Key Ideas Discipline must be a tool for moral growth, helping students to develop self-control and a generalized respect for others. Research shows that emphasis on external incentives undermines intrinsic motivation. Consequences of rule-breaking should contribute to character development, helping students understand why the rule is needed and increasing their feeling of moral obligation to respect it. The teacher is the central moral authority in the classroom, responsible for students' moral and academic learning, safety, and general welfare. While exercising authority, however, the teacher can invite students to share responsibility for classroom order.
Students also benefit from helping to create at least some of the consequences of rule-breaking.
The teacher can guide students to see that good consequences do not have the purpose of making someone suffer but are designed to help them gain control over their behavior so they can participate effectively in the group .