Before I begin, I feel it only fair to tell you that my playing by the rules is dependent upon who makes the rules. I follow rules completely, and I expect others to as well. But rules… not so much. The difference? Rules are decided by those properly placed in authority and are intended for my benefit and the benefit of those around me. Rules, on the other hand, are the set of parameters within which I must function to be considered “in” by the group of people in which I am associating. I occasionally follow those. I stay within the parameters with hygiene and appropriate behavior and such. Instead of the stock standard principal’s suit and low-heeled pumps, though, you’re more likely to find me in colored jeans and Chucks. (That’s Converse… to date I have 76 pair.)
I am not a real “joiner.” I was never the sorority type, and I only join associations for the sake of students who want to compete. If I don’t join, then I have one less set of rules by which to be bound, right? And, one less group of people to make mad when I ignore their rules!
Nevertheless, I do abide by the rules of the “organizations” in which I am involved. Those organizations include my family, my work, my city, state, and nation, and my religion. All of these work more smoothly when its members follow the rules.
As a principal, I am in charge of making and enforcing rules every day. The one thing I have learned is that consistency is the key. At the secondary level, we rarely have major discipline problems. The stakes are just too high. Those who disobey face extra-curricular restriction, suspension, or loss of privileges to travel with us for out-of-town events. The students also understand the goal: making them the most marketable to colleges and, later, to employers.
At the elementary level, though, the consequences are not quite as tough because of their ages, and I find myself disciplining a whole lot more than I would like. I am in constant search of the consequence that they DO mind. It’s like 50 First Dates, with students returning the next day with no memory of the consequences of yesterday!
I am old enough to have been teaching during the days of paddling. I had one principal who utilized spanking especially well. It was a last resort, but when it came, it did hurt. Consequently, no one got it twice. Rarely were more than four kids spanked a year, and we had a great school of children who got to the business of learning because rules were followed.
It’s a different day now, though, and spanking as a method of discipline in the schools does not work. The negative press on spanking outweighs the seriousness of the disobedience, and all is lost. So, I continue to search for the perfect discipline to ensure that teachers can teach and students can learn without the interruption of rule-breakers… if there is such a thing.
It’s worth noting, however, that I am a rule follower in one area: my rules. I don’t take medication till it’s absolutely necessary, I don’t go to parties at which I am going to be asked to buy something, and I don’t let students sell products door-to-door to raise funds at school. Even my wearing of Converse is somewhat a rule I am finding hard to break. I began wearing them to have something to identify with the kids. Hey, check out my Chucks! They glow in the dark! As my feet age, I find that the support is not so great, and I really should move to something more my age... but I have 76 pair! And I bought them for a reason! I need to recognize my rule for what it is: a set of parameters imposed by me… and thereby, break-able by me.
- Michelle