Detention

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Classroom Discipline Chatboard

Detention

by Tracy A.

Feb 22, 2011

I teach high school students and I struggle to see them sit and stare at a clock during a detention. I try to talk with the student about how the situation which earned them a detention could be handled differently, but after that a lot of the time was wasted. Thus, I offer my students half time detention time. If they work on something academic (read, homework, etc) they can serve 15 minutes instead of 30. I would rather have them working for 15 than sitting there doing nothing for 30. Feedback? Other suggestions? I do not want to give them an easy way out, but I also do not want to sit there for 30 minutes watching them waste time.

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Ish I like what you are talking about. I use something called the agreement bridge with kids who have been sent to dentention or referrals. It's a nice tool to use with those kids and the respect piece is huge on both parts.

On 2/24/11, D. McCarty wrote: > I think that is great that some of you take the time through > conversation of wri...See MoreI like what you are talking about. I use something called the agreement bridge with kids who have been sent to dentention or referrals. It's a nice tool to use with those kids and the respect piece is huge on both parts.

On 2/24/11, D. McCarty wrote: > I think that is great that some of you take the time through > conversation of writing to have the students relect on the > behavior that lead them to the detention. > > Cody, I think you hit on an important piece to the puzzle in > regards to the attitudes supervising teachers bring to the > detention. These teachers need to see this as an opportunity to > make a difference with these kids to make sure they don't end up > in detention again. > > How can we make the other teachers that serve detention > supervision realize this opportunity? > > > > > On 2/22/11, Cody C. wrote: >> Tracy- >> The school I work at does detention duty on a rotational >> schedule and I truly look forward to it every time. Most >> teachers just sit and make the students stare at the clock, >> but I always take the thirty minutes to hold a conversation >> with those serving discussing why they are there, what they >> can do differently next time, how it feels to "get in >> trouble", etc. Every time I have done this, I have had at >> least one of the students seek me out at a leter date to tell >> me they have been working on their behavior or that they are >> usually not in detention for misbehavior but they were having >> an off day. I think that is a success. >> >> On 2/22/11, Tracy A. wrote: >>> I teach high school students and I struggle to see them sit >>> and stare at a clock during a detention. I try to talk with >>> the student about how the situation which earned them a >>> detention could be handled differently, but after that a lot >>> of the time was wasted. Thus, I offer my students half time >>> detention time. If they work on something academic (read, >>> homework, etc) they can serve 15 minutes instead of 30. I >>> would rather have them working for 15 than sitting there >>> doing nothing for 30. Feedback? Other suggestions? I do not >>> want to give them an easy way out, but I also do not want to >>> sit there for 30 minutes watching them waste time.

Feb 24, 2011

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How I Saw It End Once In a school in Texas (which I won't name), a kid was kept after once and the parent came in looking for him. When they were told the kid was in "detention", they looked angry and left. A week later, the kid was told he was being held again and he handed the teacher an envelope with a Judges name in the "return" area. The teacher went to the office ...See More

Mar 2, 2011

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Steve On 2/22/11, Tracy A. wrote: > I teach high school students and I struggle to see them sit > and stare at a clock during a detention. I try to talk with > the student about how the situation which earned them a > detention could be handled differently, but after that a lot > of the time was wasted. Thus, I offer my students half time ...See MoreOn 2/22/11, Tracy A. wrote: > I teach high school students and I struggle to see them sit > and stare at a clock during a detention. I try to talk with > the student about how the situation which earned them a > detention could be handled differently, but after that a lot > of the time was wasted. Thus, I offer my students half time > detention time. If they work on something academic (read, > homework, etc) they can serve 15 minutes instead of 30. I > would rather have them working for 15 than sitting there > doing nothing for 30. Feedback? Other suggestions? I do not > want to give them an easy way out, but I also do not want to > sit there for 30 minutes watching them waste time.

It can start with understanding what the point of detention is - our school stopped doing it when we finally recognized that it didn't work. Why were we as faculty spending our time there when it was mostly the same kids in detention over and over again? The only faculty that argued against ending detention as a practice were those who believed in detention as pure punishment rather than those who hoped it would modify or change the behavior of students. So now those faculty who believe in punishment vs. behavior modification are free to hold their own private detentions if they want but I had no interest in spending my afterschool hours watching the same kids over and over again. Regardless of whether they were working or staring at the clock but I applaud your interest in having them do something. I never was clever enough to think of 'time off for good behavior' but it is a time-honored practice in our prisons - why not in detention? School purports to be a place to prepare for the real world and there is 'time off for good behavior' in the real world. And how is 'good behavior' an easy way out?? Good behavior is exactly what is hard for these kids. Indeed, your idea should really be titled "Time Off for Productive Behavior" - that's even better than just 'good behavior.' You should be an administrator - we need clever thinking, forward thinking, positive solution thinking people running our schools.

Mar 3, 2011

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Tracy A. Steve, Thanks for your response and the reinforcement. I have thought about administration, but I love the classroom and the constant interactions with students. Who knows where things will take me...only time will tell. On the other hand, I have taken on the role as our PBIS coach for the middle/high school. This has been very rewarding as we focu...See MoreSteve, Thanks for your response and the reinforcement. I have thought about administration, but I love the classroom and the constant interactions with students. Who knows where things will take me...only time will tell. On the other hand, I have taken on the role as our PBIS coach for the middle/high school. This has been very rewarding as we focus on that 10% who need further interventions while rewarding the positive behaviors as well. Have a good day!

On 3/03/11, Steve wrote: > On 2/22/11, Tracy A. wrote: >> I teach high school students and I struggle to see them sit >> and stare at a clock during a detention. I try to talk with >> the student about how the situation which earned them a >> detention could be handled differently, but after that a lot >> of the time was wasted. Thus, I offer my students half time >> detention time. If they work on something academic (read, >> homework, etc) they can serve 15 minutes instead of 30. I >> would rather have them working for 15 than sitting there >> doing nothing for 30. Feedback? Other suggestions? I do not >> want to give them an easy way out, but I also do not want to >> sit there for 30 minutes watching them waste time. > > It can start with understanding what the point of detention is > - our school stopped doing it when we finally recognized that > it didn't work. Why were we as faculty spending our time there > when it was mostly the same kids in detention over and over > again? The only faculty that argued against ending detention as > a practice were those who believed in detention as pure > punishment rather than those who hoped it would modify or > change the behavior of students. So now those faculty who > believe in punishment vs. behavior modification are free to > hold their own private detentions if they want but I had no > interest in spending my afterschool hours watching the same > kids over and over again. > Regardless of whether they were working or staring at the clock > but I applaud your interest in having them do something. I > never was clever enough to think of 'time off for good > behavior' but it is a time-honored practice in our prisons - > why not in detention? School purports to be a place to prepare > for the real world and there is 'time off for good behavior' in > the real world. > And how is 'good behavior' an easy way out?? Good behavior is > exactly what is hard for these kids. Indeed, your idea should > really be titled "Time Off for Productive Behavior" - that's > even better than just 'good behavior.' > You should be an administrator - we need clever thinking, > forward thinking, positive solution thinking people running our > schools.

Mar 3, 2011

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Ben You give them a detention and then openly feel guilty about it? Not good!

I used to give out detentions, then I stopped, because: 1. The Dean of Students was a pissed-off, depressed, and mean- spirited guy, and he had the job of monitoring the detentions. I didn't want to give him fodder to think he was picking up after my bad classroom ma...See More

May 30, 2011

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