THEORIES OF ASSERTIVE TACTICS (LEE CANTER AND MARLENE CANTER)

OVERVIEW OF THIS THEORY

1. Students have clear rights and needs that must be met if they are to be taught effectively. 2. A good discipline plan, based on trust and respect, is necessary for helping students limit their counterproductive behavior. 3. Teacher should practice positive repetitions. 4. Students should enjoy positive support when they behave acceptably. 5. Teachers are most effective when they use a proactive, rather than a reactive, approach to discipline.

EFFECTIVENESS IN CURBING INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR

PAULINE LOK

CONSISTENCY
Teach acceptable behavior through modeling, explanation, and practice. The most important classroom rule is Follow directions. Teacher has to identify students routine procedure and academic activity before determine the specific directions that students need.
When teachers give students clear expectations and consistent followthrough, most students choose appropriate behavior. (Canter,1974; Canter & Canter, 1976, 1992) Teacher should always practice positive repetitions by praising the students who managed to comply with class rules. Eg: Siti remembered to raise her hand. Good job.

REWARDS AND CONSEQUENCES

Rewards/ positive recognition Should be used frequently- increase self-esteem, encourage good behavior, and build a positive classroom Consequences/ corrective actions This applied when students interfere with other students right to learn. Canters stress that it is not severity that makes corrective actions effective, but rather the teachers consistency in applying them.
We fail our students when we allow them to disrupt or misbehave without showing we care enough to limit their unacceptable behavior.

POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Striking a balance between structure and caring Canters suggests that in order for students to choose appropriate behavior and cooperate with the teacher, they need to know that the teacher is concern about them personallypersonal lives and their success in school
Trust as an element of discipline Good discipline grows out of mutual trust and respect. (Canter, 1996) Teacher has to model the trust and respect that they expect to see in their students. The success of assertive discipline depends on first establishing rapport with students. (Canter, 1996) If the relationship between the students and teacher is good, then there are possibilities for learning and cooperation.

WAYS TO PROMOTE GOOD RAPPORT WITH STUDENTS:

Making clear establishment of the teachers expectations at the very beginning of the year. Teacher ought to have positive expectations for all the students despite the differences in term of their skill level or ability.
Encourage all the students to participate in the classroom activities. Give at least 5 seconds for response from students and prompt them if they are unable to answer the question. Other activities for developing a positive rapport with students proposed by Jones & Jone (1986): Eating lunch with students Sending letters and notes to students Employing a suggestion box Participate in student games

EFFECTIVENESS IN IMPROVING LONGTERM BEHAVIOUR

MUHAMMAD ZAHIN SAFWAN

PRINCIPALS AND CHARACTERISTICS.

Assertive tactics can improve long-term behavior through its principals and benefits of :
Assertive teachers are clear, consistent and confident with discipline and apply rules/procedures in a manner that encourages students to behave manner. (eg: saying 'Pay attention' is not assertive

in an acceptable

enough to be effective. Better to say. 'I want you all to stop what you're
doing, to look at me, and to listen in silence while I explain this important point to you.)

 Negative consequences will becoming more serious if

the

negative

behavior

continues.

"discipline

hierarchy - according to Canter : First Infraction : Warning Second : Student is given a ten-minute time out. Third : Student is given a fifteen-minute time out. Fourth : Student's parents are called.

* There is trust and believe between the teacher and students in term of words

and actions. ( mutual respect )

<eg: when students break the rule, teacher will punish them. Same thing happen when a teacher promise to give them rewards if they behave> * Has a discipline plan that clearly outlines expectations as well as positive and negative consequences.

<eg: Do not talking or make noise while teacher is teaching in front of the class or else you have to be the first person to come out in front and present your answer> * Students know that they have rights and that they will be respected.
<eg: Teacher acknowledge/reward a student for their act or behavior and not for who they are.

Applying the theory to improve long-term behavior.

Providing an Optimal Learning Environment.

* Encouraging students to collaborate, work as teams, and trust each other. (eg: doing group works or pair works and at the same time following the rules will instill good moral value such as friendship, honest, and tolerance) * Providing a safe learning environment where students feel comfortable to voice out their opinions.(eg: Teacher explains with relevant and concrete reasons, when the students ask why they are punished. * Establishing common learning and behavior goals toward which students and teachers

Effectiveness and implications

* Helps to build relationships with students and create understanding of expectations. Increases students self-esteem and confident by giving them right to behave . Will motivate students to behave appropriately by following the rules planned. Students feel responsible towards teacher as they have mutual respect and will avoid misbehavior as well as provide desired behavior.

By following to the set of rules within a certain period, the desired behavior will most likely be a habit in the students attitude.
Providing negative and positive consequences will ensure a good classroom management in short-term period while it improves students attitude in a long-term period as the attitude becomes their daily routine.

IMPLICATION ON LEARNING AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT IN PRIMARY ENGLISH

WILLIAM OOI

ESTABLISH A DISCIPLINE PLAN

Introduce it at the beginning of the school year. Consists of rules, positive recognition, and consequences. (Tuckman & Monetti, 2012)

Understood and supported by students and their parents.

Example of discipline plan proposed by Canters:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Explain why rules are needed. Teach the specific rules. Check for understanding. Explain how you will reward students who follow rules. Explain why there are corrective actions for breaking rules. Teach the corrective actions and how they are applied. Check again for understanding.

RULES
oShould be observable, not vague.
For example, Do not talk while the teacher is teaching rather than Respect the teacher when he/she is teaching.

oShould be limited in number. oShould be enforced all the time. oBe consistent when enforcing the rules, and while reprimanding the students.

VERBAL RECOGNITION
Lee and Marlene Canter said that verbal recognition is the most effective technique for encouraging responsible behaviour. (Charles & Senter, 2005) Effective verbal recognition should be: Personal. Mention the students name and the desired behaviour. Genuine and sincere. Related to situation and behaviour, delivered in a convincing manner. Descriptive and specific. Students know when and why they behaved appropriately. Age appropriate. Older students usually prefer to receive it privately, younger ones prefer publicly.

POSITIVE REPETITION
Use positive repetition.
Focus on the students who behaved appropriately, not on those who did not. Rephrase directions into positive comments while praising students. For example, Good job, Pauline. You went back to your seat quickly and quietly,

CORRECTIVE ACTIONS/ CONSEQUENCES

Should not be physically and/or psychologically harmful to the students. Use a discipline hierarchy.
For example, a student is talking while the teacher is teaching.
First offence: A verbal warning from the teacher. Second and third offence: Time-Out, 5 and 10 minutes respectively, at a corner of the classroom. Fourth offence: A call to the parents. Fifth offence: A trip to the headmaster/headmistress office. Severe clause: Reserved for severe misbehaviour, such as fighting, on the first offence. Teacher sends the student to the headmaster/headmistress office.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Charles, C. M., & Senter, G. W. (2005). Lee and Marlene Canter's Assertive Discipline. Building classroom discipline (8th ed., pp. 37-52). Boston: Pearson/A & B. Tuckman, B. W., & Monetti, D. M. (2011). Effective Learning Communities. Educational psychology (pp. 466-468). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. Manning, M., & T.Bucher, K. (2007). Classroom Management Models, Applications, and Cases Second Edition (pp. 46-61). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Incs.