Classroom Management | Nov 11, 2013
Should teachers use collective punishment?
By Angela Watson
Founder and Writer
Should teachers use collective punishment?
By Angela Watson
Alright, that’s it. You guys can’t handle this activity, we’re shutting it down right now. Everybody, clean up. It’s over.”
Chances are, you’ve spoken words like that to your students at some point. You’ve given way too many warnings for the kids to get on task, quiet down, and/or get to work, and the classroom is still too chaotic. There are lots of students who aren’t following the rules, and rather than try to single out which 10 or 15 it is, you issue a consequence to the whole class. Everyone loses the privilege, and everyone suffers the consequences of the bad decisions made by part of the group.
Whole class or collective punishment is despised by students, who inevitably whine, “It’s not faaaaair!” Why should the students who were doing the right thing be punished because other students were not?
I used a lot of whole class consequences as a new teacher because they were the easiest way for me to handle misbehavior. When I was crunched for time and totally overwhelmed, it was so much simpler to just issue a mass consequence for everyone than to try to sort out who was actually in the wrong and address the root of the problem.
Over the years, I started noticing just how devastating group punishments can be to the type of child who wants to please and is determined to follow the rules. I can think of at least one child in every class who cried when recess or a field trip or even just center time was taken away because his or her classmates were disruptive. At the time, I was so focused on stopping the misbehaviors that I just didn’t have the energy to give much thought to the kids who were doing the right thing. I felt bad for them, sure, but on a practical level, what exactly was I supposed to do when I had 10 minutes to ensure every student had mastered a skill and half the class seemed determined to thwart any type of learning?
It was the parent of a sweet little eight-year-old named Morgan who finally made me re-examine my practices. I adored both Morgan and her mother, and we had established a great rapport during the first few weeks of the school year. One morning in September, the mom called me and said Morgan couldn’t sleep the night before. I had taken away a privilege from the entire class (I wish I could remember now what it was) and Morgan was convinced I was mad at her. She was terrified to face me that day in school and couldn’t figure out what she had done wrong. Her mom told me, “I kept insisting to her that she must have broken a rule somehow, that she wouldn’t have lost the privilege if she’d done nothing wrong. I asked her over and over was she SURE she had done what you’d asked, and she was sobbing, saying she knew she had. She laid awake all night long trying to figure out what she’d done wrong.”
I was sitting at my desk during that phone call, totally stressed out and surrounded by stacks of papers that needed to be graded, lessons that needed to be written, and projects that needed to be organized. But everything fell away at that moment and my heart broke a little bit for Morgan. Clearly I hadn’t done a great job communicating to her and the rest of the class why the privilege was taken away. I hadn’t talked about how the whole class needs to work as a team, and when part of the group falters, sometimes they all have to suffer the consequences. Instead, I’d left Morgan–and undoubtedly a few others–wondering how they contributed to the problem and why they deserved to miss out on something fun.
I can’t say I completely stopped using whole class consequences after that day. But you better believe I thought twice before doing it again. I worked a lot harder at building a sense of classroom community and teaching students about the effects their choices had on their classmates. I also made sure I clearly spelled out consequences in advance (“If I have to stop the activity 3 times because it’s too noisy in here, we will all need to clean up early”) instead of blindsiding students by applying a consequence out of anger.
I never came up with an approach to collective punishment that I felt completely comfortable with. And so I thought I’d bring up the topic here. Do you use group punishments with your class? How do you apply consequences or take away privileges in a way that’s manageable for you but fair to all your students?
EDITED FEBRUARY 2020: This article is 7 years old and discussions are no longer being monitored. The comment section is closed.
Angela Watson
Founder and Writer
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Thank you all for your insight. As a parent, I am glad to see your perspective, and I am also glad to hear that most do not agree with it. It kind of seems to me an easy way out instead of addressing the issue at hand because of many different reasons, and understandably so. I was surprised to hear this on Friday afternoon, my son’s class has been punished (writing a 250 words essay of why you need to listen to your teacher) because one child was not quiet in the last few minutes of the last day of the first week, which were all 1/2 days by the way, while playing hangman, with her permission, but they had to be quiet and he wouldn’t stop talking. I am not a happy parent right now, but before I attempt to address this issue I wanted some feedback and I thank you all for sharing. Isn’t 6th grade a bit too old for this type of treatment?
Susan, I commend you for taking the time to research this issue and see both sides before contacting the teacher in anger. Personally, I don’t think collective punishment is the most effective way to address misbehavior, and from the version of the story you have shared here, I think the teacher could have chosen a better way to handle the situation. Writing essays as punishment is an entirely different issue, and I don’t promote that, either (writing is supposed to be fun and/or useful in communicating, not a punishment!)
I think it’s worth addressing this issue with your child’s teacher–ask her to share her version of what happened and why she chose that punishment. Explain how it affected your child and ask how your child can avoid the situation in the future. If you are respectful, this conversation should cause the teacher to examine her practices and think about they affect the students who are not misbehaving.
Angela, your response comes close to the info I am looking for. My daughter’s teacher is new and she is making a habit of collective punishment with a double whammy of taking away recess. This is happening several times a week. I have been talking to my daughter about how we can address this. A pediatrician on another site recommends having the child speak privately to the teacher. I want to point out her bad teaching without saying your starting off all wrong. I want to be encouraging but just not sure how to go about it. Any more suggestions?
Hi Angela,
Here’s a follow up. After reading your reply and thinking about it, I decided to wait a week for meet the teacher night. I am glad I did also, however there were many parents that didn’t, and also administration did get involved. The teacher addressed it and said it would not happen again. I did have my son do the assignment, because it was still an assignment, but I received emails from other parents that said do not do the assignment. I think that was a bid odd and they overstepped boundaries. I see how teachers get their hands tied. This was a lesson for all of us, parents, teachers and students. Thanks for your feedback. You are now on my favorites.
I’m so glad this worked out! Thanks for updating me.
I try to avoid W.G. punishments if I can. HOWEVER, there’s just too many times when it’s hard to single out the offenders vs. the innocent folks. I even tell my kids if someone is talking to you should you talk back to them? No! Because then I’ll look at you and see YOU TALKING! I tell them that if someone is talking to you/ being loud during instruction, ignore them and then if they are the only one talking it’s pretty easy to pinpoint the offender. Similarly I’ve never had ONE KID, even my “innocent” kids who haven’t broken the rules at some point so when they cry it’s “not fair,” I say to them, “So you’ve never been caught talking and goofing off when you’re not supposed to be?” They know it’s not true.
And in a “real life” context, our bosses issue W.G. punishments ALL THE TIME! I’m a teacher who shows up on time (early in fact); stick to a schedule; do my duties, etc., however there are teachers who DON’T, of course. And instead of dealing with those teachers individually, we get annoying passive aggressive emails, newsletters -and worst of all — they take our time with pointless meetings where they need to remind us about the rules and expectations. I sit there, in my kids’ shoes, “It’s not fair. I do my job.” But that’s life! Sadly, one does ruin it for the group!
I wanted to let you know thank you for sharing this post online line because I did share it with a teacher here in Florida and I hope it will make an impact on the way she treats the students in her class. In order to be a great teacher you have to love what you do (your job) working with children. This post did help me to be able to voice my concern with the teacher at sun-n-lake school in Sebring Florida and I just want to say thanks for this post!!!
Thanks for letting me know it was helpful!
Collective punishment is considered a war crime by UN. When teachers use that they are teaching the next generation that this is OK. In effect they are raising the next generation of war criminals. If it is so good how about we punish all teachers for the misconduct of one. Say if one teacher does a bad job then all teachers get a 20% pay cut? How do they like it?
I didn’t realize that about war crimes. I have to say, your points are pretty compelling.
Once again, as I posted earlier in the thread, please quote EXACTLY where in the Geneva Convention where it alludes or specifically speaks of this in the EDUCATIONAL SETTING.
You can not. It does not. Teachers are NOT referring to MURDER and WAR, human cruelty, genocide. It is sadly amusing that the Geneva Convention keeps being brought up. It does not apply and, in fact, has been shot down by court after court in the scholastic setting.
So, Next…
Great article!!!! Any suggestion on addressing collective punishment with my sons teacher? She just last week took away Funday Friday, Pride Break & 5 minutes of recess. The only reason my son knew as to why is bc of talking in the hall. I asked why they lost recess & he doesn’t know. I don’t understand how the punishment works if the students aren’t aware of the offense. I also think it could possibly set up bullying or peer pressure in time. I’d get tired of a few misbehaving students ruining it for the rest of us. My son is a great student who works very hard to maintain good grades & is a pleaser. He doesn’t act up in class & prior to this year has enjoyed school. He had the highest AR score for 4th grade last year. He has started telling us he hates school which is way out of character for him. He’s added school & his teacher to his prayer list bc it’s stressing him so much. I certainly don’t want to make matters worse or cause conflict between the teacher & my son or myself. I know it has to be so hard to maintain control & to teach. I’m just disheartened thinking my son is starting to dred going to school each day. Thank you???? for any helpful hints/advice in discussing this with his teacher in a Christ like manner.
It’s wonderful that you want to approach this conversation with sensitivity and humility. I think that attitude will shine through and help you make your point more clearly. I would share with the teacher exactly what you shared here–that you don’t want to be critical or undermining of her, but your son has said X and done Y. Just state the facts about what effects collective punishment has had on your son, and let that open up the dialogue. I wouldn’t expect the teacher to stop using this approach immediately, as I’m sure it’s ingrained in her, but I am confident that your words will have an effect and cause her to think twice every time she uses collective punishment, and I think she’ll see things your way in time. 🙂