When teachers wonder "What should I do?" in response to challenging student behaviors, the answers are not as simple as they might seem. What teachers can do also depends, at least in part, on external demands (e.g., discipline codes, principal expectations, time pressures on teaching content and testing) that can either facilitate or…

Together, a school district and a local union are working to ensure that educators are trained in restorative practices in order to improve school climates and keep students in school and learning. This article describes how, in recent years, administrators and teachers have shifted from traditional school punishments, such as suspension, to…

Of the four major findings of the Safe School Study, three are concerned with the relationship between teachers and pupils in classrooms. The main thrusts of the findings are that teachers should be sensitive to adult-child relationships and fair with respect to the development and enforcement of school and classroom rules. (Author/AM)

Provides practical guidelines, prepared by the American Federation of Teachers' new Lessons for Life campaign, for developing effective school discipline policy. Classroom management, effective discipline codes and policies, and code enforcement are addressed. (GR)

Describes how the moving of one chronically disruptive special education student to a more restrictive environment took almost nine months, hundreds of hours of work, and thousands of dollars to achieve all due to the current inefficiencies of the system. The article includes a brief discussion of the reauthorization of the Individuals with…

Discusses what high school students are saying about disruptive students. Students expressed a desire for higher standards, for themselves and their peers, in the areas of both discipline and academics. However, students' standards for and expectations of their school are declining. (GR)

Describes one teacher's successful efforts to free herself from a disruptive, threatening student by using the law. The Cook versus Bray case illustrates that teachers do not have to tolerate students who ride roughshod over the rights of other students or teachers when the school administration chooses not to protect them. (GR)

Addresses teacher classroom management when children are disruptive and exhibit uncooperative behavior. It stresses that both firmness and respect are necessary. Students should be shown that clear and consistent consequences exist for crossing the line, and teachers should not explain, cajole, lecture, or threaten. (GR)