Seek for Discipline Instead of Punishment

Many kids get punished at school for their behaviour, at times, the punishments are severe and could affect the students very badly. The changes in the education system have enforced the teachers to be lenient towards the students. But, sometimes, this leniency at times, creates a ruckus amongst the students and they get out of hands. Although, the punishments would stop them from doing certain activities for a particular time but for the longer runs inculcating discipline in the kids would be a better option.

Conventional punishment to students only raises struggles and clash cycles, propagating an amplified stress response in the brain and body. Punishment is used to try to force fulfillment. The vast majority of school discipline procedures are forms of punishment that work best with the students who need them the least.

Unlike punishments, discipline is practical and begins before there are any problems. Discipline provides guidance, it focuses on prevention, improves the communication process, represents respect, and embraces natural consequences. It also teaches fairness, liability, life skills, and problem solving skills.

For certain activities the kids are removed from the schools, but kids when comeback should be provided with a background and a plan of action that begins to align their brains in a positive manner. Hence, they would develop a positive mindset towards the school and would behave appropriately from the next time.

The neurobiological changes caused by constant negative experiences and a history of hardships could possibly trigger a fearful reaction in the brain. If teachers don’t get to the root, the hurtful behavior pops up elsewhere. In kids, the fear response often looks aggressive, disobedient, and oppositional.

Preventive brain-aligned strategies

The purposes of these strategies are to create a sustainable behavioral change, and not just focus on short term behavioral and obedience changes. Schools should create an area for both teachers and students to go to when they need to reset their emotional state. This area could be stocked with paper, markers, crayons, water, soft music and lighting, a jump rope, a stationary bike, lavender scented cotton balls, jars for affirmations or worries, or a rocking chair. Students will need to be taught ahead of time how to use this area, which they should need for just two to five minutes in order to feel refocused and ready to return to class.

These measures would allow a brain-healthy development for the kids as well as the adults, who would more likely to become less mischievous with these techniques.

Examples of non-punishable consequences

Kind words: A smile goes a long way, and so does the kind words- teachers should make the mischievous kids create a book of positive affirmations, or could also have them create a list of kind words and teach it to younger classes.

Lowering the physical level of aggression: Often out of rage, kids are found hitting their peers which could lead to catastrophic results, teachers could make the students perform an act of kindness towards the person the kid had hit earlier. This activity would ensure to lower the tensions between the kids and would also establish a healthier relationship amongst the two, which would prove beneficial in longer runs.

Inappropriate language: Use of inappropriate language is a delicate problem to deal with, the words used by students in the school, are more often said at home and hence the teacher needs to understand the family culture of the kid. The older kids could be assigned the task of researching about the word and find out why the particular word is not a part of school talk.

Younger kids could simply be made to write down their message they were trying to convey through the use of obscene words. They could also draw and convey their messages to the teachers and their peers, and if the drawing is good then the kid could also be allowed to take part in the online art competitions for kids.

Incomplete assignments: Teachers should have a one-on-one discussion to convey what this behavior communicates to them. They could ask if something has changed at home or school, or if the student doesn’t understand what is required. They could make a plan with the students and possibly a parent for making up the work that has been missed. And could also consider assigning a student adviser to help the student.