Classroom Discipline

What are your classroom strategies for effective discipline? Do you find that you are able to avoid power struggles? Do you find yourself raising your voice (yelling) more than you would like? Read my short comment on discipline and comment on what strategies you use, would like to use in your class. What problems are you facing? How can we as a school move towards a more positive environment?

Our school should not focus on discipline in the sense of punishment. We should focus on discipline in the original sense of leading (think of the word disciple).
We should spend a considerable amount of time encouraging students to behave well and explicitly teach students how to disagree with someone without losing their temper and fighting. We need carefully worked out discipline policies, so the kids know exactly what steps they themselves are supposed to take (take a break, make a plan, etc.)

Try to see each student as a puzzle to be solved rather than a problem requiring you to exert your teacher power. Most behaviors have a genesis that makes sense somewhere along the line. The fun part is trying to figure out what put the behavior in place and then resolving the issue for the student.

I look forward to reading your thoughts.