RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DISCIPLINE AND RACE IN THE CLASSROOM.   Term Paper ID:30051 Click to get this paper

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Paper Abstract: Discusses whether students are disciplined differently because of their ethnicity. Role of discipine within the classroom and classroom management. Relationship of discipline to effective learning. Role of teachers regarding discipline & skills needed. Examples of racially motivated discipline. Zero-tolerance policy of certain behaviors. Different discipline for minority & white students. Role of outside stresses on misbehavior in school. Paper Introduction: This paper is an exploration of the relationship between discipline and race in the classroom and the issue of discipline itself as part of the teacher's job. It examines the question of whether students are disciplined differently because of their ethnicity and looks at the role of discipline within the classroom. Educators agree that discipline is essential to the learning process, but debate rages about the extent and nature of discipline necessary to effective learning. In addition, since many educators would argue that students learn differently and that some of those differences can be attributed to their backgrounds, does it then follow that discipline must also be applied in different ways to different students, in part according to their backgrounds? This paper will argue that ethnicity is, in fact, a component of the contemporary Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. A 8). 6). Wasicsko and Ross (1994, May-June) emphasize that teachers should getto know their students in order to understand why misbehavior occurs andwhat rewards might be most effective in encouraging better behavior in thisparticular case. Yet such policies have prompted extreme responsessuch as the expulsion of a student whose nail clippers were deemed adangerous weapon by one school board or the revocation of the busprivileges of five boys, which effectively expelled the four who could notafford other transportation, accused of throwing peanuts at the bus driver(Cooper, 2 , June 15, p. They write, "Many teachers increase thelikelihood of discipline problems by not making their expectations aboutproper behavior clear and explicit" (p. Zerotolerance policies are more likely to exist in school districts withpredominantly black and Hispanic populations, which may skew thestatistics. Educator Allan Weinberg points out, "Schools reflect society. Tall men behaving badly. Wright (1997, May 19) speaksof students who live "in two worlds with different standards" (p. 28). Youmust always remember that" (Friedrich & Bowen, 1988, February 1, p. In September of 1999, a brawl at a high school football game inDecatur, Illinois, captured national attention. (1997, December 15). Wasicskoand Ross (1997, May-June) contend, "Mean what you say, and, when you sayit, follow through" (p. Sara M.Lomax (1991, February) describes several Afrocentric independent schoolswhich offer curriculum rooted in black traditions and "a network ofteachers who not only provide quality education but act as role models forstudents hungry for mentors" (p. Attempts togather statistics on the race of students subjected to disciplinaryactions, as well as the race of the teachers handing out punishment, havebeen met with furious opposition and the charge that even trying to collectsuch data will result in discipline quotas rather than real answers. (1994, April 4). Hull, J. This is not to suggest that misbehavior never occurs in the best-runclassroom. (1999, August). San Jose Mercury News, p. Otto Friedrich and Ezra Bowen (1988, February 1) quote legendaryNew Jersey principal Joe Clark as saying, "Discipline is the ultimate tenetof education. Wright (1997, May 19) argues that this behavioral pattern may, infact, be based on an increased likelihood of outside stresses on minoritystudents. 96). Washington Post, p. C 5). Gazin, A. Group finds racial disparity inschools' "zero tolerance." Washington Post, p. This also empowers the studentand encourages him or her to really think about the infraction and thedamage caused. They suggest a number of methods ofreducing behavioral problems in the class, beginning with believing thatchildren will behave in the first place: "That teachers' expectations playan important role in determining student behavior has long been known" (p.249). Cooper (2 , June 15)writes, "Some states have gone beyond guns and drugs, with disruptivebehavior or defiance of school authority being lawful grounds for expulsionin 1 states" (p. Critics chargethat black males are seen as a greater threat to classroom order and aretherefore more likely to be punished for actions that would evoke lessdrastic responses when practiced by white students. This paper will arguethat ethnicity is, in fact, a component of the contemporary classroom;therefore, teachers must take care not to be influenced negatively by theirprejudices, especially regarding the administration of discipline. Establishing rules requires followingthrough on those rules. Thisdisproportionate number has led critics to charge that black students inparticular are subject to harsher and more frequent discipline, held tostricter standards and more likely to be punished for their actions thanthe white majority. (1997, May 19). In addition, sincemany educators would argue that students learn differently and that some ofthose differences can be attributed to their backgrounds, does it thenfollow that discipline must also be applied in different ways to differentstudents, in part according to their backgrounds? Wasicsko and Ross (1994, May-June) also observe that punishments,when used, should be appropriate. Declaring independence. Wasicsko and Ross (1994, May-June) observe, "Recent researchindicates that punishments outweigh rewards by at least 1 to 1 in thetypical classroom" (p. 25 ). A19). (1994, May-June). This, they contend, places too much emphasison the negative. Wright (1997, May 19)points out, "Today's teachers can be in more diverse, multiculturalclassrooms where not everyone may speak the same language" (p. D. Do teachers punish according to race?Time, p. References Claiborne, W. Nonetheless, enough evidence exists to suggest that minoritystudents either tend to cause more discipline problems or tend to bepunished more severely when they do misbehave. A 8). Cooper, K. Washington Post, p. Wasicsko and Ross (1994, May-June) note, "In 'real life'(located somewhere outside the school walls) privileges andresponsibilities go hand in hand. M. On good authority: Maintainingdiscipline is key to students' success, but new teachers rarely learnclassroom management. The question of whether or not race should play a role in theadministration of discipline is nearly impossible to answer in a world thatis as politically charged as is current American society. Without control of the classroom, teachers cannot effectivelycontrol the learning process. Civil rights leader Jesse L. Mathews, J. . Joel Stein (1997, December 15) notes that the fightthat got black basketball player Latrell Sprewell banned from the NBA for ayear was sparked by his white coach's order to "put a little mustard on thepasses." In Stein's words, this indicated that "the stuffy white guy andcorn-rowed punk have no common language" (p. People who do not act responsiblyquickly lose freedoms and privileges" (p. Kleffman, S. Some students have problems that are beyond the scope of the dailyclassroom experience and the regular classroom teacher, and some studentswill thrive more effectively in environments that give more focus onaddressing and solving (or at least dealing with) those problems. Jackson led protests, chargingthat the school board's decision was "racially motivated and excessivelyharsh for what [he] characterized as a 'simple fistfight' without weapons"(Claiborne, 2 , January 12, p. C 5), andminority students may be more subject to the kinds of personal situationsthat encourage, if not violent behavior, at least behavior that prompts theneed for disciplinary measures. 57).As such, schools have an obligation to use expulsion as the last resort.Instead, discipline should include a wide range of less drastic measuresthat attempt to modify behavior while keeping students part of the system.Such discipline must be fair, consistent, and clearly applied. 3 ). Friedrich, O., & Bowen, E. Teachers need to activelycombat any expectations that are based on statistics or their generalknowledge of previous students. A 8. Mark Wasicsko and Steven M.Ross (1994, May-June) write, "We suggest that many discipline problems arecaused and sustained by teachers who inadvertently use self-defeatingdiscipline strategies" (p. A19. She observes, "Family breakups, conflicting value systems andexposure to violence all have a role in children's behavior" (p. (1991, February). It examines the question of whether students aredisciplined differently because of their ethnicity and looks at the role ofdiscipline within the classroom. (2 , January 12). Whatever the school's discipline policy, control of the classroom andof each student begins with the teacher. C 5.----------------------- 1 Yet this is precisely the circumstance thatdemands the teacher's greatest talents of empathy and skills atunderstanding another human being. Clearing House, 67(5): 248-251. (1996, June 12). Judge affirms expulsions inDecatur brawl. If nothing else, communicating a common set of expected behaviors hasbecome a more complex job in the modern classroom. They also bring their own backgrounds, their culturalhistories, and the expectations of their friends and families with them.Teachers themselves bring in forces and prejudices from the outside world. Six students, all black,were expelled. Educators agree that discipline isessential to the learning process, but debate rages about the extent andnature of discipline necessary to effective learning. Teaching therefore requires more skills than the ability to impartknowledge and inspire young minds. "Dangerous weapons"can be too vague a term, since severe injuries have been caused by items asapparently harmless as a pencil. It can also become a student's preferred method ofgaining attention. If students do in factcome from backgrounds that encourage them to participate in verbal orphysical ways that are different from those demanded in the formalclassroom, teachers should not simply expect them to know this or to learnthis immediately, merely by observation. J. 249). (2 , June 15). Students will not always behave in the ways teachers expect,and they bring their personal lives, stresses, and problems with them intothe classroom. It also requires a fairly sophisticatedability to manage a classroom of diverse individuals, many of whom bringwith them inherent obstacles that prevent them from being open to learning. A 9). But twice asboisterous and twice as physical as white students?" (p. The incident highlighted the growing movement toward establishing"zero tolerance" policies, mandatory and immediate responses to certainbehaviors, usually involving violence, guns, and drugs. While order was restored, academic scores did not rise dramatically; thestudents Clark did not throw out were safer and better behaved, but theywere not necessarily better educated as a result. Essence, p.96. Clark used a rigorous and firmhand to bring order to halls of his school, expelling a record number oftroublemaking students and establishing an environment in which theslightest infraction was noticed and punished. 25 ). Time, p.91-92. Keeping them on the edge of their seats.Instructor, 1 9(1): 28-3 . 25 ). Cooper (2 , June15) quotes national statistics released by the Education Department "thatshowed that blacks, who comprise 17 percent of the nation's students, madeup 33 percent of the students suspended in 1998" (p. M., & Rosee, S. Just oneindividual in a class can turn the ideal into the real; Jeanne Wright(1997, May 19) notes, "A disrespectful student who constantly mouths off toteachers can disrupt an entire class" (p. This requires an open mind and awillingness to understand the needs of all students, regardless of race. One of the most effective punishments can be withdrawal ofprivileges. Some educators would argue that strict discipline is central tolearning. Thisinability to communicate can even occur when all parties are actuallyfluent in English. 249). A 8). Ann Gazin (1999, August) observes that teachers "must maintaincontrol in the classroom yet still give children the freedom to explore,create, and experiment" (p. M. Instead, they suggest that teachers rely heavily onpositive reinforcement, giving their attention to the behaviors that theywish to encourage instead of spending time and energy on misbehavior anddiscipline. Discipline establishes the format, the environment foracademic achievement to occur" (p. Wasicsko, M. Zero tolerance policies have come under fire because they allow noroom for individual judgments or special circumstances. This is the most effective argument for zerotolerance: punishments are meted out for specifically describedinfractions, without regard to who commits the behavior or in whatcircumstances. In the ideal classroom, the teacherinspires and empowers the students, encouraging each to focus actively onthe pursuit of knowledge, each according to his or her level ofcomprehension. When teachers admit that they believe black students are more likelyto misbehave or to behave more violently than their white counterparts,this can become a self-fulfilling prophesy. By starting with the belief that thisparticular individual will be willing and eager to learn, especially oncehe or she has been introduced to the excitement of the classroom, theteacher begins on a positive note. How to creatediscipline problems. Discipline and order in the classroom.Washington Post, p. Sandy Kleffman (1996, June12) notes, "Crowded classrooms often contain students who speak little orno English, have serious learning disabilities or home lives racked bypoverty, abuse or instability" (p. Wright, J. However, some require the use ofdisciplinary measures that help the student to change his or her behaviorand response in a more appropriate way to the teacher, to other students,and to the academic experience. In the real world, however, students misbehave, get distracted, andfail to live up to the expectations of the learning environment. Clark's approach, while lauded by some, was also severely criticized. Yet keeping the upper hand is a delicateprocess. Schools are also struggling with a new twist. This can be particularly problematic when teacher andstudent appear to share little common ground; a white teacher from aprivileged background may feel little camaraderie with a black studentliving in inner city poverty. 6. The difficulty is in setting a series of punishments inadvance that can hold up under arbitrary administration and specifying theinfractions that trigger them in sufficient detail. 249). Instead, many schools are trying to respond by elaborating on thezero tolerance concept, attempting to establish objective guidelines thatcan be applied to a laundry list of misbehaviors.However, most of them are on their own in devising a consistent disciplinepolicy. 3 -31. Lomax, S. Some of these barriers can be broken down with innovative teaching methodsand a healthy dose of empathy. M. In a 1994 (April4) Time article specifically trying to address this issue, Jon D. This paper is an exploration of the relationship between disciplineand race in the classroom and the issue of discipline itself as part of theteacher's job. Such schools may offer a morefocused experience for minority students, countering the white-dominatedworld outside. A 9. Stein, J. . Kenneth J. Such policies havebecome popular in many schools, starting in the early 199 s, as anincreasing number of incidents have escalated in-school misbehavior from"acting out" in class to on-campus shootings, more widespread drug use, andother serious crimes. This means, of course,that privileges must exist, but creating special rewards should be part ofthe process of positive reinforcement already being practiced. As classrooms allacross the country become more diverse and multicultural, teachers andadministrators often face the charge that minority students are disciplinedmore severely and more often than their white counterparts. C 5).Much of their time is spent reconciling widely divergent expectations,codes of behavior, and perspectives on the world. Getting tough.Time, p. Wasicsko and Ross (1994, May-June) next suggest that teachers tellstudents how to act in class, rather than assuming that students alreadyunderstand how to behave. Yet, Cooper (2 , June 15) observes, "No national study has everconclusively shown racial discrimination to be the cause" (p. Ignoring bad behavior can sometimes stop it cold, since someacting out is simply a student's ways of trying to be seen. Educational consultant JoAnn Miller argues, "Classroom management isessential to a successful educational environment" (Mathews, 2 , December19, p. (2 , December 19). The contemporary classroom usually has many more than one agitator.In addition to purposeful misbehavior, teachers must confront an entirerange of challenges to an orderly environment. (1988, February 1). C 5). A 8). Kleffman (1996, June 12) notes, "California, and many otherstates, set no standards and provide no guidelines on discipline, exceptfor students caught with weapons or drugs" (p. More disturbing, many ofthe students who were forced to leave the school were unleashed on thecommunity without being given the opportunity to correct their behavior ortheir intellects. They also appearto discriminate against minority students. Class struggle: Ill-equipped publicschools seek ways to maintain control. 6). 92). Hullwrites, "Many teachers and administrators say, often barely above awhisper, that black students are much more trouble prone . 52-58. 52). Nevertheless, the regular public school classroom can be a safe,welcoming place for most students, whatever their backgrounds, if teachersremain aware of the need to adapt both their methods of teaching and theirmethods of discipline to all students. They suggest enlisting the miscreant infinding a consequence that is actually suited to what has been done, ratherthan being arbitrarily imposed (p. Punishment should be consistent and consistently applied. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.