Q: What have you found to be the toughest aspect of discipline? A: Consistency! I discovered in all my experiences with children that the key to an effective discipline policy in any classroom is consistency. For me, consistency means three things: 1) If I have a rule, I must enforce that rule. 2) I shouldn’t hand out lots of warnings without following through on consequences. Lots of warnings tell students that I won’t enforce a rule. And, 3) I must be fair and impartial. I must be sure that the rules are there for everyone, and that includes girls as well as boys, tall people and short people, students with freckles and students without freckles, and special needs students as well as gifted students. Maintaining consistency is, and will continue to be, a challenge. But it’s a challenge I’m ready for.
The questions about discipline are many and varied. They can come in a number of ways. You need to be adequately prepared to respond to each and every one of them in a way that demonstrates your knowledge of this all-important topic and the specific ways you plan to address it.
