SPS Policy Manual - Saginaw Public Schools

Section 5000 – Human Resources
Appendix C-1
APPENDIX TO SECTION 5000
APPENDIX C
ACCEPTED ALTERNATIVES TO CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
Accepted alternatives to corporal punishment are:
• Involve students in the development of positively stated classroom rules, which
relate to clear educational purposes. Submit these rules to the building Principal
for approval.
• Involve students in the development of consequences for misconduct.
• Post a list of rules in a conspicuous area of the classroom in order to make
students aware of appropriate behavior and the teacher’s expectations.
• Send a letter containing classroom rules to parents/guardians. Request that they
sign the letter and return it to school for confirmation.
• When students act in accordance with classroom rules, provide positive
recognition and implement consequences when a student’s behavior is disruptive.
• Since consequences lose effectiveness when they are too punitive, implement
consequences with patience and avoid punishing every infraction.
• Enforce rules in a pleasant, firm manner, with neither sternness nor anger.
• Use rewards frequently, but intermittently, so that students will be positively
reinforced without expecting a reward each time they behave well.
• Teach appropriate language for youngsters to express their feelings.
• Implement modalities on behavior management such as assertive discipline,
behavior modification, etc.
• Help youngsters see cause and effect relationships between inappropriate
behavior and the need to respect rights of others as per the Michigan Health
Model.
• Implement rights and responsibilities fairly and consistently.
• Establish classroom privileges.
• When students misbehave, classroom privileges may be denied.
• Avoid disrupting the class when implementing consequences for student
misconduct and select private moments to advise a student about his/her
punishment.
• Follow the building’s procedures for dealing with disruptive students relative to
referring these students to the office for due process or to another appropriate
place.
SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF SAGINAW