Running Head: SALAZAR- DISCILINE POLICY

Discipline Policy

EDAD 612: Fall 2018

Diana Salazar
Running Head: SALAZAR- DISCILINE POLICY

Discipline Policy

School rules are necessary to create a safe and positive learning environment for students

and teachers. School discipline policies are meant to reduce negative behaviors and help students

learn to their fullest potential. Teachers try to reduce disruptive behaviors by applying school

discipline polices. However, if policies are not used correctly they can be detrimental to students

causing high rates of suspensions, forcing students to miss crucial instruction time, and causing

students to drop out (Lustick, 2017). It is important to understand our school discipline policies

and ensure these policies are helping our students instead of hindering their education.

Schools around the country attempt to use positive behavior interventions to reduce

behaviors and when used correctly, disruptive behaviors will decrease. A popular discipline

policy used in my school is PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Support) Classroom

Progressive Discipline Plan. PBIS “is an application of a behaviorally-based systems approach to

enhance the capacity of schools, families, and communities to design effective environments that

improve the link between research-validated practices and the environments in which teaching

and learning occurs” (PBIS, 2018). It consists of 4 components that are followed in this order:

Verbal Warning and Problem-Solving Conversation, A Restorative Action to Repair the Harm,

Rethinking Sheet with an Adult and/or Buddy Class, and Seek Help from another Adult. PBIS

guides teachers in applying behavior interventions and supports when problematic behaviors

occur in the classroom. It helps teachers manage behaviors by teaching students how to cope

with emotions, collaborating between teachers, students, and families, and helping build positive

relationships between teachers and students.

PBIS encourages teachers to think about student discipline before reacting to disruptive

behaviors in a negative manner. When teachers are taught to rethink discipline strategies and
Running Head: SALAZAR- DISCILINE POLICY

create discipline goals before interacting with students, teachers tend to reduce reliance on

exclusionary discipline practices (Miller, Pane, Rocco, & Salmon, 2014). When behavioral goals

are set, teachers tend to be more understanding, make a bigger effort to get to know their

students, and will have a decrease in negative behaviors in the classroom (Miller, Pane, Rocco,

& Salmon, 2014). PBIS tries to show teachers to think about discipline how to discipline

students by collaborating with them and teaching them teacher expectations.

An important peice of ensuring positive discipline for students, is building trusting

relationships between teachers and students and teacher and families. “Students whose teachers

build relationships with them and earn their trust are less likely to defy authority in the

classroom” (Lustick, 2016). Students are less disruptive when they feel safe and comfortable in

their classroom and when strong positive relationships are built between parents and teachers

(Lustick, 2016). When teachers are able to form positive relationships with their students,

students are able to understand classroom expectations and are more engaged and eager to learn.

BPIS can be an effective disciplinary policy when used correctly. It aligns with the

research that shows how building trust between teachers and students and collaborating between

teachers, students, and families can decrease disruptive behaviors in the classroom (Miller, Pane,

Rocco, & Salmon, 2014). Another significant way to decrease disruptive behaviors is

understanding our students and being culturally sensitive to their needs (Lustick, 2017). It is

important to learn about disruptive behaviors and have a plan in place before behaviors occur but

we also need to learn to be culturally diverse. New teachers should be aware that behavior is

culturally and contextually learned and influenced and that they should avoid punishing students

for behavior that might be appropriate in other setting (Lustick, 2017). It is important to educate

teachers about behaviors but there should also be trainings available for parents. Teacher-parent
Running Head: SALAZAR- DISCILINE POLICY

collaboration is important. Parents should have the opportunity to be more involved in their

child’s wellbeing by learning and understanding behavior as well. If everyone worked together to

understand our students, our students will exceed all of our expectations and maybe one day we

wouldn’t have discipline policies.

Running Head: SALAZAR- DISCILINE POLICY

References

Lustick, H. (2016). Making discipline relevant: Toward a theory of culturally responsive positive
schoolwide discipline. Race Ethnicity and Education, 20 (5), 681-695.

Lustick, H. (2017). “Restoring Justice” or restoring order? Restoring school discipline practices
in urban public school. Urban Education, 0 (00), 1-28.

Miller, L.D., Pane, D.M., Rocco, T.S., and Salmon, A.K. (2014). How teachers use power in the
Classroom to avoid or support exclusionary school discipline practices. Urban Education,
49 (3), 297-328.

Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support (PBIS). (2018). Retrieved from

https://www.pbis.org/school