Studies show that Black students are disciplined more severely than their White classmates for the same misbehavior.
And the most common classroom management methods used today—with their subjective interpretations of misbehavior, token economies, and manipulative practices—are at least partly to blame.
They’re rife with unfairness and increase the possibility of racial discrimination from teachers and administrators alike. Yet, they’re more popular than ever.
Why school districts endorse, promote, and even train teachers in these methods is beyond me. It’s been a constant source of frustration and astonishment for me since I founded Smart Classroom Management eleven years ago.
Yet still here we are.
At SCM we believe in treating every student with absolute fairness, respect, and dignity. But we don’t just say it. We don’t just throw it into a mission statement and be done with it.
We actually do it.
Our approach protects Black students from being singled out, profiled, and punished more harshly because of the color of their skin. It makes it difficult for teachers to discriminate, implicitly or otherwise, or hide behind subjective methods and policies.
It sets a standard of equality for an entire school community to follow.
Here’s how:
SCM has clear, sharply defined, non-discriminatory rules and consequences that protect the rights of every student to learn and enjoy school without being bullied, picked on, or made fun of.
These rules and consequences, together known as a classroom management plan, are triggered by very specific behaviors that are easily and objectively recognized by both the teacher and the students.
All rules and consequences are modeled, practiced, and fully understood by students, teachers, and parents before they’re put into practice as not to leave room for interpretation. They’re either broken or not.
Consequences are enforced by the teacher like a good referee calls a foul in a sports game. That is, a student is informed that they broke a rule unemotionally and with respect.
Teachers are not judges. They simply call em’ like they see em’ based on the agreed-upon boundaries that protect learning. The student will already know before the teacher says a word that they’ve broken a rule and what the consequence will be.
Teachers do not glare, scold, question, intimidate, or engage in any harmful method. Nor do they pull students aside for lectures and talking-tos. They simply allow accountability to do its good work and the student to reflect on their misbehavior without interference.
Teachers consistently enforce consequences whenever a rule is broken. Consistent means every single time regardless of who breaks a rule. In this way, it eliminates even the appearance of favoritism or discrimination.
Teachers do not reward students in exchange for good behavior. Doing so opens the teacher up to implicit bias, inequality, and playing favorites. Rewards are also bad for students because they snuff out the intrinsic motivation to do well for its own sake and value.
Behavior contracts, which are often directed at Black children, are forbidden. They’re a form of labeling that tell students (and their classmates) very clearly that they’re different, less than, and not good enough. They also mark students as “difficult” and “troublemaker.”
Except in the rare case of severely dangerous or threatening behavior, all misbehavior is handled in the classroom by the teacher. There are a number of reasons for this, but not the least of which is to avoid unnecessary suspensions.
Disruptions to learning are dealt with not based on the mood or whim of the teacher, or who is doing the misbehaving, but rather on the predetermined and narrowly defined rules—whose only purpose is to protect learning.
As part of the SCM approach, the teacher makes two public, ironclad promises on the first day of school: 1.) To follow the classroom management plan exactly as it’s written. 2.) To be kind and respectful always and regardless of the misbehavior.
The teacher never, ever takes matters into their own hands. They never raise their voice, create their own “logical” consequences, or try to convince or coerce students into good behavior.
Other than following the classroom management plan like a referee, teachers are uninvolved with accountability. Not only is this far more effective, causing students to want to listen and behave, but it enables teachers to build positive, trusting relationships with students.
The plan is sent home to parents at the start of the school year for review and signature of agreement. It is also the main topic at back-to-school night, where the teacher can address questions and concerns.
With an entire school community onboard, Black students are able to overcome academic challenges, grow and strengthen in character, and enjoy the full benefits of a good education without looking over their shoulder or carrying additional burden.
With SCM, any existing or future racial discrimination or classroom management bias becomes glaringly obvious to all stakeholders and nearly impossible to hide. It singles out teachers who have no business in the classroom.
These protections ensure fairness to all students of color, but they’re also the foundation of a larger philosophy that focuses on intrinsic motivation, sky-high expectations, and a safe learning environment students love and appreciate being part of.
Here at SCM, every book, article, and strategy we teach is designed to imbue students with deep-rooted self-worth.
—Especially those who’ve experienced discrimination, poverty, homelessness, trauma, and constant behavior issues—as our approach was created and developed with these very students in mind.
We seek to create a world within the four walls of the classroom and school building that makes sense, one that is free from racism, cruelty, intimidation, unfairness, lack of accountability, disruption to learning, chaos, and the like.
If you’re new to SCM, you may have many questions.
I urge you to pick up one of our books or e-guides or to dig into our archive, where you’ll find 565 articles on every classroom management topic you can imagine.
Also, I’d like to make an offer to every school and district:
If you commit to using SCM, I will consult with your superintendent, principal, or school leaders for one hour free of charge. Please email me if you’re interested.
Finally, our approach since the very beginning in 2009 has always been about putting students first. It’s been about treating them with dignity and respect while holding them fairly accountable.
It’s been about creating a learning environment they’re excited to get to every day.
So if you’re tired of the short-term, manipulative, bribing, and often discriminatory classroom management methods that now dominate our schools, along with the seat-of-your-pants, subjective ways so many teachers manage behavior, then join us in spreading the word.
Email your principal, your colleagues, your superintendent. Share SCM on social media. Push for change that really means something, that improves behavior school-wide while dealing a blow to the ugly stain of racism.
Here at SCM, we’ve made a small dent in the collective educational consciousness over the past 11 years. Together, you can help us take out a big chunk.
And make a real difference where we desperately need it.
If you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.
Can you provide an example of the classroom management plan with rules and consequences ?
Yes I’d like to see them too!
Please do a search or find the link to Rules and Consequences on this blog to find multiple articles which will inform you of an effective and appropriate classroom management plan (which includes rules, consequences, and how to implement and execute the above.).
The plans are in his books… very inexpensive but very valuable.
Where are the studies that support your statement that “Black students are disciplined more severely than their white classmates for the same misbehavior”? Our district discipline criteria and procedure is based on student choice and has nothing to do with race or gender.
https://www.pnas.org/content/116/17/8255
Hi, Lorraine. I just asked Michael the same question. Someone else replied with a link to a research paper on this topic, but that still doesn’t explain the studies Michael reviewed before posting this article. It’s someone else’s input after the fact, unless that person knows Michael. I agree with what you mentioned about discipline policies based entirely on student choice. I’ve taught in urban and suburban schools. If a student was disciplined, white or black, it was entirely based off of what that student chose to do. Race had nothing to do with it.
Also Lorainne, if you have been in the business long enough to ask this question and haven’t already seen one of these studies, you need to give your license back–straight from another teacher’s mouth.
Lindsey, my thoughts exactly, some of these comments stink of white fragility.
Omigosh, seriously. I weep for the younger generation of teachers buying into this crap, and the poor students they teach. The only fragile one here is you and the others making those types of statement.
And then there’s this https://youtu.be/u51_pzax4M0
I’ve taught elementary for nine years. White students are more likely to be excused for their behavior due to “having a bad day.” Whereas a black student gets a punitive consequence for the same action. I’ve witnessed white students receiving counseling for a bad attitude. A black student is labeled as a bad seed on their way to a future in prison or worse according to my colleagues. I don’t think it’s intentionally, but it definitely happens regularly.
Michael,
Please explain “Other than following the classroom management plan like a referee, teachers are uninvolved with accountability. ” Does this statement mean that only admin follows through with accountability and consequences of those who don’t follow your classroom management rules? The last two or three years, admin has not assigned any accountability to cronic misbehaving students. 95% of my students are amazing becauase of my classroom management, but the 5% that know there are no consequences, continue to reoffend and get away with it. Those teachers, like myself, who speak up to admin about accountability are labeled “outspoken.” Those students now believe they are running the show, and often times they are.
If you truly remain uninvolved in a good way, meaning you leave the student free to reflect without prompting, bribes or lectures, and without forcing them to regurgitate in some form what you think, if you give them their expected consequence in completely impartial way and move on right away, and you remain free from
frustration and subtle resentment, you will see a beautiful thing happen in your classroom. You will be able to go home every night with a light feeling, and will be excited to go back to work the next day. It will happen, wholy within every teacher’s capability, regardless of personality, as long as you’re being yourself. The rules will be running the show, not your students. The students will FEEL respected. Sorry for the run-on sentences.
It means don’t take it personal. Just stick With the plan and move on. It even woks with students with autism. I teach a self- contained class.
Thre are times with a disruptive student, regardless of race or gender, that removing her/him from the classroom, will allow for learning to continue. Kindly give some examples of what continuing learning looks like with a disruptive student being kept in the classroom. I always believe my responsibility is to create an atmosphere of learning for all students.
Hi, Joan. I’m sure you’re waiting for Michael to respond, but I thought I would take a moment to respond as well. I’m not sure what grade level you teach or the demographics of your school, but something to keep in mind is this. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but throwing the student out of the class works against you. The student doesn’t want to be in class anyway, so why give them what they want? Instead, document, if possible, the misbehavior, issue warnings, or whatever is part of your plan, and continue teaching your lesson. Students lose respect for teachers who constantly resort to security or administrators to remove them from class. Call the office only when a student is physically threatening you, other students, or themselves. That’s understandable. For all other misbehavior, “build a case” against the student with documentation of steps taken to resolve the issue before getting administration involved. Trust me, that student will have a difficult time defending their misbehavior in the principal’s office after the principal sees how many chances the student had to correct their misbehavior. Chances are you’ll get the respect of the administration, parents, and eventually the student for handling the student misbehavior as much as possible yourself.
The whole racial component could have been omitted from this article because behavior is not about race and racism – if anybody actually knows what that is supposed to mean.
Joan states the obvious here, that a whole class can become hostage to one disruptive student.
I agree
Thank you for being a true advocate for all children. Your contribution to the field is invaluable. I love your work, and this article really resonated with me because educators have a unique opportunity to be the change we want to see in the world. We don’t have to perpetuate the racist behaviors we see in the media, etc. in our schools. Your approach to classroom management truly empowers us to create safe, inclusive, and caring environments.
Mr. Linsin,
I don’t remember when I initially came onboard with SCM, however, I have embraced your philosophy completely as one of what appears to be a most noble , honest and logical approach to classroom management issues. What has been most impressive is that your approach seems to have come almost directly from my own playbook. I have been an educator for more than 40 years, with a very successful career as a classroom teacher in both urban and suburban environments, administrator and now consultant. And as a Black woman always looking for opportunities to support education and more importantly, the equity of Black children/all children, I would like to know how I might join forces with SCM to further the cause.
Please reach out to me.
Thank you kindly.
Dr. Phyllis Bivins-Hudson
Hi, Michael. Hope all is going well. Would you mind sharing the names of the studies you mentioned that show that Black children are disciplined more for the same issues as White children?
Thank you.
https://www.pnas.org/content/116/17/8255
Thank you for the input, but I was asking Michael to mention the studies he reviewed before posting this article.
I’m not sure I see the differences in the total number of black students verses the total number of white students at the schools in these graphs. How many white students and how many black students were at each of these schools? 5 students out of 50 students would be a higher percentage than 5 out of 100. I appreciate your time.
The numerical data is in the report: “the final sample used for modeling consists of 95,827 institutions, enrolling 50.5 million students, of which 24.7 million are white and 7.8 million are black”
Thank you for writing this. What has attracted me to your work is the respect for students and transparent fairness, but I’d been troubled by the fact that you had not directly addressed racial inequality. I’d love your thoughts on culturally relevant pedagogy and how your system supports it.
Love this article! I plan to share this with administration. Thank you, Michael!
Hi Michael,
Thank you for this article (and your other articles). I have been – and will continue to be, a ‘subscriber’ to this website and your advice. I have purchased and used particular books that you have made available to your readers.
As a matter of fact, I am a university professor in the Faculty of Education and as part of my curriculum, I incorporate SCM as required reading/reference to complement the content of my Course and Field Supervision.
Each year students (Pre-Service teachers) express their anxiety in the area of classroom management and the feedback that I receive – after they have read your articles, certainly compliments your effort and expertise.
Thank you Michael!!!!
Thank you for the article. I wonder if you have considered or encouraged your readers to consider the role of implicit bias in classroom management? https://www.thegraidenetwork.com/blog-all/2018/8/1/teacher-bias-the-elephant-in-the-classroom#:~:text=Implicit%20Bias%20in%20the%20Classroom,%E2%80%94but%20do%E2%80%94affect%20grading.&text=Researchers%20have%20found%20that%20prior,bias%20teachers%20about%20current%20assignments.
In many of the classrooms that I see, bias plays a role. This would include some great teachers who are passionate about their craft. I believe that ALL of us have some degree of bias and it’s helpful to examine that as we review our role in the classroom.
Also helpful to consider books like this one in reviewing classroom management strategies that take equity into account.
Thank you again for the thoughtful posting.
This is the book I was referring to. https://www.amazon.com/These-Kids-Are-Out-Control/dp/1483374807
I am a Caucasian male and teach fifth grade in a district that is both rural and small urban.
The title of your article sounded like this -LET’S PLAY THE BLAME GAME. It sounded divisive. The title personally bothered me as it does not reflect my own classroom teaching / behavior approach.
I make every attempt to execute a classroom management plan that holds all my students accountable for their actions – good and bad. During this past school year – shortened by COVID-19 – I had more of my white students receive some kind of behavior management than my black or hispanic students.
One common thread is that all my parents want me to be consistent and call them for any behavior issues. And I will always try to find positive aspects to discuss prior to discussing negative. Some parents (usually those of black students) will visit the class to observe the environment, class interaction and my teaching style.
During the distance learning period, I always had parents of black students thanking me for all the academic help I gave and the times I called to correct behavior during the in school classes.
I have read many of your articles and pick out things that help me improve my teaching and behavior management. But this one seemed to sting me since fingers are pointed at teachers for almost any shortcomings in education.
I looked at the research article you linked to. Could you find a summary of the article. Like most studies, it is wordy and lost me after the first three paragraphs.
To those looking for studies, I’ll provide you a few below. However, I encourage you to do your own research. The data, studies, surveys, research is very extensive and very easy to find…Believing it and acting on it is another conversation for another time. Excellent educators and professionals in all areas constantly learn, reflect, and make adjustments. Michael…Thank you for this article.
I work with hundreds of schools in urban, rural, and suburban settings and when this topic comes up…It can get ugly quick! Why is that?
A racially diverse group of more than 250 elementary and secondary teachers across the country were shown records that described two minor infractions committed by a student. Half of the records were labeled with stereotypically black names (such as Deshawn or Darnell), and half with stereotypically white names (such as Greg or Jake).
After reading about each infraction, the teachers were asked how bothered they were by the student’s misbehavior, how severely they thought the student should be disciplined, and how likely they were to consider the student a “troublemaker.”
How did the teachers respond? When it came to a student’s first infraction, there was no difference in the teachers’ attitudes toward the white and black students. After reading about a second infraction, however, the teachers were more likely to feel troubled by the black students’ behavior, to want to mete out severe punishment, and to label the student a troublemaker.
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/teachers-more-likely-to-label-black-students-as-troublemakers.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/education/black-students-face-more-harsh-discipline-data-shows.html
http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/04/08/0956797615570365.full
I didn’t see any facts or figures in any of these articles.
Please do your own research. The data, studies, surveys, research is very extensive and very easy to find…Believing it and acting on it is another conversation for another time. Excellent educators and professionals in all areas constantly learn, reflect, and make adjustments.
Also in your personal studies and examination of this topic, analyze your school facts and figures, your district facts and figures, and have heart to heart conversations with students, parents, and staff who are black.
Excellent educators and professionals in all areas constantly learn, reflect, and make adjustments. I respect all of you as people and educators. Please do your own research and have heart to heart conversations with students, parents, and staff who are black. I also encourage you to have heart to heart conversations with students, parents, and staff of all races about this topic. I do this all of the time and I constantly learn, reflect, and make adjustments.
Finally, reach out to white educators who were very resistant initially to the core message Michael is conveying in this particular article in the past and now they have changed their views to take the position of what Michael is stating. Find out what caused them to change their minds.
Thank you for the link.
Classrooms need diversity. Diversity in students and in teachers. Maybe, when I become a licensed educator i can provide that in the classroom. That is how I learned, coming from a very diverse town. It is understood that everyone has different experiences, but daily interaction in a diverse atmosphere that is celebrated can makes us less foreign to each others differences. Thank you for the tips! Much Appreciated.
I am amazed at this article. I have taught for over 30 years. For years I have benefited from your materials. I am most appalled by the presumption that black students automatically need to be protected from teacher racial discrimination. I have seen racial discrimination from white teachers toward black students and black teachers toward white students. The color of skin doesn’t automatically determine perception by teachers or students. Discrimination is determined by the content of the character of a person’s heart.
RACISM begins when the focus in on the “color of a person’s skin”.
Hi Bob,
I think you are confusing intentional, blatant discrimination with unintentional bias and policies and curriculum that are inherently disadvantageous to Black students. Many teachers do not intend to discriminate against Black students, but intent does not matter when the results are that Black students are disproportionately disciplined compared to White students. Many teachers hold implicit biases (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/spontaneous-thoughts/201910/what-is-implicit-bias) against Black students.
You claim that focusing on the color of someone’s skin is racist, but the fact of the matter is that everyone notices other people’s race. Furthermore, someone’s race plays an important role in their identity, their life experiences, and how they are treated by others. By advocating to not pay attention to race, you are minimizing people’s identities and the racism experienced by BIPOC.
I think the main point to remember is that articles such as this are not personal attacks against individuals. It is a natural response when seeing an article like this to become defensive and say, “I’m not racist, I treat all my students the same” but this is counterproductive. It’s okay to acknowledge that you likely have implicit biases and that racism exists in your school and even your classroom. This does not make you a terrible person, but once acknowledged you can begin working to fight against racism in education. This is something I have to consciously work on, and I admit that I do not do as good a job as I should. But it starts with acknowledging that racism is real, it occurs in schools, and that it needs to be directly addressed and combatted. Michael’s article is a great initial resource and there are many others out there I encourage you to explore.
David
The best way to prevent racial discrimination of black students is to have more black teachers and administrators in schools. The majority of teachers across America are white females. Most black teachers are disproportionately assigned to work in urban school districts. Where I live, there are school districts with minority student populations of up to 35-40 percent. The percentage of African American teachers is 0. Students as well adults know that this quote is true: “If you don’t understand me, how can you reach me?” Students of African American descent are more likely to perform better academically and socially if they see someone in the classroom who looks like them. They are able to relate similar experiences and life circumstances. As well as communication gaps are not as strong. As a teacher of 20 years who has grown up and taught in an urban school district as well as taught in suburban school districts; I have seen the strong bonds between black students and black teachers. I have seen these same students interact completely different with white teachers. The students felt they were not understood and not heard from their white teachers. As a black male teacher I was able to relate to these same students on different levels of life experiences. Once we were able to form relationships as far as having commonalities, their social and academic prowess increased dramatically.
Let me begin by thanking you for your input. It reminded me of my own thoughts on this subject over the years. I won’t pretend to have all the answers because I don’t- even as hard as I’ve tried to not be biased. (My mom is Latina, my dad was Caucasian) I don’t know the answers to this problem, but I have wondered over 30 plus years of teaching about whether hiring more teachers to match the race of their students would be fairer to children of color, but frankly, I wonder if that is a simple answer to a complex problem. Seriously, how can this realistically work? Hire Latino teachers for Latino students? Hire black teachers for black students only? Asian teachers for Asian students. What should we do in the case if Students were mixed race or mixed cultured teachers and students? And about hirIng only teacherS who grew up in poverty, teach kids of poverty? What do we do with highly diverse student populations? We certainly don’t want to segregate our students by race, gender, etc. Wouldn’t that create other problems? Or am I over simplyfying your idea. You see, I understand what you saying. I teach in a very diverse school, but I used to teach in a Title One school. Most of our teachers “just couldn’t get” how devastating poverty had on our students. I did. Eight of us lived in a one bedroom house that was more shack then house. I understood their poverty and could work around their financial limitations. I want the best for my students and have made a lot of stupid mistakes over the years and hope that I have learned from those mistakes. I know treating kids equally isn’t always fair and treating all kids fairly isn’t always equal (ie. Special needs students, OCD, ADD, female, male, to name just a few.) I realize there’s a big difference when discussing racism, but the terms equal and fair are not so easily addressed. Would I treat a child of color one way and a white child another way? I dearly hope not, but frankly, don’t always treat all my students equally because students aren’t one-size fits all. I have to guide an ADHD student more than a non-ADHD student, I have to support some students more than others, I have to de-escalate some students and others none at all. I sometimes have to feed a kid before I ask him to write an essay. Does race fit into the equation? Again, I hope not, but I am always willing to improve. Every year, I find things that I need to improve on. This is why I read quite a bit and am open to articles like these. I wish the answers were clearer and easy to follow, but frankly we are human AND everyone is subject to bias of some kind. The only answer I have to offer is the answer I have for myself is 1) love All my students as if they were my own Kids, 2) develop caring and true relationships with my students and their parents, and most importantly, 3) be humble enough to apologize and learn from my mistakes. Letting parents and students know that I know I’m not perfect, but always open to suggestions makes such a big difference. I know I don’t have to be “right” all the time – just willing to make changes when needed for the sake of “my kids.” It’s not 100% fool proof. As long as we continue to have these discussions and are willing to listen to the many different points of view, we educators will change for the good. I believe that truly. I thank you again for your input.
This is so nicely said.
I appreciate the focus on high expectations and intrinsic motivation in SCM. This is why I use it in my classroom. Thank you for speaking up in support of Black students. If we don’t acknowledge a problem, it cannot be addressed. This is not easy work and the more teachers commit to anti racism, the more teachers can say Black lives matter, the less people will view civil rights as a political matter and the closer we get to addressing the opportunity gap.
I agree. If we all turn to our own mirrors and see how we individually need to make school better for our students, long lasting change has a chance. Thank you for your thought.
It is not always a racial component with regard to discipline in the classroom.
The black student in the class who acts out is disciplined again and again. It may not be because of the color of the student. It is due to the child is not challenged and is now bored. But the teacher continues to teach the curriculum without regard to anything else. No racism, just boredom.
Then there is the black child who brings issues to class – mother on drugs, father in jail, grandparents who are unable to care properly, older siblings who actually run the house hold or actually being considered homeless because the student moves from home to home and has no consistency in home support of education. A teacher (who is really not a social worker) deals with issues that may be unknown or not understood and are not tied to any race.
I have seen white and Hispanic students disciplined because these same issues affect their in class behavior.
Michael,
As is the case with every piece of information we take in, there will be a filter through which it is interpreted. No matter what you do or don’t say, it is bound to go through each reader’s interpretative filter, hopefully minimally altered or personalized. I commend you for writing this article. I wholeheartedly agree.
If a school culture holds teachers accountable to faithfully follow a smart classroom management policy of laying out the rules ahead of time in concrete terms with consistent consequences, there will be no allowance for a teacher’s emotional reactivity that may likely be displayed as discriminatory treatment. Cognition drives emotions; and emotions, behavior. We could all use a renewing of our minds to root out the stereotypes, prejudices, and biases that are an inescapable part of human nature and that can lead all of us to uncivil behavior. If we don’t recognize the biases we may hold regarding those of a different skin tone, perhaps it is easier to recognize our biases toward those of a different socioeconomic class or a different political persuasion or those who are differently-abled. As in all areas of life, we are 100% responsible for our thoughts, feelings, behavior, and impact while 100% not responsible for that of others’. As educators, it is our duty to be aware of the powerful impact of our unconscious thoughts and attitudes on our students. An excellent place for teachers to begin is a classroom management policy such as SCM that is grounded in objective behavioral standards, impartial boundaries and consequences, human dignity, student potential, and intrinsic motivation. One need not read many of your articles to find the compassionate and restorative principles undergirding the firm stance you take. Thank you for what you offer to the education community.
So is SCM against any type of positive reinforcement? Sometimes I feel like your strategies are aimed at upper grades. I’m a kindergarten teacher and one thing I’ve learned is that 5 year olds are impulsive, easily distracted by their environment, and are motivated by things they can see and touch. This is where they are in their development. I’m just curious what your management plan looks like for this age group.
No SCM is not against any type of positive reinforcement. It is against phony, manipulative positive reinforcement for meeting basic expectations. Here are several great articles where Michael discusses how to praise students in a meaningful way:
https://smartclassroommanagement.com/2019/11/02/how-to-give-effective-praise-6-guidelines/
https://smartclassroommanagement.com/2019/09/14/false-and-worthy-praise/
https://smartclassroommanagement.com/2018/03/10/3-ways-to-praise-your-students/
https://smartclassroommanagement.com/2014/10/18/how-to-praise-with-power/
Ivy that’s not what the article stated. Stick with the consequences you set at the beginning of the school year. Do not barter with the students.
A great article, but why did you capitalise the word black and not white? This stinks of racism. It´s also poor grammar.
Hi Bob,
We’re following the AP Stylebook.
Thanks for your informative article which data supports. After reading, I hope my fellow educators check-in with themselves, do some self-reflection, and reevaluate their discipline and classroom management systems. I have been utilizing SCM for years and have found that when used consistently, there is no room for bias or blame. In the words of Maya Angelou, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”
In Ohio, PBIS…which may include token economies and reward systems, are required by our department of education. We have to have them. So, my question would be how do we work around that? We had monthly incentives that were being kept track of on a point-based system.
Also, I seem to have difficulty reinforcing consequences fairly when so many students are breaking a rule at the same time. How can I be consistent and fair at times like that? (Usually at the beginning
“Black students are able to overcome academic challenges, grow and strengthen in character, and enjoy the full benefits of a good education without looking over their shoulder or carrying additional burden.” I found this sentence to undermine the whole argument of SCM. Black students don’t always have academic challenges to overcome. Why are black students seen as needing to be fixed? Why do they need to grow and strengthen in character. Also I would cite some studies that show the suspension rates for black vs white students. For a lot of teachers this seems to be new information and the comments suggest they are highly skeptical.
If you yourself are not a person of color and didn’t use this opportunity to amplify the views of non white educators then I feel you’ve missed the point entirely.
I am new here. I’m currently studying to eventually teach high school (I substitute teach until then). Which book do you suggest I start with so I can start preparing myself?
Thank you for another excellent article!