Maintaining Classroom Discipline by using Democratic Methods

Practicing Democracy in the Classroom (1953). Points out that democratic techniques are more effective in teaching good citizenship than laissez-faire and authoritarian methods. This educator instruction film advocates the use of democratic prinicples within the classroom. Even today, so many classrooms based around teacher centered, autocratic methodologies, this is a timely message. This film displays many practices that are at the heart of progressive educational thought: student centered learning, authentic tasks, collaborative work, authentic assessment. This is all couched in the framework of bolstering democracy, which ironically it does, by promoting an independantly thinking citizen that tries to gather facts and reason, rather than relying on talking head demagogues. Producer: Educational Film Service. Creative Commons license: Public Domain.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• maintaining
• classroom
• discipline
• schools
• school
• education
• teachers
• teacher
• students
• student
• class
• disciplining
• behavior

[yvelleyzelle]

Too bad democratic schools aren't the norm today. Maybe one day in the future.

[Dystral]

Pretty advanced approach that still is not implemented to the degree it should be. Say KAGAN strategies....

[EyeLean5280]

Okay, yes. It;s propaganda. That doesn't make it untruthful. One can strive to propagate truth. Really, is anyone going to argue that it is a *bad* idea to engage students in a democratic approach to their education?

These classroom methods seem to be on the brink of a comeback. The teacher education texts are singing its praises these days. I would like to try them in my own social studies classroom, but I don't have tenure yet and am afraid to get out of step with the school's usual approach.

[number098]

@gabsylv, my own country's propaganda? What the hell are you talking about? I live in the USA and was attacking the antiquated propaganda of this country's past.

[gabsylv]

@number098 --you need to account for your own country's propoganda before you attack other (American) propoganda

[number098]

propaganda in cornball Amerikkka

[mpmcd81]

Wow, those are some big ears!

Outstanding video.

[wanderingmenstruals]

I don't know. I think that parent is right: they are using a lot of class time to do the democratic process.

[Stereolabdream]

"They are learning that through social ostracisation and exploitation of populist views, it is easy to enforce autocracy under the pretence of woolly democracy"

[Archbishop87]

That Harold kid sounds like a commie! There's no place for pinkos like that in an upstanding democratic classroom!