Student Discipline Guide Review
1-2-3 Magic for Teachers Provides Classroom Management Strategies
Thomas W. Phelan and Sarah Jane Schonour provide teachers with practical advice for class discipline in their 2004 PMI, Inc. title, 1-2-3 Magic for Teachers .
Imagine how much could be accomplished in a classroom with fewer discipline distractions. In their practical 2004 title from Parent Magic, Inc., 1-2-3 Magic for Teachers, authors Dr. Thomas W. Phelan and Sarah Jane Schonour, M.A. suggest practical strategies for managing an orderly classroom.
A Three-Step Discipline Strategy
The book suggests a three-part strategy for teachers seeking effective discipline:
- Controlling undesirable behavior
- Encouraging courteous behavior
- Developing and maintaining positive relationships with students
How, though, are these worthy classroom management goals achieved? As in Phelan's earlier guidebook for parents, 1-2-3 Magic for Teachers suggests taking excessive conversation and emotion out of the discipline equation. Instead, the authors maintain, a simple and unemotional countdown will provide a quick and effective discipline strategy so that classroom time is more productive.
With the first offense, the teacher calmly states, "That's one." If the student continues the misbehavior or responds negatively to the teacher's warning, the teacher follows with, "That's two." Further lack of compliance warrants, "That's three, take five," and the misbehaving child is sent to a five minute time out or receives an alternative disciplinary consequence fitting the level of offense. This strategy, the authors suggest, keeps the disciplinary action brief and unemotional while clearly showing that the teacher's authority is not negotiable.
The time for teaching rules, the authors suggest, should not coincide with the time when rules are being enforced. Thus, teachers should set clear expectations. Additionally, teachers who use this method do need to develop positive relationships with students outside of the realm of classroom discipline. That is, teachers will also consistently acknowledge (and thus enforce) positive behavior within the classroom. Thus, undesirable and disruptive behaviors are extinguished while polite, productive behavior is reinforced.
Operant Conditioning
The uncomplicated 1-2-3 Magic draws upon the basic ideas of psychologist B.F. Skinner's behaviorist theories. That is, positive reinforcement (praise, rewards) is used to increase specific behaviors as negative reinforcement is practiced to extinguish unwanted behavior. What is different about the 1-2-3 Magic method, however, is that it specifically guides teachers toward more productive communication with students and parents in order to build a constructive classroom community. It also acknowledges occasions when specific child issues or classroom situations may require altering of the strategy. For instance, the manual has a useful chapter dedicated to using 1-2-3 Magic with special needs students.
Throughout the guide, the message is clear: consistent, uncomplicated and unemotional communication are key to a positive classroom environment.
Teachers will appreciate the specific chapters illustrating use of 1-2-3 Magic at varying age levels. Likewise, the guide provides useful self-evaluation checklists so that educators can identify how their own teaching styles contribute to the classroom environment. Likewise, the guide provides specific strategies so that teachers, administrators and parents can work together to
All in all, 1-2-3 Magic for Teachers is a clear and useful guide for educators wishing to spend less time disciplining and more time teaching.
