Discipline in the Preschool

**This is another mini paper written for my Trends and Problems class. It was written sophomore year at PBC***

Classroom management is one of the most essential elements of a successful classroom. There cannot be a well-managed classroom without discipline. Discipline is a way of training students to be able to manage the classroom. Steve Glenn, contributor to eHow, says “Lack of classroom discipline results in academic chaos, low student performance and teacher exhaustion and frustration” (“Importance”).
Many do not realize the sheer importance of discipline. Glenn states in his article, “The Importance of Discipline in the Classroom,” that some of the reasons discipline is important are safety, effectiveness, and lack of distractions (“Importance”). This article is mainly geared to elementary and secondary education, but the preschool teacher can get the same benefits from it as well. Safety is a very important key factor in education. Teachers spend a lot of time in the preschool, like Brenda Hunter (certified preschool teacher) points out in her article, making the students feel secure (“Best Discipline”). They need this or they will not trust the teacher and will not be easily controlled. In order to do that, the teacher has to remain patient and take time to explain the rules and attempt to explain why the rules are there. Hopefully, the student will grasp hold of the concepts and respect and admire the teacher. Effectiveness is also a key factor in preschool. Early Education is essential in building for the future. The concepts taught need to be grasped early on so future teachers can build off of that education. In order to have effectiveness though, the student needs to be trained on how to act. Lastly, lack of distractions is a reason for discipline. This is so easily understood with younger children because they are so easily distracted. Good discipline can help prevent many of the unnecessary distractions. All of these distractions will not be prevented, but a well disciplined and managed classroom will rid the majority of distractions aiding the idea of effectiveness.
There are several articles and books that will not only tell a teacher or teacher-in-training the importance of discipline but also methods of discipline. Brenda Hunter’s article, “Best Discipline Strategies for a Preschool Classroom,” is an excellent example. In this she gives ideas such as time-out, group learning, playtime, positive encouragement, and a set disciplinary policy or plan. She says “a teacher needs to have simple rules with simple consequences” (“Best Discipline”). Her article is one of many that provide great insight to the discipline problems teachers face today.
Some would say disciplining kids is hard nowadays. It can be. There is still a great importance for discipline- safety, effectiveness, limited distractions, and more. There are many books and resources to help in coming up with very effective ways of discipline. There are workshops that one can take to improve their methodologies. Whatever the case, discipline is so important in a classroom whether preschool or college.


Works Cited
Glenn, Steve. “The Importance of Discipline in the Classroom.” eHow.com, 2010. Web. 4October 2010.
Hunter, Brenda. “Best Discipline Strategies for a Preschool Classroom.” Lifestyle: Education, 2009. Web. 4 October 2010.