Cultivating autonomy as a discipline strategy in the classroom

An IATEFL monthly webinar presented by Zahra Zuhair

Punishment has universally been associated with shame, hurt, guilt and fear. It has been a part of mainstream education and schooling for too long now! The brain of a child does not respond positively to punishment, and the long-term consequences of punishment make for an adult that is lacking in emotion regulation, intrinsic motivation, self-worth, self-control and self-direction.
These in turn affect the personal and professional relationships of the individual, both as a child and as an adult. So, what can we adopt instead of this conventional approach to bad behavior. i.e. punishments? Taking from The Gentle Parenting Approach, which seeks to raise children to be successful adults, this presentation aims to explore the rationale behind cultivating autonomy, by adopting various strategies, such as using natural consequence, the right kind of praise, etc. as a means to long-term discipline as opposed to a shorter term one motivated by fear and shame. The presentation also aims to highlight various strategies teachers can adopt in line with this approach to classroom management.

PRESENTER:

Zahra Zuhair An ESL teacher (DELTA) since 2014, and a graduate of International Relations (MA) from the University of Leicester, Zahra is currently Teaching Center Coordinator at the British Council, Bahrain. Her professional development includes Learning Design, Action Research, training and mentoring, material and syllabus design, and online publications on various topics including Literacy Teaching and Cultural Diversity in lessons. During her time as a teacher, Zahra has done a lot of action research on various subjects related to teaching. Her current studies are in curriculum development for lower levels in ELT, and the use of the principles of Gentle Discipline as a long-term strategy for classroom management. She is currently training to be a TYLEC tutor.

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