What is Discipline?

As teachers, we would love our students to come into the classroom ready to learn and engage daily; without any difficult behaviors. As teachers, we also know this will never be the case. Even the most seasoned, connected teachers struggle with student behavior sometimes and it’s okay! The goal with any classroom management techniques, is obviously to reduce the behavioral problems as much as possible, but more-so to guide us in giving us a framework for how to respond when behaviors do occur. 

The goal of any discipline in the classroom should always be to first teach students self-control, responsibility, and making better choices. These key points are the best way for us to reinforce positive skills while correcting disruptive behavior. 

It’s not just about punishment, and is more about guiding behavior over time. Those carefully crafted supportive environments we create, the way we connect with our students, the opportunities we give them to make amends, etc. are all part of our greater discipline response. It’s all connected and this blog post is going to show you how to be intentional with these strategies so you feel good about your response to behavior and it remains supportive of the student’s growth.

What is Classroom Management?

The definition of classroom management is the structure, routines, expectations, and culture that guide daily functioning in the classroom. Most people think of this as being the fun prizes students get when they follow the rules, or the way we reward good behavior. We think of clip charts, bingo cards, prizes, and tokens (more on these below). 

However, that is only a small piece of what classroom management can be, and those aren’t always effective strategies to use anyway. When we zoom out a bit, we see that effective classroom management is rooted in strong systems more than anything else.

These systems includes everything from seating charts to how transitions are handled, and yes, even discipline problems. We also tend to view classroom management as a class-wide effort and less about individual students and their inappropriate behavior. Again, those are all linked to a well-managed classroom. 

When we’re trying to create positive behavior in our classroom, it doesn’t mean we forget about discipline or under-prepare for it, which is so often the case. In fact, the more solid, prepared, and consistent you are with the “discipline,” or response to “bad” behavior, the more effective all of your efforts will be. 

The Shift in Thinking About Discipline

You may remember discipline being talked about and executed very differently when you were a kid. I can remember sitting up against the wall at recess when we got in trouble, or having notices sent home for parents to sign. You may have even used things like clip-down systems, lost recess, silent lunches, etc with your students recently. 

I’m not here to judge because I’ve used them too! But the more I’ve learned, and research has shown, the more my perspective, has shifted. In recent years, we’ve started moving away from punitive, control-based discipline systems for disciplinary action, and instead moving toward logical consequences and trauma-supportive environments. 

We’re supporting the belief that behavior is communication, recognizing the sensory components of it, and supporting the unique needs all students have. Discipline doesn’t mean simply controlling our students anymore; it’s about connection and correction.

Yes, Accountability Still Matters

Within this discussion, it’s so important to state planely…we’re not ignoring behaviors. Rather, we’re responding with strategies that teach instead of punish. Recess doesn’t have to be the first thing taken away, unless of course it’s a logical consequence! It’s about equity and building self-regulation over time, rather than thinking one fast consequence is going to change behavior forever. 

Proactive Strategies for Discipline in the Classroom

Now let’s talk about the things we do before the behavior happens. This is the part of our practice that helps prevent disruptions, miscommunication, and conflict—and honestly, it’s where the biggest magic lives.

1. Positive Reinforcement

We’re not talking empty compliments or generic praise here. We’re talking about true positive reinforcement that’s intentional and that speaks to the child individually. When we give positive reinforcement, we’re highlighting the good; what we want to see more of. When a student follows classroom rules, we celebrate their good work by reinforcing them. 

Here are a couple of ideas for what this could look like in action:

• Verbal praise: “Thank you for raising your hand before sharing. That was really respectful of your classmates.”
• A token system where students earn points toward something meaningful to them.
• A class-wide goal that builds collective ownership: “When we earn 10 kindness points, we’ll vote on a special activity.” Click here to get a visual to pair with this for your classroom!

It’s less about bribing and more about showing students that their effort and choices are seen and valued. This builds internal motivation over time (sometimes a long time), especially when it’s tied to a deeper relationship in a supportive environment.

2. Creating a Supportive Classroom Environment

Which leads us to creating that supporting environment. This is the behind-the-scenes scaffolding that makes everything else work smoother and helps prevent bad behaviour before it starts. All students do their best work when they’re in an environment that feels safe, clean, and has systems in place that make sense.

Each of the pieces below lead to greater safety in the classroom and a more positive learning environment. Here are some ways we create this:

Physical Setup:

• Calm-down areas (with tools, not punishments)
• Visual boundaries (tape lines, labeled zones, accessible materials)
• Low-sensory input (less things on the wall, calm sounds)

Culture & Vibe:

• We solve problems together here
• Students are treated as contributors, not just rule-followers
• Empathy and respect are modeled consistently by us, first (yes, old school discipline tells us that kids should respect us, but we really want to model respect first!)

Systems:

• Predictable routines that make kids feel safe
• Visual schedules for all learners
• Clear expectations that aren’t just posted they’re taught, rehearsed, and lived

A supportive classroom doesn’t mean chaos-free. It means students know what to expect, what’s expected of them, and that they’ll be supported—even when things go sideways.

Engagement isn’t just about flashy lessons—it’s about connecting with your students as humans and inviting them into the process.

4. Build Strong Relationships

Relationships are not “extra.” They’re the foundation and probably the one thing that’s going to save you when students are going through a really hard time. The only way to make big, lasting change with young people behaviorally, is to keep building in those small gestures towards having a respectful relationship. 

The more trust you build, the more influence you’ll have in those hard moments when practical advice just isn’t cutting it. And those relationships? They outperform any sticker chart. 

Addressing Behavior After It Happens

Even with the best proactive strategies, behavior will still happen and you’ll need some responsive strategies. So let’s discuss what to do when positive feedback, strong relationships, and reinforcement aren’t cutting it. 

Students still need to be held accountable for their actions. Even if they have trauma, even if they have difficult home lives, even if they push back every second of the day. Because they’re worth it. Boundaries create safety and they also remind students they are worth being an active member of this community. So, they still need to understand the consequences of their actions.  

One of the first things you can do is have a guided discussion. During this discussion you will have them talk about what they feel happened, what emotions they felt, and the behavior they did. Then, have them come up with a plan and practice it for the future. This can be hard many times, so here is a visual you can use to help guide the conversation.

What Is a Consequence?

A consequence is simply a response that happens after a behavior occurs. That’s it. It’s not taking away their birthday presents, every recess, or putting them in a corner.

It’s not about making them feel bad, it’s about helping them build skills. And guess what? Sometimes what you THINK are consequences (in the traditional sense like taking away recess) may actually increase behavior. For example, if a student doesn’t want to go to recess because they feel left out, taking it away may encourage that negative behavior because that is exactly what they wanted anyways.

This is why really being thoughtful with your consequences and approaches to behavior are so important.

As long as a student can cognitively understand the classroom expectations, and they’re able to perform them, there should be a consequence, that deters the behavior from happening again in the future, attached to when they don’t meet expectations. Accountability builds strong skills and shows students that you care about them. It just has to make sense, be productive, and add to the supportive classroom atmosphere, not take away from it.

Natural vs. Punitive Consequences

Let’s break it down simply.

Punitive:

• Student talks out in class → silent lunch.
• Student forgets homework → miss recess.
• Student disrupts your lesson → public callout in front of peers.

These might stop a behavior temporarily (maybe), but they don’t teach the skills and behaviors we want to see more of, and they create a huge divide between you and the student.

Natural/Logical:

• Student makes a mess → they clean it up.
• Student disrupts your lesson → they take space and return when they’re ready.
• Student damages something → they help fix it or write a note.

These consequences are connected to the behavior, which means they’re easier for students to understand and learn from. Over time, natural consequences shape behavior in much deeper ways because they are authentic to the situation. We’ve come a long way from taking away recess for every misstep and that’s progress we want to build on. 

When students are part of the repair process, they gain empathy and accountability. And often, it’s these moments that lead to the most growth. 

What about recess?

Do a Recess Remix.

So you have a kid CONSTANTLY putting their hands on others on the equipment on the playground. This isn’t safe, right? So instead of taking away those learning opportunities at recess we’re going to give him a remix. Sure you can still go outside, but you aren’t allowed on the wood chips (where the equipment is). 

You can change up recess so they do feel that discipline (because they want to go on the equipment), keeps everyone safe, and allows them to still socialize, get their energy out and regulate their bodies.

Discipline Is a Whole-System Practice

Your classroom culture before a problem arises is as important as how you respond after. Sure, we talked about discipline afterwards, but please use the proactive classroom management strategies with fidelity; they’re a game-changer. 

When discipline teaches instead of punishes, students grow in big ways and so does your relationship with them. A logical, restorative approaches means more learning occurs and you get better outcomes long-term. Remember, you’re not just managing a classroom, you’re truly shaping how students feel about themselves as individuals, learners, community members, etc. It’s so important that we get this piece right for them.

Here’s the truth: you can’t separate discipline from classroom culture. One always impacts the other. So, when we create systems that focus on teaching behavior instead of punishing it, everything shifts: students feel safe to make mistakes and try again, relationships deepen, and behavior improves.

Discipline and behavior isn’t an easy thing to navigate in the classroom and there are so many nuances, but as long as you stick to these tips, you’re ensure you have a solid foundation for preventing behavior and for addressing it in ways that build connection, not destroy it.