline problems and also expose them to teaching as early as possible in the corresponding education program. The pedagogical foundation of teacher education needs to go beyond academic or disciplinary knowledge and explore psychological and social issues to foster classroom management skills that positively affect the teaching learning process.

The words discipline problems are a polysemic term. Depending on the perspective of the people involved in the teaching process, its meaning may vary. Teachers, administrators, and students usually have a different interpretation of discipline problems in the classroom, and in the same way, different ways to react to them due to the different circumstances they perform in their roles. For teachers, discipline deals with class control, management and active interaction; for administrators, discipline relates to quietness, good behavior and calm; for students, discipline connects with rules, instructions and policies. This varied interpretation of discipline implies the fact that, since it is mostly the teachers who work faceto-face with large classes, policy makers and school administrators need to provide teachers with consistency and support, stating clear guidelines that guarantee a smooth teaching atmosphere at all levels. Discipline is an issue that deserves attention and immediate actions in order to achieve the standards of quality the educational system aims at.

In most school settings the roles of the people involved in the educational process are determined by the system itself and, sometimes, by the subjects who recognize and accept particular hierarchies. New teachers are not always recognized as real teachers and in most settings they are given a lower status that the students misunderstand as lack of authority, as reported in this study when the trainees expressed their despair and concern when being ignored by the students in their own classrooms. This implies that teacher trainees must be given the status of regular teachers and be recognized as professionals who nurture schools with new pedagogical knowledge and trends with which they update the learning process inside the classroom; students must be instructed to welcome student teachers and see them as professionals with the same status as their regular teachers and not to waste their contributions to their setting and damage their self-esteem.

Differences among learners determine the characterization of classrooms with discipline problems; so do the different perceptions that the people involved in the educational process have of what might be a discipline problem. That is why there should be consistent policies according to which learners, parents, teachers, and administrators make decisions when participating in or assessing class phenomena.

Although good teaching depends on good planning, it is always an on-the-go decision making process. Teachers need to be prepared to pedagogically solve the academic and disciplinary problems that arise in their classrooms. Hence, it is mandatory that teachers build up a rich repertoire of possibilities to cope with situations that alter plans of action as well as to consider all kinds of moves: teaching strategies, classroom management techniques, psychological approaches, social standardized practices, cultural trends, and the like.

The investigative training prior to the teaching practicum in the Modern Languages program gives new teachers the scientific tools they need to solve daily problems in the classroom. With action research, beginning teachers acquire research habits that strengthen their professional profiles; they become good observers to describe their context, look at events reflectively and critically, make comments and express opinions about the current situation in the educational system, look for support when they need it and, at times, they themselves are a source of advice for head teachers and administrators and share their experiences with those who go along the same path.

Action research was reported and is suggested as a way to reflect and search for tentative solutions to discipline problems because it provides teachers with the opportunity to try and assess strategies to provide the students with better learning experiences to lessen behavioral or attitudinal problems. This contribution of action research results in more mature professionals, who contribute to the nation's progress.

Discipline problems are difficult to be absolutely solved; that is the reality of most public schools and the complaint of lot of public school teachers have. It is not fair for the community to expect perfect classroom management on the part of teacher trainees. Therefore, it is definitely a must that teacher education programs prepare them to be able to identify, manage and overcome classroom challenges with methodological and interpersonal skills that meet the expectations of 21 st century students. What the school members should do is take advantage of the strengths and knowledge they bring to their classrooms and, with them, research the teaching learning process more so that all together can overcome limitations and provide students with better learning experiences.
The project reported here and its publication were approved by the Vicerectoría de Investigaciones y Postgrados whose main objective is the participation of students and professors in research projects, according to the institutional development policies.
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Josefina Quintero Corzo, head professor and researcher at Universidad de Caldas, holds a PhD in Education and a BA in modern languages. She has published articles about interdisciplinary curriculum, qualitative research and classroom research. She is an evaluator of the Colombian National System of Science and Technology and director of a research group classified by Colciencias under category A1.

Odilia Ramírez Contreras, MA in English Didactics and BA in Modern Languages, is a research professor at Universidad de Caldas and the principal of Institución Educativa Atanasio Girardot, one of the public schools in the local project Manizales Ciudad Bilingue. She has taught foreign languages in the United States as a Fulbright and VIF exchange teacher and has been part of research groups in Universidad de Caldas. She is currently studying for a PhD in Education with concentrations in EFL and ESOL with Northcentral University, Arizona.

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Understanding and Facing Discipline-Related Challenges in the English as a Foreign Language Classroom at Public Schools

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Comprensión y tratamiento de los retos asociados a la disciplina en el aula de lengua extranjera en escuelas públicas Josefina Quintero Corzo Universidad de Caldas, Colombia josefina.quintero@ucaldas.edu.co Odilia Ramírez Contreras Universidad de Caldas & Institución Educativa Atanasio Girardot, Colombia odiliarc@yahoo.com This article was received on August 6, 2010, and accepted on June 13, 2011.

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Discipline: Student Conduct and Classroom Management | Foreign Language Teaching Methods: Classroom Management

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Professional development modules for foreign language instruction at the high-school and college levels.