Detention ideas?

[MIldred]

Our seventh grade is having a field day to celebrate end of school. Only those students who have not had significant discipline problems or have passed their classes will be allowed to join in the festivities.

I drew the lot to take the detention room for those not invited. I've always avoided detention, because treating school as a punishment goes against the grain of how I approach students.

So, I'm looking for a way to pass four hours with students who don't do well in school. They will defintely be working, but I want to find activities that will bring them closer to the process, not push them further away.

Some of the teachers, hearing me voice my intentions, have objected, saying they want the kids to suffer. Well, I won't do that. Any ideas?

[Unregistered]

Our seventh grade is having a field day to celebrate end of school. Only those students who have not had significant discipline problems or have passed their classes will be allowed to join in the festivities.

I drew the lot to take the detention room for those not invited. I've always avoided detention, because treating school as a punishment goes against the grain of how I approach students.

So, I'm looking for a way to pass four hours with students who don't do well in school. They will defintely be working, but I want to find activities that will bring them closer to the process, not push them further away.

Some of the teachers, hearing me voice my intentions, have objected, saying they want the kids to suffer. Well, I won't do that. Any ideas?

Print puzzles. Sudoku is engaging and soothing and addictive. Missing out on the festivities is their punishment. I think they get the point.

[Unregistered]

can you do anything with clay? Measure it, squeeze it, weigh it, shape it
or paper mache could be some kind of lesson. Art can really be a good thing. Collages on a particular theme maybe? I really appreciate your attitude. REALLY, what kind of person wants a kid to suffer?

[Unregistered]

What about having them create a boardgame? Two or three students could work together cooperatively using poster board and a current topic being studied from science, math, social studies....etc. It should have "question cards" with facts that must be answered correctly to advance, as well as "chance" cards that allow them to move foward or send them back. Kids are usually quite creative and love making the boards as well as creating the tokens for moving around it. Depending on the number of students you have, once they finish their game, which must also have the rules of play written out, they can exchange games and play each others. This is a project I've used at the end of the year in various subjects and grade levels from 5-8 with success. I provide crayons, colored pencils, markers, sissors, glue sticks, and poster board. They supply the creativity and learn while doing it. Hope this helps.

[Unregistered]

I love the board game idea.

Read some children's literature to them.

Have them set and write about their goals for next year, have them address an envelope and ask the school to mail their list to their house in the fall as a reminder.

Have them create a wish list for high school.

Go to the computer lab and search for educational games they can play on-line.(not bored.com!) Have them help you create a list that can be used next year by students.
www.aplusmath.com is a great site for learning

Teach them a new card game(maybe math war)

Take some Circuit City Ads and have them go on a 10,000 shopping spree.
Ask them what they would buy for their school to make it a better place.

Good luck!

[Unregistered]

Those are some great ideas, folks!

I'd say go with your own stregnths. Being a Language Arts teacher, I used a lesson based on this web site titled "I Hate School".http://learninfreedom.org/Nobel_hates_school.html.

I'd start by having the students brainstorm about why they think their teachers feel they should be on detention instead of participating with the other students. Chances are, the majority of them aren't feeling too good about school right this minute.

What happened to them between the 3rd grade and now? After each student has written down some ideas, we share our thoughts. Then, I break out the opinions of some Nobel Prize Winners who also felt unsuccessful in school.

Then I have them write an essay using their chosen Nobel Prize Winner and their own experience to write to their teachers telling how they, and (or) the system should improve.

The kids wind up having a good time brainstorming, writing,and sharing. Those who just can't write are given the option of illustrating some of the ideas of the class.

Well, it works for me!

[Unregistered]

Those are some great ideas, folks!

I'd say go with your own stregnths. Being a Language Arts teacher, I used a lesson based on this web site titled "I Hate School".http://learninfreedom.org/Nobel_hates_school.html.

I'd start by having the students brainstorm about why they think their teachers feel they should be on detention instead of participating with the other students. Chances are, the majority of them aren't feeling too good about school right this minute.

What happened to them between the 3rd grade and now? After each student has written down some ideas, we share our thoughts. Then, I break out the opinions of some Nobel Prize Winners who also felt unsuccessful in school.

Then I have them write an essay using their chosen Nobel Prize Winner and their own experience to write to their teachers telling how they, and (or) the system should improve.

The kids wind up having a good time brainstorming, writing,and sharing. Those who just can't write are given the option of illustrating some of the ideas of the class.

Well, it works for me!

but hey wat are you ganna do

[hihi_slutz]

it is not very fair for students not to be able to go to the trip but then again i see where yur coming from.... if it where my problem i would create a video game or sumthing where they have to answer certain questions nd if they get them right they get to choose whatgame they want to play for 5 minutes nd if they get it wrong they have 5 minutes of a game taken away nd 5 minutes of a lesson on that subject.

[Unregistered]

Hey everybody.

I think you all did a great job with the Ideas for the detention kids. I don't have very many ideas but I think it is great that you don't like to go the detention route. I you do go at the detention route, and you go at it hard, kids won't like your class, therefore, there grades will plumit and you would need more supervision in the detention room than the classroom. I don't think that is right. I really like sudoko puzzle idea. They are really addictive and fun.

I also have a few disipline ideas for next year. This may sound like kindergarten level, but just go with me on this one. I haven't tried it but I think that maybe in a corner in the back of the classroom, you could set up a desk and put some playdough or a couple of stress balls, and maybe something fun like madlibs or something like that. Then, when a child gets mad, you could send them back there for 5 or 10 minutes so they can calm themselves down and the class isn't interrupted as much. The playdough and stress balls would calm them and the short game would get the problem off their mind. I might try it. If somebody gets mad, I would just say "Take 5" or whatever the right amount of time might be.

Sincerely,
Miss Idea

[Unregistered]

I'm open to as many ideas as anyone can throw at me, but don't you feel that games and activities are more of an attraction than a deterrent?
If students know that they will be playing Sudoku, then when they are pushing the limits with their teacher, they won't desist when threatened with detention.

Detention CAN be there without being used. Right? Oz.

[Chocolate_New_Orleans]

your co-workers are right, detention shouldn't be fun, it should be punishment for not doing what they were supposed to and now you want to make them like it?

Good luck with that :rolleyes: I'm sure those 4 hours are going to be very successful for you :rolleyes:

[Unregistered]

I agree. Detention isn't for games, movies or entertainment. Supervised, timed drink breaks are the only "recreation and amusement" that they should have. The rest of the time should be spent on reflecting on their offense with writing (making sure there is a concrete connection between what they did and why they are in there in the first place), and the rest, (goes without saying) schoolwork.

We had a teacher supervising detention (fourth graders)one year who brought them PIZZA! The kids who followed the rules and were no behavior problems had to sit and eat the school lunch (mystery meat and library paste mashed potatoes). What is wrong with that picture?

[StuTeacher23]

Well, they could clean the classroom.

Wash the Desks
Organize The Computers
Come up with a new desk arrangement?
For the sudoku puzzles:
Print them for free and play them online at
http://www.websudoku.com/SIMPLE BUT TIME PASSING STUFF.......Hope it helps! :)

[Unregistered]

Last year, I taught 7th grade Reading, this year 4th grade. I had the students with me who were not allowed to go on the end of the year field trip. They "helped" around campus: took gum off bottom of chairs, helped set up chairs for graduation, cleaned the grounds with the custodian. A lot of work was accomplished. They worked hard, hopefully thought about why they stayed behind and no one was stressed out.

[Unregistered]

Our seventh grade is having a field day to celebrate end of school. Only those students who have not had significant discipline problems or have passed their classes will be allowed to join in the festivities.

I drew the lot to take the detention room for those not invited. I've always avoided detention, because treating school as a punishment goes against the grain of how I approach students.

So, I'm looking for a way to pass four hours with students who don't do well in school. They will defintely be working, but I want to find activities that will bring them closer to the process, not push them further away.

Some of the teachers, hearing me voice my intentions, have objected, saying they want the kids to suffer. Well, I won't do that. Any ideas?

I appreciate your attitude that you want the kids to be educationally engaged. In my opinion, you should not make a party of it, but the time will pass quickly for the students and for you if you do some educational activities. The sudoku was a good idea and well as word games such as crosswords, etc.

[Unregistered]

I think you're all forgetting that these kids are in DETENTION for a reason...they have committed infractions and they are being consequenced for a reason. I teach at an urban school where infractions are serious. Prosocial behavior is modeled for them, tangible rewards are given for positives and they are praised and "caught being good," however when students refuse to demonstrate appropriate responsibility to others and academic ownership they are consequenced with detention. If the classroom bully gets playdough and puzzles doubtfuly she'll change her behavior. Detention needs to be a place of quiet time out without stimuli for the student to reflect on misdeeds. Possibly thinking errors education is more appropriate or worthwhile community service. A little humility serves our youth well, and builds character. They are better equipped to meet the challenges of the world.

[StuTeacher23]

I think you're all forgetting that these kids are in DETENTION for a reason...they have committed infractions and they are being consequenced for a reason. I teach at an urban school where infractions are serious. Prosocial behavior is modeled for them, tangible rewards are given for positives and they are praised and "caught being good," however when students refuse to demonstrate appropriate responsibility to others and academic ownership they are consequenced with detention. If the classroom bully gets playdough and puzzles doubtfuly she'll change her behavior. Detention needs to be a place of quiet time out without stimuli for the student to reflect on misdeeds. Possibly thinking errors education is more appropriate or worthwhile community service. A little humility serves our youth well, and builds character. They are better equipped to meet the challenges of the world.

Yes, but the children aren't being suspended or in JAIL! :rolleyes:

[Chocolate_New_Orleans]

Yes, but the children aren't being suspended or in JAIL! :rolleyes:

keep rewarding them as punishment, they will be soon enough.

[Unregistered]

Once again...students are EXPECTED to behave in a positive and respectful manner at school that coincides with the statutes and mandates of basic society...behavior that adheres to expectations is positively rewarded; behavior that does not meet the standards is not rewarded...simple. Two thirds of my students have a parent or a relative in prison...they need to realize that following rules regardless of how minor they seem are important and that breaking them is of consequence. Rules and expectations are put in place to assist them to succeed and/or be safe. School consequences may be the only venue that teaches our students societal controls before they become legally involved. Certainly one would agree it hopeful students learn these lessons within the school system rather than within the scope of the legal system.

Taking a Pollyanna view of detention and making it a party will do just that...
increase your misbehavior and students will be RUNNING to go there!I watched an administrator do it. She created a mess! The kids even said so and I quote..."I want to get kicked out so I can GO to detention where it is FUN!"

Also, If YOUR child is called a racial slur or an expletive in class and the aggressor is put in detention where he is allowed to play with play dough and put together puzzles, are YOU going to be content with that consequence? (In most school systems here name calling is consequenced by several detentions.) Just asking. Sometimes our opinions change when we're the parent.

[Unregistered]

Hi,
I like the way you think. I'd have a class meeting with the group and discuss strategies with the group about how they got in the predicament they are in and what they could next time to avoid this situation. I find lots of these kids need specific teaching in these areas and are more likely to listen to their peers ideas about how to be successful. Good luck

[Unregistered]

shut up .................................................. .................................................. ...................................

[Chocolate_New_Orleans]

Hi,
I like the way you think. I'd have a class meeting with the group and discuss strategies with the group about how they got in the predicament they are in and what they could next time to avoid this situation. I find lots of these kids need specific teaching in these areas and are more likely to listen to their peers ideas about how to be successful. Good luck

RRRIIIIIGGGGHHHHTTTT!!!!11

Sounds more like, they realize while you waste time with that shat, they aren't having to work ahead on their standards and they are just bull****************ing you out of pushing ahead. Classic case of the tail wagging the dog

[StuTeacher23]

Hi,
I like the way you think. I'd have a class meeting with the group and discuss strategies with the group about how they got in the predicament they are in and what they could next time to avoid this situation. I find lots of these kids need specific teaching in these areas and are more likely to listen to their peers ideas about how to be successful. Good luck

They are probably going to do the same thing again! Talking to them isn't going to solve anything, unless they truly don't want to do it again. You can't make the decision for them....the students have to make it themselves.

[Unregistered]

Chances are these students are the same ones who are in danger of failing. It seems like this might be an opportunity to work on skills. Get a list of missing homework assignments and try to help them get caught up. I t should be work oriented, but make it useful work. Have them make study guides for upcoming exams, notecards with vocabulary......usefulthings that will be beneficial to them.

[StuTeacher23]

When June came, our 6th Grade took a field trip to the loal park in our town to celebrate the year and so they could have fun too....
The students who owed money to the school library weren't allowed to go until they payed the money back. Only a few students didn't pay back the money before the fied trip, so they stayed back at school and did boring, busy work.

[Unregistered]

Chances are these students are the same ones who are in danger of failing. It seems like this might be an opportunity to work on skills. Get a list of missing homework assignments and try to help them get caught up. I t should be work oriented, but make it useful work. Have them make study guides for upcoming exams, notecards with vocabulary......usefulthings that will be beneficial to them.



I think this is a really good idea, and i have tried it myself. A problem I face though, is that the students keep complaining that they dont want to do homework they've missed out on and that they will do it at home. They waste the time complaining to anyone that passes by, the bell rings and they have accomplished nothing. So what do I do then, give them the same type of detention again? I'm dealing with very spoiled, rich kids with attitudes who question everything, think they are smarter than everyone, and treat everyone like their maids. I need help.

I have suggested to the school that they should do community service on the weekend as punishment (at a hospital, old people's home, or cleaning up a beach), that way they learn to give and help others. But, they didn't like my idea, said that they can't make students do these things in the weekend, and the Ministry has a rule that students should not be made to clean anything!!

I've tried the games and puzzles as well, like someone said, they started ASKING to be put in detention, purposely misbehaving to go there!

HELP! I need a fresh idea, that will make me feel that the student is getting what they deserve, that they are going to learn a lesson from this and hopefully not misbehave again.

[Spitball]

Our seventh grade is having a field day to celebrate end of school. Only those students who have not had significant discipline problems or have passed their classes will be allowed to join in the festivities.

I think some of the posters have missed this point. This is a field day to reward certain kids who have not been in trouble and have passed their classes. Those not going are simply not being rewarded. I'm guessing that the students with with significant discipline problems have already been punished for their previous behaviors.


So, I'm looking for a way to pass four hours with students who don't do well in school. They will defintely be working, but I want to find activities that will bring them closer to the process, not push them further away.


Your students are lucky. Unfortunately, there are not too many with this philosophy.

[Unregistered]

Yes, but the children aren't being suspended or in JAIL! :rolleyes:

Of course the kids aren't supposed to be in jail, but that is where they will end up if we don't correct their behavior early on. If you reward them during detention they will want to come back and that defeats the purpose. Detention should be miserable (just like jail should be, but isn't) so that people won't want to re-offend. I am gagging reading that people want to play games with these kids during this time. They need to take responsibility for their actions. That is just great, so kids get fun and games and want to return to detention so they continue to misbehave, then other kids that are well behaved start acting out because they want to join the party. I don't agree with taking away field trips or special events at all, but, I do believe in detention and I think it should not be fun. I have packets that I put together with different behavior worksheets. If they finish that, they have to write a one page paper using a writing prompt. There is no talking during detention, if they do, they get a unsatisfactory and come back the following week. They must complete at least the packet and do it well or they also get a U. I have been doing detention all year this way and we have had a decline in behavior issues. Very little repeat offenders. You can be firm and loving. These kids need it.

[Unregistered]

First I am a huge believer in positive behavior programs and fight everyday here to develop that program. HOWEVER if they do not earn an incentive there is no way it should be made enjoyable. Sure not jail, but if a quiet study hall is what you call jail you need to visit a jail sometime. Kids in here sit quietly and read or do homework. I often play classical music finding that calms students and actually imporves behavior. It hurts them in no way and they just LOVE it! ;-)

If they need something to do they should do any work that they have not turned in for the year to try and raise their grade. If work is not an option then they can read for 4 hours.

Detention and negative consequence is not the way to teach. Students SHOULD be reinforced when the are following expectation BUT they also need to know there are negative consequences to your actions.

[Chocolate_New_Orleans]

First I am a huge believer in positive behavior programs and fight everyday here to develop that program. HOWEVER if they do not earn an incentive there is no way it should be made enjoyable. Sure not jail, but if a quiet study hall is what you call jail you need to visit a jail sometime. Kids in here sit quietly and read or do homework. I often play classical music finding that calms students and actually imporves behavior. It hurts them in no way and they just LOVE it! ;-)

If they need something to do they should do any work that they have not turned in for the year to try and raise their grade. If work is not an option then they can read for 4 hours.

Detention and negative consequence is not the way to teach. Students SHOULD be reinforced when the are following expectation BUT they also need to know there are negative consequences to your actions.

oh boy, another "let's bargain and bribe expected behavior" :rolleyes:

[Unregistered]

Detention only works if you have an administration that gives behavioral support (takes refferals seriously). Otherwise, detention is just a place where all of the miscreants go to hang out-they know that your referals will not get them into more trouble, so they just do whatever they want.

I once worked with an admin. who thought that kids did not have to behave if the class work was not "fun" enough. The fastest way to melt her heart was for a student to tell her that they had missed out on every reward activity-she would then intervene and make sure the kid got the undeserved reward. Not surprisingly, behavior got out of control for the entire school. Thank goodness the incompetent admin was fired at the end of the year, before she could continue to damage the school.

[preist]

make them read from the bible.

[Unregistered]

Play classical music! It will be an education, they will hate it! Teach about the music, they will be learning

[Unregistered]

I have Detention in a Jr. High school every day. I can have up to eight students and their teachers provide their classwork. Most of these kids probably owe a teacher some make up work, ask for it. There are lots of vocabulary worksheets on the web, print some out. The kids don't enjoy looking up new words and using them in a writing assisgnment, but it won't hurt them. I play classical music all the time (on very softly) and some of the kids actually enjoy it. One thing we do every day is write a five paragraph essay on "Why I am in In School Detention". You can also use a mixed review worksheet -- includes some math, some vocabulary, copying the Preamble, etc. Good Luck

[DrewInBranson]

One cannot assign a 'cure all' detention punishment. In order to be effective, it has to be tailored to the kid. Look at the areas in school they struggle in and provide work to help them along in those areas. Ask the teachers of those subjects for suggestions. More often than not, a child acts out in a class because they lack success in that subject. To me, punishable behavior comes in a variety of different categories:

1. Breaking of a rule- If a student breaks a classroom or school rule, there should be punishment that relates to the offense (when I catch kids chewing gum, they come to me in the morning and scrape gum off of the bottoms of desks and chairs. I have very few repeat offenders).

2. Disrespect of a teacher/classmate- I have an apology letter format written out that the student is required to follow AND read out loud to an administrator and the person offended AND get signed by both of those people before they will be allowed to participate in class again.

3. Acting out in class- Outbursts, inappropriate language, etc. need to be dealt with according to the situation. If it crosses over into disrespect, I use the same letter as mentioned above.

Take what you will from this. Use what you want, just be respectful of the practice.

[Unregistered]

Make a PowerPoint presentation of say, 10 slides. Each slide has 1 instruction on it. e.g.

1. Work out the following 8 equations .....
2. Rewrite and punctuate the following passage......
3. ........ etc

Add a time and transition to each slide (30 seconds are plenty) and allow the function which scrolls the presentation endlessly.

Give each dententee (?? is there even such a word?) 10 pieces of paper. Each kid must follow the slide transition and instructions. When slide 1 is showing they need to be working on slide 1's instruction, as the presentation scrolls, so the kids need to work through their papers (paper 2 for slide 2 etc).

For added amusement add a bell sound effect when the PPT slides are changing. Lower the time (15 seconds) for each slide if you are feeling evil.

It is extremely amusing to watch the detention kids flipping through their papers as they try to follow the slides! For even more added fun do not arrange the slides in normal counting sequence. viz. 1,7,2,5,3,1,8. Caution though, this frustrates some kids.

Play some of Bach's pipe organ music in the background - hey, its baroque? And isn't baroque meant to be good for you?? Talking kids, or those who can't keep up the pace have to complete each activitity twice.

NO kid may leave until they have completed all DT activities -

This is endless fun, for the teacher in charge.