Using Assigned Detentions to Your Advantage

Detention.  Nobody likes to stay after school, especially teachers.  However, if you want your kids to be managed and discipline, you staying after to school to babysit manage and help your students is a necessity.

Most teachers have heard of the disciplinary practice.  Just to clarify, detention is not a management skill, but a consequence. 

So many things to say about detentions...

Why are detentions given? Usually for misbehavior in the classroom of a sort.  Sometimes for missing school work and homework.  Sometimes for unexcused tardies.

Is it possible for detention to get too excessive?  And what about your veteran detainees?  Those kids who are ALWAYS in detention and they don't mind? 

I am going to write a few ideas for detentions.  I haven't been a HUGE fan with detentions myself.  My second year teaching, we could get up 30 7th graders in detention.  That's a huge number.  And about half of that number were some of our veterans.  So, while detention is a tool to use in enforcing rules, expectations and management, it is NOT the answer for everything. 


1)  What types of behavior do you assign detentions for? 

Personally, I believe that you need to sit yourself down and maybe some of same grade level teachers as yourself, and go ahead and set some parameters for giving detentions.  Some teachers, because of being what I like to say "frazzled" at times, will look for the easiest consequence possible for students, and will start assigning detentions for the tiniest infractions (chewing gum, not raising hand when answering questions, getting out of seat without permission).  Your students are going to resent you if you start doing that.  When your students start resenting you, they will disrespect you even more. 

Some reasons why you may assign detentions:
-After a certain number of tardies (I'd say 3 or 5)
-Excessive amount of homework or school work missing (start early with the missing assignments, 2-3)
-Repeat infractions---you'd have to keep a log of some sort for this.  But this is for students, that no matter how many times you tell them and ask them to stop, and they don't, then detentions are the next step.  Now, I said above that gum chewing, and shouting out in class, and getting out of their seat without permission were not detention worthy--- but that's when it's a one time offense.  You're not going to tell your student, "Hey, you're chewing gum.  Here's a detention slip."  Instead, you'd say "Hey, this is the 5th time I've caught you chewing gum in my class.  What happens next?  (Insert hand holding detention slip with students name in big letters with hearts surrounding it)" 
-Minor disrespect and defiance-- I am not talking about full blown defiance OR talking (yelling back). Those are offenses that require a more immediate disciplinary action (referral and parent conference) I'm talking about the quiet murmuring a student might have.  And when I meant disrespect, I mean disrespect toward you (teacher) and classmates.

Scenario:  A student gets an assignment that they don't like.  They proceed to whisper to their partner "This is so stupid.  I'm not doing it".  This type of talk will sow mutiny, and you, the teacher happen to hear it.  You head over to the student that started the murmuring.  The entire class is watching you, and wants to see how you respond.  If you ignore the student, the rest of the class will think it's OKAY not to do their assignment (except for the cute little over achievers that will do it anyway).  You say to the student, "I'm so sad you don't like the assignment.  But you still have to do it.  If I come back and you haven't finished (said amount that you decide based on assignment ), then I'm afraid you'll have to do it for me after school (detention)." 


2) Assigning the Detentions-  How do you assign them?

First thing---parents need to be informed of where their children are after school.  It's a good idea to call parents when you assign detentions anyway.  Parents need to understand that detention is NOT a good thing. And a lot of times with middle school aged kids, the detention slips that you may give them, surprisingly, find their way into the trash instead of the parent's hands.

Second---inform the office of the students that are in your classroom after school for detention.  This shouldn't be considered just a courtesy, but essential so that the office staff will know where those students are in case their parents come and look for them. 

Third---When you assign the detention, tell the parents AND the students that if the behavior escalates, there will have to be a next step (I like the idea of a parent/teacher conference). 

Fourth---Also tell your students and parents that there will be a consequence if the student is truant from (skips) detention.  In our school and grade level, if students missed one detention, they were assigned two more---1 for the day they missed and another for skipping that day.  This doesn't work with all students--- you need to figure out what will work best for you.  Have a detention cap (after 3-5 missed detentions) that will decide the next consequence, whether it's a referral or a parent conference. 

Fifth--- Don't sound resigned and unsurprised when you assign a student detention.  I think all teachers need to remember that we need to hold our students to high standards, and we should show genuine care, concern and disappointment when they don't fulfill those expectations.  After all, the first key to a well managed class is a good rapport with your students.

3) What should detention be like? 

So many people will argue with me on this one.  But, it's important that you decide what you want your students to be doing in detention.  I'd like to think of detention as something you can do as a logical consequence.  Whatever you do, you DON'T WANT YOUR STUDENTS TO ENJOY IT!  Seriously, I'd have students ASK me if they could come to detention (who does that?). 

If you babysit watch only students that you assigned detentions to, then you know why they're there.  So, try to make detention a LOGICAL CONSEQUENCE.  So, say you have all students that are there because of missing work, make it a logical consequence and tell them they have to do make up work while they're in detention.  If the all students present are your excessive gum chewers, make them clean up the room or even scrape gum.  For those students that are the excessive standers or hand raisers, make them do SOMETHING BESIDES STARE AT THE WALL.  Maybe clean up the room, maybe do homework.  Just make them do something.  Most students are totally okay with sitting and zoning out---they do it in school anyway. 

I personally hate the idea of detention just being a place where students just sit and stare at walls.  It doesn't benefit them in anyway at all.  If you can't think of a logical consequence, or there are too many different reasons for detention students there, have them all do work (independently) or clean.  Don't just let them sit and laugh quietly with their friends. 

If students are hard to control, or are refusing to work or do what you've asked them to, don't let them get away with it.  That is a way for detention to become a "cool hang out spot" and an ineffective consequence.  You need to come up with a time frame anyway to keep your kids, so point to the clock and start writing names when students start acting up.  Tell them, "If I write your name down, you have a few more minutes of fun time with me today.  You're so lucky".  (No lie, I would totally say it like that too.  Totally creeped the Sevvies out.  *evil laugh*) 

Call parents if you plan on doing that so they'll know that you're planning on and they'll be able to adjust their pick up time accordingly. 

4)  Do Not Assign Detentions for these Behaviors
Defiance--absolutely refusing to do something after you ask nicely.  Give them a warning, and if they are still defying you, then call somebody at the office to collect your prodigal student.  You don't have the time to deal with it, and you shouldn't have to. 
Disrespect--when disrespect escalates to verbal or physical abuse.  (A student cusses you out or tries hurting you).  If a student starts throwing things or gets violent toward you or anybody else, get the rest of your class our of the classroom and you need to call the office to come and get the student as soon as possible. 
Fighting---Students fighting, even play fighting, is not something that should be tolerated in the least, especially with only a detention. 
Ditching class---Doesn't matter to me whether the students ditch one class or all classes, and even at school when they're ditching, that should be something that the office deals with, not you. 

I didn't forget anything, did I?

***Remember that these are my personal opinions and they are here to help you.  You will need to adjust and adapt.  We teachers are excellent at that.  Do what will work best for you and more importantly, your students.