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Discipline

Articles

The word discipline is derived from the Latin root disciplina, meaning “learning.” It needs to be associated positively with acts and feats of learning rather than negatively with punishment. Teaching discipline requires two fundamental elements: empathy and structure. Empathy helps us to ‘know’ children, to perceive their needs, to hear what they are trying to say. Structure allows us to set guidelines and provide necessary limits. Effective, caring discipline requires both empathy and structure.”

–from Teaching Children to Care

You can find our latest articles on discipline below.

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Classroom Management & Discipline Discipline

3 Practices That Support Positive Classroom Discipline

After the first few weeks of school, as students become more familiar with the rhythms and routines of the classroom, they often grow more comfortable in their learning environment. That ...

Elementary School School Leaders and Administration Whole School

Schwenksville Elementary: An Impactful First Year with the Responsive Classroom Approach

Location: Collegeville, PA Type of school: Public elementary school Grade levels: K–5 Number of students: 473 A Responsive Classroom school since: 2024 In the 2024–2025 school year, Schwenksville Elementary had ...

Positive Community SEL Skills

Teaching Skills for Life With C.A.R.E.S.

At the heart of the Responsive Classroom approach is a core belief: In order to thrive in and out of school, students need to develop key social and behavioral skills. ...