Audrey J. Gover
Guest columnist

In the 24 years I have been teaching, I have realized that discipline is an essential component of teaching. Without discipline, there is no structure and chaos usually abounds.

Discipline is established in many forms within the classroom. It begins with a definite set of rules that need to be followed on daily. Usually five to six rules will be enough for kindergarten students to remember. The rules need to encompass acceptable movement, talking, safety, work ethics, manners and respect. Maintaining discipline daily reinforces the rules in a positive manner.

Following through with consequences for negative behavior must also be consistent. Being able to adjust your rules, making the children aware of those adjustments and why it is necessary, will allow for most unexpected circumstances.

As with anything in life, nothing is failproof. There may be an occasion when disaster strikes. By that I mean an incident that threatens the safety, well-being and academic process of the student who is causing the danger to other students and the teacher. If that kind of behavior cannot be relieved by calming the student down, time out in another area of the room, removal from the classroom for a while, or getting the parent involved, then removing that child from school for a day can be the solution. It will allow the opportunity for the teacher to restore the room back to a level conducive to learning. The important thing is to remove the fear that was instilled by the incident, and assure the students that they are safe.

As for the student removed from school, it helps the child calm down when they are removed from the stimulus that caused the destructive behavior. The child has the opportunity to regroup at home or in another familiar place where he/she feels secure and unthreatened. It also allows the parent to completely take over the situation and reinforce what was done at school.

Although I have experienced removal of a kindergartner only a couple of times, I've seen this process work. In the couple of cases I have experienced, the child has come back ready to be a part of the classroom in a positive manner. The other children were also ready and willing to accept their classmate back. While any negative behavior causes stress and interruption of the learning process, it can also be used to teach the effects of consequences for your actions. Audrey J. Gover is a kindergarten teacher with the Cincinnati Public Schools.