Teaching Tip of the Week

One method of discipline that has been used down the years is to make children apologize publicly to either the class or a specific child. Here are some guidelines:

• Do not use this method with older children in whom this would cause great embarrassment. The purpose of discipline should never be to embarass.

• Only have the child apologize to the whole class if what he has done has caused the whole class to be disrupted. Otherwise have the child apologize to the child(ren) who have been affected.

• Don’t let the child get away with just a flippant, insincere “Sorry.” He should at least sound like he means it and face the child he is talking to. (A handshake doesn’t hurt either.)