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Janey Wahlman
Vignettes

Assignment 5: Vignettes
Vignette 1:

1. Summary of what happened and your response:

One student refused to do the work that was assigned as in class work; instead the student
chose to play with his pencil and eraser and distract others. I approached him, knelt down so I
was at eye level, and asked if there was something that he may not have understood about the
assignment. The response was “no,” at which point I offered him the opportunity to work on his
assignment or he would take the assignment home with a note from me that he chose not to
complete it in class.

2. What theory or research supports your response:

This student chose to behave in the way that he did. No one can make students misbehave and
force them to learn according to Glasser (Charles, 2011). Also in step with Glasser’s approach to
discipline is the fact that the student was given a choice in how to behave in order to lead to
success in school.

3. Short term and possible long term results:

Short term may be effective initially, however if the child truly does want to do his homework
and there is minimal support from home, it is unlikely the short term solution will work. In
terms of long term results, I believe it is important for this child to be engaged in his curriculum,
thus maybe a long term solution would be to design his own assignments within reason.

4. How does your discipline fit your philosophy:

Choice, eye level, as well as consistency and fairness are all important qualities of discipline and I
feel they fit my philosophy. Because failure can be so disheartening to students and damage
their motivation to persevere, students should be given the opportunity to experience success
in school. This philosophy is most closely akin to the theorist Glasser.

5. Reflect on how you did...would you make changes if you could rewind and do it over again:

I did OK. I think that I could have been more stern, yet with this child the overly stern approach
typically pushes him away and can make him combative. While he completed his homework in
class, in the future I would try to motivate him so that he would want to do his homework.

Vignette 2:

1. What happened and my response:

While subbing in a kindergarten class, the children were unusually wiggly and talkative.
They were having difficulty listening to transitioning from one task to the next. The entire
class seemed to be somewhat out of control. I gave them a countdown to clean up
materials and be seated at their table groups.
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Janey Wahlman
Vignettes

2. I believe the theory that supports my response is related to the Wong theory of classroom
management vs classroom discipline. By implementing effective classroom management,
teachers create a smoothly functioning learning environment. Countdown strategies are a
tool to enact classroom management.
3. Short term results were effective:
The countdown was effective as it allowed the children to move around, pick-up materials
and ‘race’ back to their seat. Rather than obligation, the children saw it as an opportunity to
comply and ‘have fun’ in a constructive way, and complied with my wishes. At the
conclusion of the countdown all but 2 children were sitting quietly in their seats ready to
listen to instruction.
Long term results might be as equally as effective as students will learn what is required of
them each time a countdown begins (clean up class materials and return to your seat
quickly and quietly. If this technique were to continue I suppose that children would need
some extrinsic motivation that would encourage them to be the quickest and quietest table
group, such as extra points for the quickest table, or 5 extra minutes of play time).
4. This discipline fits my philosophy in the following ways:
I agree that effective classroom management often minimizes the need for discipline. I
believe that in order to have a smoothly functioning classroom, classroom management is
extremely important.
5. If I were to do it over again, I would start a countdown earlier so that students wouldn’t get
to the point where the classroom seemed a temporary state of chaos.

Vignette 3:

1. There were two first grade students who were continually off-task and overly talkative during
centers. I gave them a verbal warning in which I presented them with a choice: I expected them
to be on-task and use a level 1 voice or they would lose center privileges and would be required
to sit on their sit spots at the front of the room. When the two students continued to disrupt
other students at the same center, I pulled them out of centers and made them sit on their sit
spots. While in their sit spots I had a conversation with each child that went something like this:
Can you tell me why you had to leave centers and are now sitting on your sit spot? How could
you change your behavior in order to return to centers?
2. Theory or research to support my approach:
Giving children choice is in line with Glasser’s philosophy. I don’t believe you can make a child
learn, they have to choose for themselves that they want to. I do think it is important to give a
child an opportunity to join the remainder of the class when ready to do so after being
redirected or separated. This may be an opportunity to establish a moment of disruption
structure for use the next time the student disrupts.
3. Short term result:
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Janey Wahlman
Vignettes

The short term result was effective. The disruptive students sat quietly on their sit spots and
were no longer disruptive. This allowed the other students working in centers to work
uninhibited, and the remainder of centers went well.
Long term result: This is not an effective long term approach. This prevents students from
participating in valuable hands on student led learning in an interactive environment.
4. This discipline fits my philosophy in the following ways:
I think that it is important to give children choices and give them the opportunity to correct their
behavior.
5. If I were to do it over again I would do the following:
After conversing about the reasons the students were out of centers, I would give them the
opportunity to return to centers to demonstrate that they could be on-task and use an
appropriate voice level. If the students still were on task, I would pull them out for the
remainder of centers, but provide them with the ‘center’ work at an individual table.

Summary:
I have learned quite a lot about classroom discipline through my observations and the
provided vignettes. Overall what I have taken away from this assignment is that it is of utmost
importance to implement a discipline program and plan from the beginning of the school year.
This program needs to be well thought out and the teacher needs to consider how the student
will behave in certain circumstances.

Teachers also need to design a structure that will support these goals and consist of
procedure. These discipline expectations and procedures need to be emphasized during the
first two weeks of school in order to ensure that the remainder of the year runs smoothly. It is
important to implement some moment of disruption structures in line with Kagan’s philosophy.
I also believe that Glasser’s philosophy regarding asking a child to repeat the assignment or
behavior in an acceptable manner rather than scolding them or punishing them is an effective
approach. Like Glasser, I agree with the Wong approach of focusing on the first two weeks to
implement a classroom plan and structure, focusing on behavior and procedure more heavily
than content.