As a new teacher, I depend on the methods I learned in college. For discipline, I was told it is essential to keep disciplining absolutely private. When a child is misbehaving, I go ove rto them and quietly tell them to change their behavior. I do not argue. If kids try to argue, I stay quiet and repeat the same thing over.
This year, I have had many parents call and tell my principal the same thing. "My child says he/she is the only one to ever get bounced. I am able to control behaviors so discreetly, no one notices. That means the kids don't see anyone else getting in trouble. Because of this, I now have a lot of kids who really hate me because they think they are the only ones I pay attention to. My Angry Child (discussed in a previous post) was an example of this. He thinks I sit and stare at him all class because he is the only one to get in trouble.
This misinterpretation of my discipline style is affecting my kids attitude in class. My question now is, should I make discipline more public? Should I be yelling across the room when someone puts their head down? Should I make them stand when I redirect them? I don't know what to do!!!