Essay on “Classroom Discipline” Complete Essay, Paragraph, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Classroom Discipline

Discipline is a necessity for proper living and has importance throughout a person’s lifetime. But usually emphasis on it is considered essential only in the early period of life, particularly that spent in school and college. Discipline during this period is more the result of compulsion and coercion from outside, than of self-realization of its utility in successful living. Most disciplining techniques concentrate more on the end result — orderliness and civility in behaviour, than on the impact they have on personality development.

The necessity for the harsh disciplining methods we adopt is due to the great variety of our social backgrounds. Each child admitted to school has habits and talents; nature and behaviour, different from every other child. Since a school has many children, it will be practically impossible to devise disciplining methods specifically suitable to each child. Given the variety in child behaviour, it is natural for teachers to impose discipline, so that teaching may be a manageable exercise. Thus, disciplining in this context, transforms from being a crucial input for virtuous living, to a tool for child management.

But this transformation is not totally unacceptable, because, as mentioned earlier, developing disciplining methods suitable to each child is virtually impossible. Yet, enforcing discipline by harsh means may harm the development of a child’s personality. The need, therefore, is to strike a balance between these two realities. Success in disciplining children, and at the same time, in nurturing their personality, depends on the teachers’ skill in striking this balance.

Unfortunately, such teachers as have the ability to balance these two realities are rare. Most teachers tend to enforce discipline, because enforcement is the easier way out. The results of such enforcement do seem satisfactory, because a welcome order and civility will be seen in the children’s conduct in school; their behaviour among themselves; and that towards the others. This discipline, achieved by threatening and frightening the children, is illusory arid, therefore, temporary in nature. Such an approach to discipline can lead to one of the following outcomes: the children may acquire immunity to the coercive tactics, to the extent that no amount of coercion thereafter will discipline them. Just as they develop such immunity, so will criminal tendencies and hatred for fellow humans influence their thinking? Alternatively, coercive disciplining may subjugate the children, and eventually cause the collapse of their natural and independent personality. Living in perpetual fear of threats and punishment, or under the overbearing influence of their teachers, children may lose all interest in initiative, and lapse into a meekness that will damage their personality permanently.

Despite its obvious drawbacks, coercive disciplining is still widely adopted by teachers. But the better, more productive disciplining that inspires and persuades children to appreciate the benefits of discipline is not entirely non-existent. Many examples of teachers, who have realized a satisfactory level of discipline in their students, without resorting to methods that may harm the students, can be cited. For the teachers, the first step towards such an achievement, is to practice those methods that will help them gain the trust, faith and respect of the students. In this case also, the responsibility for discipline is with the teacher. But the methods of disciplining are liberal and more varied. Teachers may be acquainted with these methods during their training. They should be exposed to the virtues of a variety of disciplining methods, each of which is suitable for particular behaviour patterns. With Such training, they can approach the task of disciplining without prejudice or predetermination. The main attribute the teachers need at this stage is keenness to observe and analyze the behaviour patterns of their students, and the ability to adopt disciplining methods appropriate to each pattern. In this type of training, emphasis is more on qualities like versatility, patience and prudence, than on the ability for domination and viciousness. Teachers trained in this manner have a flexible approach towards discipline. Their main aim will be to ensure discipline, not to enforce it. As long as their judgment of students’ behaviour is correct, they need not fear the failure of their mission. These aspects of the training programme, along with others like satisfactory communicative skills and aptitude for clear and convincing explanations, will serve as the basic input for ensuring classroom discipline.

Most cases of indiscipline among students are due to the absence of inspiration, or of a sense of purpose. Teachers, with the necessary talent and training, as well as knowledge and strength of character, can serve as role models to students, and persuade them to overcome the tendency for mischief and indiscipline. When students see in their teachers, the presence, performance and consequence of civilized conduct, they will naturally be encouraged to emulate them. This tendency among students also helps get the message across to them that discipline is not something that is demanded of them, but something that they need for their own well-being.

The ideal approach to discipline makes no direct attempt at disciplining. It’s more important outcome is the realization that discipline is a necessity. Whatever the method of disciplining, it is the teacher who has the most important role to play. The student is just the raw material, which, by the efficiency and dedication of the teacher, may be transformed into a knowledgeable, responsible and disciplined end product.