Discipline Policy
Objective
The objective of this policy is to establish safe and positive learning environment for the students in the school, teaching student appropriate behavior and helping them become independent and responsible people.
Rationale
Good discipline is fundamental for the achievement of the school’s learning objective and mission statement and smooth running of the school. Students are required to abide by the school’s rules and to follow the direction of teachers and other staff. When a student disregards rules, disobeys instructions or otherwise engages in conduct which causes or may cause harm, inconvenience or embarrassment to the school staff members or other students, then this will lead to disciplinary action taken by school.
Learner profile
Learner Profile: Responsible Balanced
Coverage of the policy
Bullying
All types of bullying (Refer to the Bullying Policy) Annexure - 4
Discipline
- Junk Food
- Toys / Gadgets
- Routines & Procedures*
- Uniform
- Being Organized & Work Habits e.g. HW – Refer to the Homework Policy
*Applicable after R&P’s have been practiced and only 1-2 students are not following the same (not the entire class).
Nature of issue/action
- Minor
- Major
- Teacher’s responsibility
- Student’s responsibility
Assessment of the issue
- If any student is found misbehaving, bullying and practicing indiscipline; this needs to be done first by HRT/Mentor teacher (if the incident has happened in front of her/him or someone has reported the issue) before applying any consequence.
- S/he needs to understand the severity of the issue and based on that s/he has to make a judgment about where it stands as per our policy e.g. whether the issue is minor or major, is this the first attempt or any warning has been given in the past also, whom does it require to inform etc.
- Record of significant issues and action taken has to be maintained by DC/counselors in behavioral observation response sheet for reference. S/he has to refer to it every time as this will help HRT/Mentor teacher to get the data about the student about how many times s/he has breached the policy and what action (consequences) has been taken in the past.
Application of consequences & information to be sent
- Based on the assessment of the issue (major/minor), HRT/Mentor teacher/TL has to decide which “Order of consequence, Annexure – 2” has to be given to the student. S/he also has to send information regarding the same to all concerned e.g. TL, PYPC/MYPC/DPC and AGM/GM-Admin etc. through email. For each consequence, steps need to be followed as mentioned in the “Description of the Consequence” Annexure-3.
Further action to be taken
- Apart from consequences applied, HRT/Mentor teacher has to decide if any further action has to be taken. E.g. if a student needs counseling then speak to the counselor and explain about the issue/problem, parent to be called for meeting or counseling (as per requirement) etc.
Consequence - cyber bullying
- 11st Instance - Teacher has to get both the parties together to sort out the issue. The party at fault has to apologize to the victim.
- 22nd Instance - Discipline Policy consequences (Major/Minor) has to be followed by the teacher / coordinator / HOS/DHOS/VPSS / HOS depending upon the severity of the issue.
Annexure – 1
Students Behaviors and Work Habits Student Observation form.
| Field | Expected Details | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Enter in DD-MMM-YYYY format | Enter the date of the behavior issue |
| Category | Homework, Discipline, Bullying | Choose a category for the issue from the dropdown list |
| Flag type | Green / Red | – |
| Infraction Intensity | – | Choose the type of infraction intensity |
| Comment | Description | Write your detailed comment here |
| Given By | Name | Write your name here |
| Consequence Given / Action taken | Warning, Detention, Stand-down, Letter to parents etc., Calling parents | Write down the consequences applied / actions taken as well as future actions to be taken |
The form has a Student Name column for each student.
The consequences that teachers should hand out:
- Should not be humiliating
- Should not be physically demanding
- Should be something that you as a teacher can enforce and manage most of the time, unless there’s a severe issue (or a lot of minor issues) that need a graver consequence
Annexure-2: order of consequence
Minor
| Consequence | Description | EY | LPY | UPY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warning and student observation filled | Intimation to be given to the student about the possible or impending consequences | |||
| Time out/Isolation | Student will be given timeout inside the class itself in one of the classroom corners. | |||
| Taking away privilege | Entitlements given to student will be taken away | – | ||
| Detention to be held outside school hours (Early-in - Stayback) | The student will either come one hour early to school or do a stay back for one hour. | NA |
Major
| Consequence | Description | EY | LPY | UPY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reprimand in front of HOS/DHOS/PSS | Warning given by HOS/DHOS/VPSS in presence of DC and counselors | |||
| Detention during school hours | Student will spend a day (school hours) in detention area | – | – | |
| Stand downs | A stand-down is the short-term formal removal of a student from school for a specified period (min 3 days and max 10 days across the year). | – | – |
A tick means the consequence applies; NA = not applicable.
Annexure-3: description of consequences - minor
1 Warning
Intimation to be given to the student about the possible or impending consequences
Conferred by: Teacher/TL · Applicable to: Grade Jr.KG- 12
Do’s
- Minimum three warnings to be given to the student through the Student Observation form before implementing the next consequence.
- On the Student observation form each teacher will mention the number of warnings or observations filled for every individual student. Example: Teacher X filled an observation for Student A. She will mention in the form that this is the 2nd observation for student A from me (i.e teacher X)
- The information regarding the nature of consequence (no. 2) that will be given to the student, on repeating the inappropriate act, should be clearly conveyed at this stage.
2 Timeout/Isolation
Sending the student to the time out zone though not for long periods at a time or make them sit in isolation in the class
Conferred by: Teacher · Applicable to: Grade Jr.KG- 6
Do’s
- First teacher have to give isolation as a consequence.
- Isolation can also be done where student can sit in the class separately and will do their work without asking any question/speaking. Duration for isolation should be age-appropriate and should not exceed a period to start off with. Duration can be increased as per the frequency/severity of the issue.
- If s/he feels that isolation is not effective then timeout should be given.
- The students of Jr.Kg & Sr.Kg will be given ‘time out’ in the respective time- out zone in their classrooms.
- The students of Gr. 1-6 will be given ‘timeout’ within the corridor of the respective grade.
- The duration of the timeout should be calculated as 1 minute for every year of his/her life. Thus, a student of 5 years will get a timeout for 5 minutes.
- During ‘time- out’ the student is expected to sit idle without doing anything productive.
- The student should be praised for behaving better after timeout.
- The information regarding the nature of consequence (no. 4) that will be given to the student, on repeating the inappropriate act, should be clearly conveyed at this stage.
Don’ts
Time- out period should not be for long periods at a time.
3 Taking away privileges
Entitlements given to student will be taken away
Conferred by: Teacher · Applicable to: Grade 1-12
Do’s
- Few examples of the sort of privileges which could be taken away:
- Attending a sports game (PS).
- Taking away privileges will also include exclusion from one of the sports tournaments or not attending any sports camp with discussion with the PS team. The final call will be taken by the VPSS/HOS
- Free choice / Play time
- Participating in an event e.g. assembly etc.
- 10-50 min of detention with the teacher during Playtime / AS / PS classes or a free slot (the student should be engaged in reflection task or some other task during this)
- Time out in the class itself or in a buddy class if the teacher in the other class also agrees
- Meditation - 5mins, if you’re 5mins late, if more then increase the meditation time accordingly.
- Swearing/using abusive language/ fighting with students/faculties: missing the team event / 1 or 2 matches. Team eviction - if it gets severe involve parents.
- Coming late - ask them to stand inside the classroom without making any comments for a certain duration of time, if individual.
- If coming late to class in a group then ask them to sit without being able to engage in the classroom activity.
- As per the privileges which will be taken away, concerned person needs to be informed about the same. E.g. In case of attending a sports game, respective TL needs to be informed, for participating in an event – event coordinator should be informed along with respective grade TL.
- The information regarding the nature of consequence (no. 5) that will be given to the student, on repeating the inappropriate act, should be clearly conveyed at this stage.
Apologies
- Apology if used at the right time can also be quite effective. For e.g. for rude / disrespectful language, a verbal apology is front of the class and/or a written apology sent to the teacher can be quite effective in helping the student change his/her language / tone.
Don’ts
The student’s education should not be affected by removing privileges.
4 Detention to be held outside school hours
a. after school hours b. before school hours
The student will either come 1 hour early to school or s/he has to do a stay back for 1 hour.
During this period the student will either reflect on his behavior or he could do the extra work around the school.
Conferred by: Team Leader · Applicable to: Gr 1-6 after school hours, Gr 7-12 before school hours
Do’s
- Parents should be informed before giving out the consequence and stay back or early arrival. A Note/letter should be sent to parents by HRT/Mentor teacher informing them about the issue, action taken (previous/current) which the parents are expected to respond to. Phone Call to parents in presence of the child: ask counselor for script / help.
- Front desk and transport dept. should be informed for the stay back or early arrival.
- Teachers/TL will not decide the work to be given to the students. They have to inform the front desk and they will decide the work to be given to the students.
- Extra work around the school, based on the nature of the consequence selected, for example:
- 1. Glass cleaning (doors, windows). Either Bharti didi or any other didi will be nominated to supervise the student under detention.
- 2. Bus cleaning. Concerned person-Transport supervisor/ conductor/ someone to be nominated for the same.
- 3. Ground Cleaning and watering the plants. Concerned person- Mali Kaka
- Students’ safety should be taken into consideration.
- A certificate to be signed by the Bharti Didi/person responsible with a comment that whether the student was present or did the task as expected or not which will be handed over to the HRT/Mentor teacher/TL in addition to whoever has given the consequence.
- The information regarding the nature of consequence (no. 6) that will be given to the student, on repeating the inappropriate act, should be clearly conveyed at this stage.
- Student will be marked present by the teacher during full / half day detention.
Points to be considered for extra work
- This has to be applied as per age group. E.g. For EY students, watering plants can be given as extra work.
- Glass cleaning can also be an option with no. of glasses to be specified i.e. EY students can clean less no. of glasses than PY/SS students.
Annexure-3: description of consequences - major
5 Reprimand in front of HOS/DHOS/VPSS
Warning given by HOS/DHOS/VPSS
Conferred by: HOS/DHOS/VPSS · Applicable to: Grade 1-12
Do’s
- Teacher/Team leader will accompany the student to HOS/DHOS’s cabin
- In extreme cases, and only if the situation demands, the HOS/DHOS could even talk to a student of Jr.KG and Sr.KG.
- The information regarding the nature of consequence (no. 7) that will be given to the student, on repeating the inappropriate act, should be clearly conveyed at this stage.
6 Detention during school hours
Student will spend the day (his school hour) reflecting upon his action(s). DC/PO is responsible for the students during detention. If the DC is not available then counselors will be responsible for the same
Conferred by: VPSS/DC · Applicable to: Grade 4-12
Do’s
- Parents should be informed before giving the consequence. A note/letter should be sent to parents by HRT/Mentor teacher informing them about the issue, action taken (previous/current).
- A half-day to a longer detention where the parent is required to come down to the school to discuss behavioral issues. Asking the parents for a meeting to inform them about the behavior of the student and what further actions are required to take care of it.
- Calling the parents to come to school where the student will not be allowed to come to school till the parents don’t come.
- A separate education program should be provided to the student to cover up the educational loss by HRT/Mentor teacher.
- The information regarding the nature of consequence (no. 8) that will be given to the student, on repeating the inappropriate act, should be clearly conveyed at this stage by the HRT/Mentor teacher.
Process of detention
- 1As counselors by emphasizing the feelings and rights of others, we attempt to lead the students to a more empathetic and social understanding of the effects of their actions and the fact that their behavior impacts on the whole school community.
- 2Causes, consequences, prevention and goal setting are topics that the student will consider during the detention period.
- 3Our selected approach brings student to a point of setting goals for behavioral improvement by introducing worksheets for psychological intervention depending on the results of that actions or behavior.
- 4Each student will fill the thought record sheets (Cognitive thinking process, STB- Stop Think and Breathe, Self Evaluation, ABC belief, Behavioral reflections)
- 5Each student will write a personal goal that points to an alternate behavior. We will prompt the student to move from past mistakes and rethink old habits and actions. Within this framework, the role of the detention, counselor is to reinforce the behavior goal for each student.
- 6Student will be marked present by the teacher during full / half day detention.
Goals
- Provide an alternative measure for corrective behavior for disruptive students.
- Foster student behavior that emphasises understanding of the effects of their actions and the fact that their behavior impacts on whole school community.
- Guide the student for setting goals in order to improve the behavior.
- Encourage respect for the routines and procedures for the school community.
Reflection sheets (used only under supervision)
- www.psychologytools.com
- http://psychology.tools/abc-belief-monitoring.html
- http://psychology.tools/anger-diary.html
- http://psychology.tools/what-if.html
- http://psychology.tools/rumination-diary.html
- http://psychology.tools/thoughts-and-depression.html
- http://psychology.tools/friendly-formulation.html
- http://psychology.tools/cross-sectional-formulation.html
- http://psychology.tools/cbt-thought-record.html
- http://psychology.tools/worry-thought-record.html
7 Stand downs
A stand-down is the short-term formal removal of a student from school for a specified period (maximum 10 days throughout the year). Stand-downs are intended to allow schools, students and their families’ time to evaluate the problems that have occurred and to work out how to stop them from happening again.
Conferred by: DC · Applicable to: Grade 4-12
Do’s
- A student should only be stood-down for continual disobedience or gross misconduct. In such cases, the behaviour is usually a harmful or dangerous example to others. A student can also be stood-down, if their behavior is likely to cause serious harm to him or her or other students.
- Only the HOS/DHOS/VPSS could stand-down a student.
- At this stage, the HOS/DHOS/VPSS could convey the message to the student that on repeating the inappropriate act, the student could be formally removed from the school.
- Parents should be informed before giving stand-down. A Note/letter should be sent to parents by HRT/Mentor teacher informing them about the issue, action taken (previous/current).
- A behavioral contract should be negotiated with the student by HRT/Mentor teacher.
- Student will be marked absent if he is given a stand down.
Points to be considered – how many times a student could be stood down?
- Not more than five days in a school term.
- Not more than 10 days in a school year (the day that the student was stood-down, and any non-school days, are not counted).
- The duration of stand down can be extended depending upon the severity of the issue. The extension will be decided on case to case basis.
The teacher’s responsibility
In loco parentis
- The term in loco parentis, Latin for “in the place of a parent” refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to take on some of the functions and responsibilities of a parent.
- In our case, it allows institutions such as colleges and schools to act in the best interests of the students as they see fit, although not allowing what would be considered violations of the students’ civil liberties.
- Acting in the best interests of the students includes disciplining them, as we would do if we were their parents.
Take responsibility
- Take responsibility of discipline and respect in not just your class but everywhere in school including the bus
- Discipline any student who you think is misbehaving and hand out a consequence if necessary.
- Enter a record along with what action you’ve taken. This step is essential so that we can corner those students who have discipline issues across classes. Strict action such as full day detention or stand down will be given based on these records.
What you should do
- You are advised to make your plan looking at our common plan on how you are going to deal with students.
- Take charge from day one of the launch of the program. And it means that to be in the good books of students, you can’t be lenient. All of us have to be consistent with asking them to follow PBLs and other expected routines.
- And you might want to consult A/TLs, Counselors, Coordinators etc. on what which consequences to apply in which case.
- And we might counsel you in some cases where we feel that you could have tackled the issue differently.
What we (higher authority) won’t do
- Clarification/three-way meetings will be called for only in case it is seen as a pressing requirement to restore the teacher-student dynamic to create a conducive learning environment for the student as well as the teacher.
- Teachers WILL NOT BE questioned for handing out consequences as long as it is from the list given above or close to one of them (you are allowed to be creative within limit as long as you stick to the criteria given above).
What can students do?
- 1Students if unhappy with the consequence handed out by the teacher must serve the consequence if the teacher insists, but they can appeal only through a form which will be read by the counselors, who may then speak to the teacher and then get back to the students. However, in very rare cases will the consequence be rescinded.
- 2Students are required to follow the consequence given. If they don’t then you can insist on this and if they still don’t accept the consequence, then you can escalate the matter.
Difference between liberty / freedom and indiscipline / disrespect
- Freedom in education is not the same as disrespect or indiscipline!
- Freedom in education is about being able to ask questions which are relevant to the topic being discussed. It’s not about making silly comments.
- It’s also about being able to question rules and policies, but firstly in the right tone and secondly to the right person!
- Respect comes first! Cannot be compromised!
- Routines and procedures and discipline needs to be in place at all times!
Support that you can expect from School Leadership Team, Counselors & SS POs
- If you hand out a small detention, then you are best handling it on your own; either during PS / AS or a playtime slot where the student & you are both free.
- If however you want to hand out a task that requires supervision or is lengthy then the Counselors / POs can help you manage the same (as is the case now).