Just looking for answers about punishing students/children?

Question

i am a teacher for Primary 1 (that means my students are about 6 years old). i was quite annoyed by their attitudes, that never put any attention on my music lesson, i tried to talk with louder voice but yet they still do not listen to my lesson

so when i was doing my board work recitation, i asked a boy and he couldn't able to answer my questions. actually i already repeated d same subject for 3x meetings. so as punishment i asked him to pump up and down for 5 times.

then after school d boy reported to his mother that i made him pump and his mother came to protest to me.

my question is AM I WRONG TRY TO DISCIPLINE CHILDREN WITH THIS WAY? i mean i don't use physical punishment

Answer 1

um, ok wow this is quite disturbing. What are you actually teaching the child when you make him pump (are you talking about press ups?). Did you explain why you made him do it?

What it actually sounds like to me is that a class of 6 year olds upset you and you vented your anger and hurt on them. As a teacher you have to show that you are there to do a job, never, ever let anything a child says or does affect you at a personal level.

There are some simple methods for getting a class that young to listen.

You stop what you're doing and clap out a simple rythum, some will clap back, if none do you can pick one child that is listening and ask them to copy the rythum. Do it again and slowly they will all join in, hey presto you have their attention. Also more importantly you have their interest. Now explain why you did it, what it means to listen and see if they can do it. This is a very sucessful method used in the UK and I have yet to see it fail for any teacher. Another variation is chanting 'who is listening?' in a sing song voice, they are required to chant back 'I am listening' this usually works too.

I advise a reward chart or simple noting down names of really alert children on the board Choose children that are on task and give them a reward. Try to focus on the positive behaviour.

You are a music teacher so you have a lot of scope for making the lesson fun, children of this age rarely cope well with too much board work.

If you have a single disruptive child start by looking at them, don't speak, if he/she continues then get up and move over to that child while you continue to conduct your lesson. Quite often that is all you need to do. If things get worse take a chair away from the rest of the class and put that child on a 'time out' 6  minutes is enough. When they are done ask them why they think you did that? Tell them what you expect them to do in your lesson and ask them if they are ready to do it. (teachers often forget this part and it is the key) you have 6 minutes to think of something the rest of the class can do while you take (max. 1  minute) to refocus that child.

These things come with practice, every teacher struggles at some point but you have to learn and build on it. My advise is to sit in on another teachers lesson if it's possible (not because they are better or worse it's just that sometimes we can't see the wood for the trees and just observing can help you see how teachers look to kids)

Anyway, hopefully you will build up a good relationship with this class

Answer 2

What does it mean to have a kid "pump up and down?" I live in the United States and I have never heard that expression before.  

Answer 3

Yes, this is an incorrect way and actually can be considered corporal punishment and thus illegal.

If/when you raise your voice, generally you're going to have children who continue to raise their voices to be heard over yours. It is best to speak in a whisper or really quietly as children automatically shush and strain to hear you.

To learn about better techniques, I suggest reading Love & Logic by Jim Fay or The First Days of School by Harry Wong. I prefer the former, but that may be only because I teach older students which understand irony and sarcasm.  

Answer 4

actually i agreed with u! my boss (principal of my daycare centre) asked me dont use physical punishment when it is unnessasary ! so i have to use sumthing that wont leave any mark on their bodies but make them pumping, stand til they beg for forgiveness, n many more! so if u were juz asked ur student to do pump up n his mother protested u for that, then she was wrong! i oso been complained b4 bout caning her child even without any mark on her hand! hau crued was that? but like my mum said, it is hard to be a great teacher! so for the idiotic parents out thr, u all must appreciate us (teachers) n not protest us! without us, ur children r nothing! we provide education for ur children' sake n dont try to force us til we quit our jobs n if that happens, no more teachers for u to protest! n dont even try to beg us!