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"Speak Softly, but Carry..."

 


“Speak softly but carry a big stick” is a wonderful adage and something to live by in the classroom. Never yell, scream, get passive aggressive, lose your cool, and most of all, try not to be human! Joking. Listen, we all have those moments where we do it. Just don’t make it a habit and try President Teddy Roosevelt’s approach instead with your students.

The big stick in the adage is the actionable events. Middle school and high school students after a while will tune out your pleas, empty threats, and view you as a weakling or fraud when it comes to discipline. It’s about love and accountability, and these actionable consequences serve as your discipline and teachable moments. Remember discipline means educating your students, not instilling the fear of the Lord into them.

Recently one of my students was talking and then making eye contact with a girl during a really important reading exam. I warned the student once by using proximity and whispering to him at his desk to avoid distracting other students. The second time, he made eye contact and cracked another smile at the girl to distract her. I walked up to him respectfully, using a firm tone, told him to get out and sit in a chair outside the door. I didn’t get hostile, threatening, or act emotionally upset. When he was gathering his stuff, I even said thank you in a kind way to let him know that this is not personal. It should never be personal.

Talk less with your students with discipline. Less talking and more action is the best approach. The hard learners and fence-sitters will do better with action. A majority of students will listen to verbal instructions and follow your directives. Remember that empty warnings undermine your authority and students will not take you seriously. When you follow through with an actionable consequence, you will experience student manipulation, pleas, complaints, criticisms, taunts, or remarks. Don’t take any of this personally! The best analogy when discipling is to think of yourself as a referee or an ump. You’re just doing your job.

So today, think about those frustrating moments and how you will implement this strategy. Think about your class procedures and what sticks out to you in your mind. Make sure these actionable events are logical and make the most sense for teaching the child. Thanks for reading!

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