ED 321

Understanding the Role of Discipline

In Creating a Positive Learning Environment

Elizabeth Kent

Self-Assessment
1.) In assessing the challenges inherent in your classroom and in the planning of
your lesson, describe how you applied the premise that discipline is a key factor
in the teaching/learning process.
I applied the premise that discipline is a key factor by first diagnosing discipline
issues in my classroom, and then coming up with strategies to overcome those
challenges. I set up the lesson to avoid having some of the issues by quickly
moving through the introduction and keeping the students engaged. I had them
frequently discussing with their tablemates the topics I was presenting on and
then later following along step-by-step on how to prepare their labs before
collecting data.
2.) Describe the teaching instance from your video in which you saw yourself
responding appropriately to a discipline issue, the implications for this for
student learning, and the insights/perspective you gained as a future middle
school teacher.
During my video segment, I portrayed multiple instances where I had the
students discuss in pairs at their tables about a topic, and then I rerouted their
attention back to me so we could share out and move on. I gave them a certain
amount of time to finish up their conversations and then I counted backwards
from 3 so that they would quiet down. When students were still talking after the
countdown, I just spoke a little louder and moved on and they seemed to quiet
down. The effect this had on student learning was that they knew when to stop
discussing when I gave them the warning and I could move more quickly through
the introduction when everyone was on the same page. The insights I gained
through this experience were that talking over the students doesnt always help,
so I might want to have another method like having a timer going off or ringing a
bell instead to make the transition even more smooth. I also realized that if I
talked over students in every hour I taught for each lesson, my voice would
become tiresome and I might become a bit irritated.
3.) Describe a teaching opportunity from your video in which you could have
been more effective in dealing with a discipline issue, the implications of this for
student learning, and the insights/perspective you gained as a future middle
school teacher.
At one point in my lesson, the students did not quiet down like planned but I
kept going. Some of the students who were listening to me had a hard time
concentrating because of the others still talking. My CT interjected at this point
to refocus those last stragglers to what I was saying. I think I could have been

more effective in dealing with the issue by either stopping, waiting for the
students to stop talking, or perhaps point them out to the rest of the class. I could
have also praised the students who already stopped talking so the rest would
catch on and quiet down. The implications on student learning were that I had to
repeat myself again and the students who were ready to learn and move on
became a bit irritated. This issue also cut into the students work time. The
insight I gained was to make sure to address every discipline issue while
teaching rather then overlooking some of them. I felt a bit embarrassed that my
CT had to interject and help me out with the issue when I could have handled it
myself.