The school administrators, supervisors, and classroom teachers should bear in mind that children generally behave in about the only way it is possible for them to behave considering the hereditary characteristics they possess, the kind of experiences they have had, and the social pressures which are operating upon them at the moment. In this regard, school officials were in the strategic position to alter the behavior of the children by helping them restructured their environment, create a new social arrangement and assist them to develop new ideals and patterns of conduct.

                The following are suggested guidelines and strategies towards pupils’ guidance and discipline;

1.            Create and provide a unifying philosophy of discipline – it is important that the administrator and the members teaching staff should come to some point of reasonable agreement on school discipline.

2.            Secure a cooperative teacher – pupil planning – in this way the teachers and pupils will understand one another better in the adjustments of school problems and can assist in carrying out a program of guidance aimed at the improvement of the pupil.

3.            Punishment should be corrective rather than in punitive manner – because sometimes “eye for an eye” theory is unnecessary and undesirable. Furthermore punishment should never result in shaming the child before his classmates.

4.            Encourage constructive teacher solution of disciplinary problems instead of sending their pupils to the principal’s office for disciplinary measure – this practice tends to undermine the standing of the teacher in the eyes of the pupils and the parents. The teacher must be made responsible for his own task of disciplining the pupils.

5.            Correction should not be made within the hearing of other pupils – but rather correction must be made outside the classroom. It is a sound educational practice to have a private conference with the pupil over matters that need correction. The administrator should bear in mind that individual transformation is the fundamental objective of discipline whenever misdeeds are concerned and correction therefore is confidential.

6.            Corporal punishment should not be applied as a solution to any disciplinary problem in any way or another.

By: Mrs.Dahlia B. Bautista | Teacher III |