Policy and Procedure: Managing Behaviour – Discipline

Purpose

Tae Kwon Do Tasmania must provide a safe environment for students and staff attending training. In order to ensure a safe environment all instructors and students must behave in a manner that is respectful and adheres to health and safety requirements.

Scope

This policy and procedure applies to all instructors and students of Action Tae Kwon Do. Instructors, parents and caregivers must agree to this behaviour management framework prior to attending Tae Kwon Do Tasmania.

Background

Discipline concerns the development of appropriate and responsible attitudes and behaviour in students. It implies the development of self-discipline and the ability to distinguish right from wrong.

When students and parents take part in Tae Kwon-Do Tasmania it is a partnership between instructors and students and instructors and parents. This partnership is aimed at achieving effective learning and good discipline so that classes are productive, fun and harmonious.

Overarching Principles

Instructors must ensure that they communicate the student’s progress and behaviour with both students and parents.

Classes should be a fun and exciting learning environment for all. In the context of the rules and regulations of Action Tae Kwon-Do (https://taekwondotasmania.com.au/rules-and-conditions/) if a participant is acting out in a class, correction of this behaviour will be undertaken by the instructor.

There should be no contact between children, they should be quiet, attentive and enjoy their time training. Rudeness, acting out, bullying, intentionally trying to harm someone, threatening and aggressive behaviour is not tolerated.

Communication Strategies

When communicating, use clear, firm, succinct vocal instructions. Do not shout and yell. The following are different non-verbal and verbal communication strategies:

Mild non-verbal communication

  • Ignore the behaviour. Sometimes intentionally ignoring minor misbehaviours such as body movement, whispering and so on, is the best approach as it weakens the behaviour.
  • Use nonverbal signals. These can be used to communicate that a behaviour is not appropriate. Non-verbal signals include making eye contact, shaking a hand or finger, holding a hand up, or giving the ‘teacher look’.
  • Stand near the student/s. A physical presence near or walking towards the student/s can help get them back on task.

Verbal communication and methods

  • Give I-messages. These messages prompt appropriate behaviour without giving a verbal command. For example, “When you talk it makes a lot of noise and I am concerned that it distracts others”.
  • Use positive phrasing. “When you do X (appropriate behaviour), then you can Y (a positive outcome). For example, “When you sit down, then you will be able to join back in”.
  • Redirect Behaviour. The instructor describes the action to the student and suggests an acceptable alternative action. The student usually only has to be reminded of what he is supposed to be doing. For example, ‘Instead of talking, I would like you to do your pattern for the next five minutes. You can talk to your friends after class.’
  • Ask ‘What should you be doing?’ Asking this can have a positive effect as it helps redirect the student back to positive behaviour.
  • Give verbal reprimands. Directly asking or telling the student to cease a certain behaviour and get back on task.
  • Look, pause. Stopping mid-way in a sentence, pausing or looking in the direction of the student is often enough to resolve the difficulty without interrupting the lesson.
  • Be firm and succinct with your verbal commands never shout or yell. Make sure your voice is pleasant, calm and controlled.

Non-Physical Intervention Process

Using the above communication strategies, the following non-physical process is for managing and correcting dangerous or inappropriate behaviour:

  1. If a student is acting out, encourage them to listen and pay attention. Be firm but do not be aggressive. Give them an opportunity to correct their own behaviour.
  2. Inform them on why their behaviour is unacceptable. Educate them on what is acceptable and what is expected of them.
  3. Use forms of exercise as a tool to manage behaviour, e.g. “Student, because you continue to talk and not listen you must do 10 push-ups”.
  4. Make sure to reward students for their good behaviour.
  5. If after several requests, a student does not cease their acting out, tell them to sit down (a time out). Play a fun game in front of them. Explain the reasons their behaviour is unacceptable, and the consequence is that they miss out.
  6. If a student continues to misbehave, they remain in time out until such a time that they have calmed and are able to re-join.
  7. Allow them to join in once they have demonstrated they have ceased their unacceptable behaviour and are compliant. Praise them once they re-join and behave appropriately.
  8. Your goal as an instructor is to correct their behaviour and educate them on why it was unacceptable. You want them to learn from this, take responsibility for their actions and in future avoid such behaviour.

Physical Intervention Process

You have a duty of care to all your students. You must be aware of their safety. You may engage in reasonable physical contact if all non-physical interventions have been exhausted or are impractical in the circumstances and a student is:

  • Attacking a student, parent, adult or instructor;
  • Posing an immediate danger to themselves or others;
  • Damaging property.

Physical intervention is a last resort and must be done in a gentle manner with the least amount of physical intervention required. You must be reasonable in your response in proportion to the situation; their age and size, their height, their ability to reason and the circumstances of their dangerous behaviour. Any such action must be reported to the Master Instructor immediately, reported to the parent or carer at the end of class and a journal entry made of the event.

  1. The journal entry should include:
    1. The name of the instructor.
    2. The name of the student.
    3. The date of training.
    4. The time of the incident and remediation.
    5. The nature of this incident e.g.
      • The context of the situation
      • A description of the behaviour
      • The actions taken by the instructor
      • The discussion with the parent or caregiver
  2. Never touch a student in the ‘swimsuit area’ gently move them using the corner of their uniform above their shoulder. Move them to the side and sit them down. Like above, explain their behaviour and allow them to re-join once they have calmed and demonstrated compliance.

Tae Kwon-Do Tasmania does not accept dangerous or inappropriate behaviour. Dangerous or inappropriate behaviour can cause serious injury, ruin a class and the experience of other students. Parents bring their children to learn and have fun but as well to reinforce listening, following instructions and being respectful. Good discipline in turn improves their behaviour which will be reflected in class, at school and at home.

Implementation

All instructors, parents and caregivers will be made aware of this policy and procedure.

For instructors: Through the instructor’s manual.

For students, parents and caregivers: Through the website.

Quality assurance

  1. This policy will be reviewed on a yearly basis.
  2. All cases requiring physical intervention, will be reported to the Master Instructor.
  3. Journal entries will be reviewed to ensure adherence to this policy and procedure.