Students who acted up in class used to be disciplined three times. First by the teacher, second by the parent for misbehaving and third by the parent for embarrassing the family in front of the class by disobeying and making the teacher discipline. Parents did not question the teacher, and teachers knew that their discipline efforts would be supported by the parents. Those days are gone.
Now, teachers struggle to gain parental involvement and support for the positive things their children do, much less support their disciplinary efforts. This requires teachers to discipline children often without any support from home at all. It is important for teachers to understand this, and know for sure whether a parent is supportive of disciplinary efforts so that efforts in the classroom are not undermined.
A teacher who does not follow through with a warning or threat of disciplinary action will be the teacher that student know as the push-over. While many parents become push-overs and create classroom management issues for teachers by raising spoiled children, teachers need to be consistent and follow-through on their words.
If the teacher knows that the parent will not back a disciplinary action up at home, it is important that the teacher utilize some other strategy of discipline. Children who know that their parents will not discipline them at home do not care whether a phone call home or note home happens.
For more information on the lack of parental support, read about the drop-off generation.
More related information:
Increase parental support in the classroom
Home Visits Help Improve Parental Involvement
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