25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them (7 page)

Discerning teachers try to dig deeper and go below the surface of a problem, recognizing that things are not always as they appear. In this case, the teacher should have asked the child what she was doing before she decided to punish her. Instead, she said, “Do what you just did!” and obviously her mind was already made up. Good teachers ask questions first and take action later. Having the child ask for permission to share her supplies with the less-fortunate child could have been humiliating for the child with no supplies. In this case, the teacher could have thanked the child for her expression of kindness and let the incident pass. Correction of every misbehavior is not necessary (Irving & Martin, 1982).

SCENARIOS 1.9, 1.10, and 1.11
Knuckle Whackers

I remember having to sit in the dunce chair and getting my knuckles whacked by Sister A. for talking. I thought I was going to die.

We had gotten our first homework assignment and we needed to return it the next day. I went home, did it, and my mother and I put it on my desk so I wouldn’t forget it. I forgot it. When it came time to turn the homework in, I pretended like I turned it in. The teacher went through the papers and marked each child that brought one in. At the end, a little boy and I were left with no mark next our name. When she asked where my homework was I told her I did it but forgot it at home. She told me she didn’t like me telling lies and to go over to her desk. She slapped my hand with a wooden ruler; it left paint on my hand. My friend tried to comfort me as I cried and told me not to worry because all those teachers were mean. For the first time I realized that the teacher was African American.

Sister M. was my first-grade teacher in Catholic school. She was very strict and mean and I was so scared of her. She used to discipline her students by hitting their knuckles with a ruler. I was one of those students.

Hitting students on their knuckles is a destructive practice that fosters anger, hatred, fear, and resentment. It may also be illegal. Corporal punishment in any form is banned in 21 states. Whacking knuckles can be very painful for young children. Curiously, all of these young students were in first grade. In addition to the pain, the damage to students’ dignity and self-esteem may be great. This form of discipline may change the student’s perception of the teacher, causing them to see her as mean or scary. In one scenario, race became an issue; it was not an issue prior to the punishment. Exemplary teachers
know how to discipline and keep the student’s dignity and self-esteem intact. Dunce chairs and knuckle whacking are turn-of-the-century discipline tactics that should be abandoned.

SCENARIO 1.12
The Lineup

In first grade, the class had a few students who were being silly (giggling, talking, etc.). Mrs. G. (I’ll never forget her name) made the entire class line up in front of the blackboard and she paddled every one of us. I was totally embarrassed and furious that I was treated so unfairly by someone I trusted.

This teacher paddled her students, which is now illegal in some school districts. A more significant sin was her global use of punishment where she punished the guilty and the innocent. I also question the nature of the punishment in light of the “crimes.” Giggling and talking do not merit paddling.

Wise professionals would never punish the innocent, even at the risk of letting some of the guilty ones get away with the offense. If the teacher cannot easily discern the culprits, justice is better served either by dropping the matter or by offering a stern warning. If the behavior continues, they try rewarding the students who are not misbehaving, which avoids giving attention to the offending students. If punishment is needed, it should be appropriate for talking and giggling. Sometimes, giving the students five to ten minutes to giggle and talk might eliminate the need for punishment.

SCENARIO 1.13
Attila the Nun

I had a nun in third grade who was very old, very impatient, and probably should not have had much to do with children. I got in trouble for talking. First she called me to the front of the class and hit my hands, then she put duct tape over my mouth, and cut off some of my hair.

This form of punishment is so unconventional that it borders on pathological. What kind of behavior change would cutting a child’s hair effect? The extreme, bizarre nature of the punishment suggests a very authoritarian climate. Sprinthall, Sprinthall, and Oja (1994) point out that an authoritarian approach to discipline does not permit any deviation from a strict discipline policy. This is a very antiquated approach to discipline that is very reminiscent of the “hickory stick” era.

The informed teacher would have a repertoire of procedures and consequences that are appropriate for the offense and that consider the age of the child. This teacher had a repertoire of consequences but they were all inappropriate and unconventional. A more contemporary approach would be to recognize the child’s need and right to talk sometimes and to accept that talking can be a good thing.

SCENARIO 1.14
Injustice and Punishment for All

I was in the fourth grade. Several students had to stay after school because we had gotten in trouble during the day for various reasons. (What the reasons were, I don’t remember.) We had to write “I will not . . .” sentences. Some girls were whispering and the teacher added more sentences, then someone rolled their eyes and she added more, then someone groaned and she added more. I remember thinking what a mean and uncaring person she was. As far as I can remember, none of the students liked her; she was my worst teacher.

This scenario is a classic example of the disadvantages of group consequences. In this scenario, a number of students were detained after school to write repetitive sentences. They were punished as a group for the misbehavior of various members of the group. They had no control over these students’ actions so they should not have received any punishment for acts they did not commit.

The insightful, caring professional would recognize the pitfalls of group consequences and use them sparingly, if at all. Groups should not endure punishment because of an individual or individuals over whom they have no control (Epanchin, Townsend, & Stoddard, 1994). The teacher should only have assigned extra writing to those students who were causing problems. I have known teachers who have assigned extra tasks to the group not because they were mean and uncaring but more because of impulse and a desire to “control” the group. Assigning group consequences requires a serious, thoughtful approach. The risk involved in using this approach is being perceived as mean and uncaring and of being unfair to some students.

SCENARIOS 1.15 and 1.16
Dubious Misdeeds

When I was in fifth grade, I don’t remember what I was doing wrong, probably talking, and the teacher made me move my desk away from the rest of the class. After I moved my desk, I put my head down and cried and cried. I remember my classmates trying to console me.