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Rhetorical analysis (Click to select text)
To Encourage or Punish? Without discipline, there is chaos. Without orderliness, learning cannot occur(Simmons 70). Classroom disruption is being recognized by both conservative politicians and the American Federation of Teachers, as a key problem in schools. More and more teachers are resorting to punishment to solve these problems. Advocates of punishment believe it is a more effective method than encouragement to increase patience in studying. But when is the use of punishment necessary and when is it enough? Critics of punishment believe that when rules are clear and consequences are straight forward, children learn the importance of inner control, as well as the values of trust, respect, and civility(Wolfgang 152). Either way, the question surrounding punishment in schools is: to punish or not to punish? Believers of punishment argue that there are many positive effects of punishment. Directing his argument at parents and teachers Chung-ceng Lin argues that Punishment is a more effective method than encouragement to increase child diligence in studying(Lin 46). Although educators and psychologists persistently support encouragement rather than punishment for childrens education, many teachers and parents often argue punishment is more effective. Again, Lin, an authority in child education, says, Children will be misbehave more if they are rewarded with benefits regardless of their behavior in the classroom. Children will devote more time in studying if both parents and teachers increase their scholastic performance standards to avoid punishment. An educator's right to use corporal or physical punishment has usually been attributed to the notion that when the child is in school, the educator stands in place of the parents. The educator assumes that he has complete control of the situation and the child. The teacher may warn the child first when the child misbehaves. When the child continues to misbehave, the educator may then resort to punishment as a way of stopping the behavior. The role of the teacher is to be one of constant interaction with the child. He or she allows freedom of behaviors up to a certain point. A child who transgresses these acceptable boundaries then comes into conflict with the teacher. The teacher then takes command and jointly forces a solution, whether it be a warning or a physical beating. Punishment has always been one way of discipline in our society. If one is out of line, then that person is to be punished. The same then should go for schools right? ?Punishment is the only method of reconstruction in children. Children have free wills that are hard to break? (Simmons 69). Sometimes scolding and yelling at a child is useless. This is where the use of punishment comes into play. Many countries, other than our own, have much more strict behavior codes for their students. In these countries, if a child is caught not obeying his teacher, the child is removed from the class and not allowed back until the next day. This may sound harsh but in their society, they believe it works. If it works in another society, then are we to question to use of punishment if our own problems could be solved the same way. In contrast, some critics of punishment argue there are more effective ways to discipline a child. They believe that physical punishment is morally wrong and should be done away with in our society. These advocates use more pathos and ethos in their argument, again most likely directed at parents and teachers. According to Haeuser, some of the side effects of corporal punishment include ?loss of self-esteem, repressed anger and resentment, anti-social aggressive behavior, and the learning that it is okay to resolve problems via physical force? (197). If physical punishment causes all of these negative side effects, then why don't they do away with punishment altogether. This is the argument that the critics of corporal punishment perceive. Also, it is worth noting that in the light of these side effects that Galles and Straus found that corporal punishment or ?spanking has no deterrent or value in the home or school (196). Galles and Straus us logos in their arguments backing it with credible facts to persuade the reader. In an interview with Anita Strohl, a former elementary school teacher, she said that I oppose physical punishment in any form and shape. You cannot simply beat good behavior into a child, it must be slowly done in steps throughout the child's life. She expressed emotionally what her thoughts were. She added later that children will be children no matter what. The key is to teach them to respect their elders with time. If punishment really worked we should have no delinquents or criminals. After all, as children, most convicts have been punished and abused frequently. If punishment worked then we should now have a perfect society. We obviously don't and we obviously need to look for other methods(Glasser 107). An alternative to punishment is that of Reality Therapy, as proposed by William Glasser. Glasser is not a believer of teacher?s use of physical control. Isolation is a great alternative to physical punishment. It requires no physical interference with the child. Glasser sees the use of isolation, not for the purposes of punishing a student, but instead, for providing a place for the student to sit quietly and think about a plan for re-entering the classroom. When the student persists in breaking his or her commitment, or refuses to make one, then the student is removed to a place where he or she can begin again. This form of punishment is far better than physical punishment itself. It teaches the child to respect his teacher rather than hate the teacher. Now days, America's youth is toiling its life away on drugs and partying. Many schools are beginning to crack down on this reckless behavior, and not lightly. What we need are teachers who are willing to work with these troubled teens. The answers to our problems are not in the terms of punishment. Instead, we need to deal with them in a constructive way. The argument between physical punishment and non-physical punishment is a controversial issue. On one hand, you have those who truly believe punishment is the only method of reconstruction in children. They describe punishment as the most logical method of discipline. On the other hand, there are those who disregard any form of beating when shaping their child's behavior. Appealing with mainly pathos to reach those who are in doubt of whether or not to use punishment. Whether or not to punish has become a critical issue in today’s educational system. Works Cited Galles, Thomas E, and Greg Straus. “The Negative Side Effects of Retention, Academic Competition, and Punishment.” Education 113 (1993): Lin, Chung-cheng. Why Parents and Teachers May Prefer Punishment to Encouragement for Child Education. Boston: Southern Economic Journal, 1996. Hauser, Robert. Discipline in Schools: a Symposium. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1967. Strohl, Anita. Personal Interview. 30 Jan. 1999. Scottsdale, Arizona. Wolfgang, Charles H., and Carl D. Glickman. Solving Discipline Problems:Strategies for Classroom Teachers. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1980.
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