You read the title right. I have nothing to hide. I am “one of those” educators. I am a teacher that punishes everyone for the actions of a few. Talking during the lecture? Silent lunch for everyone. Inappropriate use of technology? Nobody using chrome books today.
I know these experts say those types of punishments are not best practice. But one thing I notice about “these experts” is that they seldom actually teach in the same context I do. So before you write me off as a toxic teacher, hear me out. Here are the reasons I use full-class discipline.
- It’s real life.
At your job, in real life, you more than likely work on a team. Yes, there are individual consequences and rewards but if someone isn’t pulling their weight, you will feel it. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. It is never too early to earn that lesson.
- Capacity.
Honestly there isn’t always a way to divide punishment amongst individuals. If we are supposed to go play basketball in the gym, and I take it away, I don’t have the ability to leave some kids here and some kids there. There is only one of me. Some rewards can only be done with a whole class and if some lose that privilege, the rest do. Oh well.
- They get rewarded as a whole class.
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, my class often gets rewards that apply to everybody such as free time, music, free seating, etc. At no point during any of my whole class rewards do students come up to me and opt out because they didn’t earn it individually. If you accept full class rewards, then accept full class consequences.
- They are invested in me and themselves.
Full class punishments don’t work for other teachers because they have poor management, students are not invested in them as educators, and students are not invested in their class as a community. That is not a problem for me, and in the rare situation where it has been, I don’t use a full class consequences. Class punishments are also not a last-ditch effort to control an unruly class for me. They are a predictable part of my system, and students are well aware of what triggers them.
- Creates positive peer pressure.
Peers have a much bigger impact on each other than I ever will. One classmate saying, “Shut up before he gives us silent lunch” is worth a thousand similar type threats from me.
- You can still use it proportionally.
We have the idea that full class punishment is everyone coming for detention on Saturday for one person snickering in the back of the room. In reality, it’s more like no music during independent practice because eight or nine people were listening to Spotify while I was talking or no talking during the first five minutes of lunch because that’s how many people I redirected on the way down to the cafeteria. My full class punishments still make sense.
- I rarely actually have to do it.
For all of the complaints I hear about teachers giving full class consequences, I rarely if ever have to use them. For example, I have given silent lunch a total of seven times this year. All of them were in the first two months when they thought I was bluffing. The knowledge that I will do based of the experience of having them early in the school year is more powerful than actually doing it as the school year progresses.
You don’t have to like whole class punishment. I mean, I don’t even like it. But if used correctly, they can be an effective, age appropriate classroom management tool.