Discipline referrals can be an extremely effective tool. They are a way to remove belligerent students from the classroom. They can give teachers additional support when dealing with problem behaviors. However, their use should be moderated. This article looks at four reasons not to overuse discipline referrals.
1. Discipline Referrals Lose Their Impact on Students
When you overuse
discipline referrals in the classroom, the threat of their use does not have the same impact as when they are saved for major behavioral problems. Students end up not taking discipline referrals seriously. Similarly, don't threaten to use them all the time either. Again, if you threaten to use them but never do, students will not believe you anymore, and they will have a negligible impact.
2. Discipline Referrals Lose Their Impact on the Administrators
Teachers who write discipline referrals for minor situations will find that the
school administration will not give their referrals the time of day. A teacher I worked with had a habit of writing discipline referrals all the time. The results of her referrals were never satisfactory to her. Yet, I only wrote one or two a year. My referrals always resulted in action from the administration.
3. The Punishment Should Fit the Crime
You should match the punishments you dole out in your classroom to how serious the infraction is. If you pull out discipline referrals for every little misbehavior, then there is nothing to turn to if worse behaviors occur. Instead, you should try and create your own
discipline plan in such a way that it has degrees of punishment and reward.
4. Many Administrations Frown on Overuse (Or Even Use)
Rightly or wrongly, many administrators do not want teachers to write discipline referrals. This is often related to how the schools are seen by the district and state. For example, in the state of Florida, school "grades" are based on a number of items, one of which is the number of discipline referrals that a school has written. Referrals become part of the student's permanent record and are reported to the district. Too many discipline referrals and the grade is lowered. Funding and other items are related to this grade. Obviously, there is an incentive to have fewer referrals. This fact never stopped me from writing a referral when I felt it was absolutely necessary. However, it is something to keep in mind as you decide when you are going to write a referral.
