A current concern of the adult population of the United States is the need for discipline within the school system (Zern, 1989, p. 311). Teachers share this concern for the need for student discipline in the schools. In a survey of teachers conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics (Bobbitt et al., 1991) ranked student discipline and making schools safer, top priorities for school districts. Today, children who have not been taught discipline are at risk for greater trouble than just a trip to the principal's office. The first of the four main factors which contributes to a child becoming delinquent and entering criminal activity is a lack of discipline (Fry et al., 1995, p. 2). It is much easier to teach discipline at a young age than when children reach adolescence. For these reasons it is important that discipline be actively taught in school during the elementary years.
Webster's dictionary defines discipline as:
1: PUNISHMENT 2: INSTRUCTION 3: a subject that is taught: a field of study 4: Training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character 5a: control gained by enforcing obedience or order b: orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior c: SELF-CONTROL 6: a rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity.
The first definition gives the common conception of discipline as punishment. All portions of the definition apply to elementary education. Discipline within the elementary school should be instruction, training, control, obedience, rules, self-control and considered a necessary field of study. The intent and purpose of discipline within the elementary school setting should be to instill self-control and respect for others and themselves within each of the individual students. Self-control is not a heritable trait. It must be taught.
It is important to realize that discipline in school involves more than punishment. It impli...