essay on discipline in the classroom

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Aiming for Discipline Instead of Punishment

Brain-aligned discipline isn’t compliance-driven or punitive—it’s about supporting students in creating sustainable changes in behavior.

There are many perspectives on the topic of discipline in our classrooms and schools, and I’d like to explore the idea of using brain-aligned discipline with students who have adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). 

Traditional punishment with these students only escalates power struggles and conflict cycles, breeding an increased stress response in the brain and body. Punishment is used to try to force compliance. The vast majority of school discipline procedures are forms of punishment that work best with the students who need them the least.

With our most difficult students, the current way schools try to discipline students does not change their behavior, and often it escalates the problems.

Discipline, unlike punishment, is proactive and begins before there are problems. It means seeing conflict as an opportunity to problem solve. Discipline provides guidance, focuses on prevention, enhances communication, models respect, and embraces natural consequences. It teaches fairness, responsibility, life skills, and problem solving. 

There are times when students need to be removed from the classroom and school for aggressive, volatile actions, but upon re-entry we should make a plan of action that begins to address these actions in these brain-aligned ways.

The neurobiological changes caused by chronic negative experiences and a history of adversity can trigger a fear response in the brain. As Pam Leo says, “A hurtful child is a hurt-filled child. Trying to change her behavior with punishment is like trying to pull off only the top part of the weed. If we don’t get to the root, the hurtful behavior pops up elsewhere.” In children the fear response often looks aggressive, defiant, and oppositional.

Young people with ACEs have brains that are in a constant state of alarm. In this alarm state, consequences don’t register properly. Discipline can only be done when both the educator and the student are calm and self-regulated. If they aren’t, behavioral difficulties will escalate. 

In a brain-aligned model of discipline, we must teach the behaviors we want to see, laying the groundwork for prevention systems and strategies. 

Preventive Brain-Aligned Strategies

Preventive systems are taught as procedures and routines. They are collaborative and filled with choice. Their purpose is to create a sustainable behavioral change, not just compliance or obedience for a short period of time. 

I teach students about their neuroanatomy, so they understand what happens in their brains when they become stressed, angry, or anxious. When we understand this, we feel relieved and empowered. 

In morning meetings or whole class time, I discuss the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and neuroplasticity with students. We identify and make lists of our emotional triggers and coping strategies, and I teach students to use their breath and movement to calm their stress response systems. 

Is there an adult in the school who connects with this student and has a space where the student can go if they need to regroup and calm their stress response systems? Are you teaching these procedures ahead of a time when a student needs to regulate away from the class? 

Could your school create a area for both teachers and students to go to when they need to reset their emotional state? This area could be stocked with paper, markers, crayons, water, soft music and lighting, a jump rope, a stationary bike, lavender scented cotton balls, jars for affirmations or worries, or a rocking chair. Students will need to be taught ahead of time how to use this area, which they should need for just two to five minutes in order to feel refocused and ready to return to class.

Examples of Natural, Non-Punitive Consequences 

Name-calling: Have the student create a book of positive affirmations for the class, or have them create a list of “kind words” and teach them to a younger class.

Low-level physical aggression (pushing, kicking, hitting): Some consequences could include giving the student a new learning space in the room or a new spot in line, or they could be tasked with performing an act of kindness or service for the hurt person.

If this occurs at recess, the student could be tasked with assisting a teacher on recess duty in monitoring the playground, noticing everything that is going well. They can roam around the playground, still getting the exercise they need. Or again they could perform an act of kindness toward the student who they hit.

Inappropriate language: This calls for a discussion when both student and teacher are in a calm brain state. Sometimes words that are inappropriate at school are used at home, so we need to understand the cultural context and have a discussion with the student.

An older student could research the words they used and report to you on why they’re not school words; younger students could try to write out what they were trying to convey using school-friendly language or drawings. 

Incomplete assignments: Have a one-on-one discussion to convey what this behavior communicates to you. Ask if something has changed at home or school, or if the student doesn’t understand what is required. Make a plan with the student and possibly a parent for making up the work that has been missed. And consider assigning a student mentor to help the student.

The research is clear. Our brains learn best in a state of relaxed alertness. Our discipline systems must begin to shift toward creating this state in all the members of our school community.

Essay on Discipline for Students and Children

500+ words essay on discipline.

Essay on Discipline – Discipline is something that keeps each person in control. It motivates a person to progress in life and achieve success . Everyone follow discipline in his/her life in a different form. Besides, everyone has his own prospect of discipline. Some people consider it a part of their life and some don’t. It is the guide that availability directs a person on the right path.

Importance and types of discipline

Without discipline, the life of a person will become dull and inactive. Also, a disciplined person can control and handle the situation of living in a sophisticated way than those who do not.

Moreover, if you have a plan and you want to implement it in your life then you need discipline. It makes things easy for you to handle and ultimately bring success to your life.

If talk about the types of discipline, then they are generally of two types. First one is induced discipline and the second one is self-discipline.

Induced discipline is something that others taught us or we learn by seeing others. While self- discipline comes from within and we learn it on our own self. Self-discipline requires a lot of motivation and support from others.

Above all, following your daily schedule without any mistake is also part of being disciplined.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

The Need for Discipline

Moreover, the meaning of discipline changes with the stages of life and priority. Not everyone can be disciplined because it requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Also, it needs a positive mind and a healthy body . One has to be strict to discipline so that she/he can successfully complete the road of success.

Advantages of Discipline

The disciple is a staircase by which the person achieve success. It helps a person to focus on his/her goals in life. Also, it does not let him/her derivate from the goal.

Besides, it brings perfection in a person life by training and educating the mind and body of the person to respond to the rules and regulation, which will help him to be an ideal citizen of the society.

If we talk about professional life then, the disciplined person gets more opportunities than the person who is undisciplined. Also, it adds an exceptional dimension to the personality of the individual. Besides, the person leaves a positive impact on the mind of people wherever she/he goes.

In conclusion, we can say that discipline is one of the key elements of anyone’s life. A person can only be successful if she/he strictly live a healthy and disciplined life. Besides, the discipline also helps us in a lot of ways and motivates the person around us to be disciplined. Above all, discipline helps a person to achieve the success that she/he wants in life.

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Essay on Discipline: Sample Essays of 100, 200 & 400 Words

• Updated on  
• Jan 23, 2024

Discipline is something that assists in keeping a person in control. According to Merriam-Webster ‘Discipline is control gained by enforcing order or obedience ‘. It also refers to orderly conduct or pattern of behaviour. Discipline motivates a person to progress and eventually achieve success. Hence, it is important. There are two types of discipline- induced discipline and self-discipline. An essay on discipline is usually given as a task in a school. Hence, we have provided sample essays on discipline in 200 words, 300 words, and 400 words. Keep reading to know more about the same.

To improve your essay writing skills, here are the top 200+ English Essay Topics for school students.

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Essay on discipline (100 words), essay on discipline (200 words), essay on discipline (400 words), 10 lines on discipline, quotes on discipline in students life.

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Also Read: Essay on Christmas: 100 – 150, 250, and 500 Words

Also Read: Essay on Politics in 500 Words

While writing the essay on disciple a student can include popular quotes. It can make their essays stand out. Moreover, reading quotes on discipline can inspire a student to be disciplined in their life, 

• What lies in our power to do, lies in our power not to do.”– Aristotle
• Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”– Jim Rohn
• “There is no magic wand that can resolve our problems. The solution rests with our work and discipline. ”Jose Eduardo dos Santos
• “Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.”– Abraham Joshua Heschel
• “For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories. ” Plato

Also Read: Essay on Technology

An essay on discipline talks about the importance of discipline in a person’s life. A disciple is something that keeps each person in control. It motivates a person to achieve success in their life.

Discipline means being consistent, and following the set rules or order. AA disciplined person will follow the written and unwritten rules. There are several unwritten rules in schools. A disciplined student will follow the written and unwritten rules.

A school discipline essay contains the introduction, body, and conclusion, A student needs to include the importance of discipline while writing the essay.

Check out our Popular Essay Topics for Students

Discipline refers to an orderly conduct or pattern of behaviour. It involves following the rules in a school or an organization. Self-discipline is also important for success in life. For more information on such informative essay topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Blessy George

Blessy George works as a Content Marketing Associate at Leverage Edu. She has completed her M.A. in Political Science and has experience working as an Intern with CashKaro. She has written extensively on studying abroad, English Test preparation, visas, and online courses. During her free time, she likes to read and write poetry, and songs.

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Essay on Discipline in School

Students are often asked to write an essay on Discipline in School in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Discipline in School

Importance of discipline.

Discipline in school is crucial. It’s like a tool that guides us to follow rules, behave well, and respect others. Without discipline, a school would be a place of chaos.

Role of Discipline

Discipline helps in maintaining order. It helps students focus on their studies, respect their teachers, and cooperate with their classmates. It’s the key to achieving academic success.

Discipline and Character

Discipline also helps in building character. It teaches us patience, respect, and responsibility. It helps us become better individuals and prepares us for future challenges.

In conclusion, discipline is essential in school. It helps maintain order, promotes learning, and shapes our character.

250 Words Essay on Discipline in School

Introduction.

Discipline is a cardinal virtue that forms the bedrock of any successful institution, notably schools. It’s not merely about strict adherence to rules but rather a self-imposed code of conduct that fosters a conducive environment for learning and character development.

The Essence of Discipline

Discipline transcends the classroom environment; it is a life skill that shapes one’s character and molds their future. It instills a sense of responsibility and respect for authority, time, and societal norms. It forms the basis for self-control, enabling students to resist distractions, thereby facilitating focus and productivity.

Discipline and Academic Excellence

There is an inextricable link between discipline and academic excellence. It promotes consistency and persistence, essential qualities for academic success. A disciplined approach to studies ensures regularity in attendance, timely completion of assignments, and effective time management. This systematic approach leads to better understanding and retention of knowledge.

Discipline and Character Development

Schools are not just academic factories; they are character-building platforms. Discipline plays a crucial role in this aspect. It helps inculcate values such as honesty, respect, and empathy. It fosters a sense of social responsibility, preparing students to be conscientious citizens.

In conclusion, discipline is an indispensable part of school life. It is the driving force behind academic success and character development. It helps in shaping responsible, respectful, and resourceful individuals who can contribute positively to society. Hence, fostering discipline within the school environment should be a priority for every educational institution.

500 Words Essay on Discipline in School

Discipline is the cornerstone of any successful institution, and schools are no exception. It is a set of rules and regulations that guide behavior, ensuring order and preventing chaos. It is a critical element in molding a student’s personality, shaping their character, and preparing them for future challenges.

The Importance of Discipline in Schools

Discipline in schools is not merely about obedience or adherence to rules; it’s about fostering a culture of respect, responsibility, and resilience. It is a tool that facilitates the educational process by creating an environment conducive to learning. It aids in the development of self-control, which is an essential skill for navigating life’s challenges and succeeding in personal and professional spheres.

Discipline also plays a pivotal role in instilling moral values, such as honesty, integrity, and respect for others. It fosters a sense of community, teaching students the importance of teamwork, cooperation, and mutual respect. These values are not only crucial for their academic journey but also for their lives beyond the school gates.

The Role of Teachers and Administrators

Teachers and administrators play a significant role in maintaining discipline in schools. They are the custodians of the school’s ethos and are responsible for setting the standards of behavior. They must lead by example, demonstrating respect, fairness, and consistency. Their role involves creating a positive learning environment, establishing clear expectations, and enforcing rules and consequences.

However, discipline in schools should not equate to a culture of fear or authoritarianism. Instead, it should promote a supportive atmosphere where students feel safe, respected, and motivated to learn. Teachers and administrators should use discipline as a means of teaching students about the consequences of their actions, helping them understand the importance of making responsible choices.

The Role of Students

Students, too, have a significant role to play in maintaining discipline. They must understand the importance of discipline in their lives and the consequences of indiscipline. They should take ownership of their behavior, learn to respect rules, and understand their importance in maintaining a harmonious learning environment.

Discipline should not be seen as a burden or restriction but as a pathway to success. It is a skill that enables students to manage their time effectively, focus on their goals, and develop resilience in the face of adversity.

In conclusion, discipline in schools is not just about rules and regulations; it’s about creating a culture that promotes learning, respect, and personal growth. It is a collective responsibility, requiring the participation of teachers, administrators, and students. With the right approach, discipline can be a powerful tool that prepares students for the challenges of the future, helping them become responsible, respectful, and resilient individuals.

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Essay on School Discipline

Discipline is used in schools to keep students, teachers and other staff safe and to help meet the behavioral, social and emotional needs of the children as they grow and develop. Schools approach discipline in various ways and the severity of the discipline usually coincides with how severe the offense was.

Goal of Discipline

The main goal of discipline in schools is to teach children appropriate ways of behaving by giving consequences for making poor choices. For example, a student who doesn’t pay attention in class may have to spend recess time making up material that was missed. Discipline helps a student refrain from the behavior in the future.

The other goal of school discipline is to create a learning environment that benefits all students. By putting an end to behaviors that are not conducive to learning, teachers and administrators are able to create classrooms that are ideal for the educational needs of the children in the school. Types of School Discipline

Punitive techniques of discipline are the most common and involve giving an unpleasant consequence in response to a negative behavior. An example of this is when a child must move his desk to the front of the room after getting caught throwing pencils at other students. The aim is that next time the student considers throwing a pencil, he will remember the embarrassment of having to move to the front of the room while the entire class knows he is in trouble.

Zero tolerance is something that is used for more severe behaviors. Typically students are given warning or two before being given a consequence. However, the technique of zero tolerance means that no warnings are given and consequences are immediate. This type of discipline is used in cases of violence toward other students, drugs and other dangerous behaviors.

Some schools also use positive reinforcement, which is a technique that involves offering positive consequences for behavior that teachers and other staff want to see. For example, perhaps a student is given a sticker for turning in homework on time or is allowed to check out an extra library book for showing proper care of books. The goal here is to make proper behavior attractive enough that students want to make the right choices.

Effects of the Right Discipline Choice

The type of discipline a school chooses to use has an impact on the overall atmosphere and safety of the learning environment. In general, experts suggest a mixture of the types to create well rounded students who avoid undesired behaviors and instead gravitate toward the undesired ones. Discipline also creates structure and expectations for students, something that plenty of research says is ideal for teaching kids, both academically and socially, effectively preparing them for life beyond school.

Research Findings

According to the American Institutes for Research, students who are effectively disciplined, both positively and negatively, have a higher academic performance and are less likely to become part of the juvenile justice system as they get older. In addition, experts have found that discipline that occurs at school, rather than suspending students, further improves their performance in the classroom and helps keep them out of the legal system.

What Parents Can Do

School discipline is only truly effective if parents are willing to back up the decisions made by the school and help their child learn the proper way to behave at school. Parents should make a point of understanding the discipline used at their child’s school so they know what to expect and teach their child what to expect. Parents should understand that the rules at school may be different than the ones at home, but that kids are expected to follow the rules when they are in the classroom. Parents who partner with the school are the most likely to create students who behave appropriately at school and who don’t need much discipline to be successful.

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Research Paper on Discipline in the Classroom

Discipline is the action under which teachers employ in guiding and changing a students behavior positively. Discipline is vital in not only class management but also for the purpose of raising upright individuals for the well-being of the society. However, the introduction of administrative regulations gives many rights to learners hence negatively affecting the act of disciplining by teachers. The teachers tend to experience several challenges in the classroom with other issues of student assaults. In this case, the teacher finds it hard for the lessons to run without student interruptions because students have more rights compared to them. Given the discipline case in classrooms, many teachers have traced the indiscipline problems from the student's homes and backgrounds. The student who causes disruptions in class might have problems at home or even due to puberty stage. Needless to say, it is the role of not only the teacher but the student in ensuring that discipline is necessary for the purpose of running the lessons smoothly. However, when correcting students, teachers should bear in mind to try and understand the reason behind the misbehaviors and instill the right type of discipline. Given the discipline case, it is then vital to understand that discipline should be exercised in a classroom for the smooth running of the lessons and making students morally upright even in the outside world.

History of Discipline

The act of students misbehaving is not an issue that has just begin in recent years. Student's misbehaviors can be traced back from the early years of the 1950s and the era in which public education was introduced. During the ancient times, students faced punishments like; corporal, detentions, reprimanding, fines and in or out school suspensions (Savage, Marsha and Tom 267). Suspensions as a mean of correcting student's behavior initially began in 1960's and continue to be exercised even till now. With the rise in students misbehavior, researchers embarked on studying the cause of the behaviors and how the discipline measures are impacting to the students. In the research, the main issue was to understand whether public classroom education was the causal of bad behaviors among student and advocate for the removal of out of school suspensions. With the findings of the research proving that students liked this form of punishment and that they took privilege in repeating the crime to be out of school again and again. According to Costenbader and Markson 1998, surveys carried out on the views of suspensions through setting up questionnaires proved that the illest behaviors that students commit are, lack of respect, aggression and even profanity. However, besides the findings on suspensions, the punishment continues to be practiced today but teachers without putting in mind that it is the form of discipline the students like. Amidst these forms of discipline, corporal punishment raised many questions in the early year of 1910. Many people advocated for the removal of this type of punishment after students registered a high number of missing schools due to fear of being beaten in classrooms. According to Philipp Emanuel Von Fellenberg, the best way to promote good class behaviors among students is to show them kindness to encourage them and not the use of corporal punishments (Wood and Babs 61). More so, European ideas were introduced by Francis Parker who analyzed the connections between discipline and education giving findings that the best way to boost the grade performance for students was for teachers to embrace teaching through play. However, this suggestion only favored the kindergarten and the elementary education only and not the whole system.

Lack of Discipline Today

Many teachers have come up to regret choosing the profession and terming it as a great mistake due to all forms of torture they endure from learners. Disrespect among students has highly grown to the extent that they treat the teacher like their age mates. Can this be the outcomes of ruling out corporal punishment which was the best way to correct students? With such a question in mind, it is clear that unless the education system thinks of bringing back the corporal form of discipline in classes or even develop new measures, then teacher are a risk of facing more problems from the unruly learners. However, lack of discipline today in a student can draw back on parents. According to the Executive Director of Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association, Beverly Braithwaite-Chan, the indiscipline in children comes from the failure of proper parental guidance (Nelsen, Lynn and H S. Glenn 150). Parents should not leave the issue of disciplining to teachers only as it is the parent's role to understand their children than the teacher. The parents have the role of parents in the lives of the children is to instill discipline through understanding the problem of their children and embarking on making the correction. The problem comes in when parents have time for the children, leaving all the children matters to the teachers to handle. It is even worst when the teacher has no good relation with the student in class. The issue creates a communication gap between the children and parents hence, the rise in misconduct among students. In this case, the teachers incur multiple challenges of playing the role of both the parent and the teacher, which is hard as they cannot understand the children like the parent does. Additionally, the issue of students misbehaving in class can be due to the problems at homes. In the case of the student's parents are divorcing, the issue can bring so much stress on the student making him, or her misbehave in class (Sprick 89). The action can be the way the student wants to deal with the stress at home since he or she is feeling helpless, thus seeking for attention. Moreover, in a situation where the student is severely abused or is not being given attention due to the encroachment parents in their divorce matters, the student have emotional outbursts which might lead them to disrupting the lessons. Additionally, other circumstances involving the student facing bullying at home from parents or even siblings, the student highly adapt the behaviors wanting to exercise the same actions in the classroom as a way of reducing stress. Due to these facts, lack of discipline in students is fueled by a multiple of challenges they face both in school and even at home.

Long-Term Effects of Discipline in Classroom

Discipline comes in three major faces which are vital in classroom management by the teacher. When the teacher embraces the three faces of discipline, then indiscipline cases in the classroom will be minimal. The need to embrace discipline in the classroom for smooth running of lessons and bettering the life of students even in the outside world should be a primary concern for teachers. In the face of relationship listening process, it is vital that the teacher carefully evaluates the student's capabilities believing that the student can drive positive change in his behaviors, hence employ the minimum form of discipline (Curwin, Allen and Brian 167). In the case where teacher embraces this face, the student will put more concentration in class knowing that their teacher believes in them. More so, the students will develop a good relationship with the teacher making the lessons more enjoyable and even easier to understand since they have the freedom to make any inquiries in areas they have not clearly understood.

Additionally, when the teacher embraces the confronting - Contracting idea of discipline, the student is in a better position to change the ill classroom behaviors completely. In this situation, the teacher adopts the scolding from where he or she faces the student squarely and making a demand on why the student misbehaved. The teacher would further command the student to stop the behavior as he or she is disrupting the class. For the purpose of maintaining class discipline, the teacher makes another concrete move by making the student adopt change in behavior through contracting. In the contract, the teacher gives the student a chance to make the decision on how best he or she will change the habits for good. Thus, in the process of plastering the change permanently in the life of the student, the teacher helps the student in formulating solutions that will curb the problem forever. In so doing, the teacher is sure to have the lessons run smoothly without interruptions and hence, a peaceful classroom.

Regarding Rules and Consequences as the process of disciplining students in the classroom for long lasting solutions, the teacher in this situation exercises much control in the classroom. The teacher sets the rules and standards under which the students are to follow once in class, and failure to follow the regulations leads to consequences. Like the head, the teacher is in a position to decide on the consequences that students are to face to ensure that peace and tranquility exist in class (Campbell 17). However, the teacher also offers rewards to students who actively embrace the rules as a way to motivate other students to behave well to get the reward. With such measures, it is evident that students will embrace classroom courtesy fearing that lack of respect will lead to receiving punishments. On the other hand, students will have the courage to adopt good class manners not for the sake of rewards but for acquiring good grades. Additionally, parents should not only leave the teachers in matters of disciplining children but work with them instead. A child who receives moral values from parents has minimum chances of disturbing the teacher in the classroom since she or he clearly knows that it is wrong to do so. In this case, the action of acquiring good grades by students starts from having a comfortable class environment.

Given the discipline case, it is then vital to understand that discipline should be exercised in the classroom for the smooth running of the lessons and making students morally upright even in the outside world. For easier learning, the teacher should always employ disciplinary measures that will make the classroom environment tranquil. However, this cannot be so if the teacher is not authoritative in a classroom. Students who misbehave in class do so after underrating the teacher bearing in mind that there is nothing the teacher can do to him or her. Therefore, it is evident to say that lack of discipline in class among students is affected by the actions of the teacher himself. Moreover, the choice of disciplinary actions employed by teachers should be those that best bring change in the behaviors of the students and not fuel. For example, teachers should do away with out of class suspensions since this is the form of punishment that students like as it helps them evade lessons.

Works Cited

Campbell, Doug. Discipline Without Anger: A New Style of Classroom Management. Lanham, Md: R & L Education, 2012. Print. Retrieved from: www.mbu.edu/library/

Curwin, Richard L, Allen N. Mendler, and Brian D. Mendler. Discipline with Dignity: New Challenges, New Solutions. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2008. Computer file

Nelsen, Jane, Lynn Lott, and H S. Glenn. Positive Discipline in the Classroom: Developing Mutual Respect, Cooperation, and Responsibility in Your Classroom. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2013. Print. Retrieved from : www.mbu.edu/library/

Savage, Tom V, Marsha K. Savage, and Tom V. Savage. Successful Classroom Management and Discipline: Teaching Self-Control and Responsibility. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2010. Print. Retrieved from: www.mbu.edu/library/

Sprick, Randall S. Discipline in the Secondary Classroom: A Positive Approach to Behavior Management. Chichester: Wiley, 2013. Internet resou...

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The Hechinger Report

Covering Innovation & Inequality in Education

‘It was the most unfair thing’: Disobedience, discipline and racial disparity

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TOLEDO, Ohio – The sound of his teacher smacking his desk jolted Marquan into consciousness, and his head jerked up. “Wake up,” his teacher said.

Marquan hadn’t slept much the night before, and the words came out before he was fully coherent. “Watch out before you make me mad,” he said. 

His teacher turned and asked if that was a threat. The 16-year-old said no, he was just startled, but it was too late – he was sent out of the classroom and given a two-day suspension. 

What the teacher heard as a threat was, for Marquan, an instinctive reaction, and he had failed to code-switch in that groggy moment.

“I wasn’t threatening him; it was just loud and all of a sudden,” said Marquan, now 17 and a sophomore at Jesup W. Scott High School in Toledo, Ohio. (His last name is being withheld to protect his privacy.) “That was the most unfair thing.” 

In Ohio, Black students like Marquan are suspended for incidents like this far more frequently than their white peers. In the past six years, Ohio has issued close to 885,000  suspensions and expulsions for comments and misbehaviors tagged as disobedience or disruption. Nearly half of those dismissals have been for Black students, even though they make up only 17 percent of the public school population. Black students in Ohio are, on average, kicked out of classes for these offenses at four and half times the rate of white students.

A Hechinger Report analysis across 20 states found that these types of categories are cited as justification in nearly a third of all suspension and expulsion records. In many states, including Indiana, Maryland and Rhode Island, Black students are suspended more often for these kinds of incidents, which can include dress code violations, talking back to teachers and being too noisy in class.

States use different terms to describe the offenses – disrespect, insubordination, defiance – depending on their discipline code. But what they all have in common is the subjective nature of an educator’s decision; experts say that’s what leads to racial disparities. What seems disrespectful and threatening in one classroom can be entirely acceptable in another, depending on who’s listening and who’s speaking. That’s when racial and cultural differences between educators and students can come into play. Bias also plays a role.

“Disobedience is identified, by and large, by lived experiences,” said Jennifer Myree, who was a principal and assistant principal in Cincinnati for seven years and now works for the Ohio Department of Education. “If you have a child who comes from a home where they’re allowed to speak out about injustices, for example, saying ‘That’s not fair,’ and the classroom teacher, or the administrators, don’t believe that the child should speak out on things, they can consider that disobedience.”

Researchers say that racial disparities inside schools tend to reflect what’s happening in society as a whole and that income level does not explain the discrepancies.

“Teachers are no more biased than other people, but also no less biased,” said Russell Skiba, a professor in the school psychology program at Indiana University and director of its Equity Project. “Race is the much more important predictor of whether a kid gets suspended rather than poverty.”

Related: When typical middle school antics mean suspensions, handcuffs or jail

A spokesperson from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Lacey Snoke, didn’t respond directly to questions about the state’s racial disparities. Snoke, the chief communications officer, said the department “supports schools and districts as they address non-academic barriers to learning.” The Indiana Department of Education said that school discipline policies were set at the local level. Rhode Island said that it helps school districts in setting discipline policies that “are conducive to a safe and nurturing environment that promotes academic success.” Maryland’s state education agency said only that it makes annual data available for school districts to analyze.

Snoke also noted that the state requires schools to use a student support system known as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, or PBIS. “When implementing PBIS with fidelity, schools and districts see a reduction in out-of-school suspension and exclusionary discipline,” she said.

Like many of America’s school districts, Toledo’s public schools have struggled with keeping discipline racially equitable for years. In 2020, following a federal civil rights investigation, the district agreed to a settlement with the federal Department of Justice “to address and prevent discriminatory discipline of students based on race or disability.” Last spring, the government extended its monitoring for an additional year after finding that the district was not in full compliance with the settlement terms. 

Suspended for…what?

Students miss hundreds of thousands of school days each year for subjective infractions like defiance and disorderly conduct, a Hechinger investigation revealed. 

Vague school rules at the root of millions of student suspensions

Hechinger’s school discipline project: how we did it.

Part of the problem in Toledo, the fifth-largest school district in Ohio with more than 21,000 students, is that teachers and administrators haven’t figured out what’s at the root of the disparity, according to a federal monitoring report sent to the district last May and obtained by The Hechinger Report as part of its investigation into the widespread use of suspension for things like defiance and disruption around the country.

“Speculative answers about the reasons for why disciplinary referrals would be greater for Black students when compared to white students ranged from blaming the students’ underperformance in math and English language arts to blaming ‘parents who don’t take pride’ or are otherwise uninvolved in their children’s lives,” according to the report. “Educators at one school opined that they are not using strategies that engage kids of color; those at another school said they needed to develop activities for students to feel more of a sense of belonging.”        

Last year, there were more than 12,000 suspensions in Toledo public schools for defiance or disruption and more than 7,700 were given to Black students, up from 7,000 the year before. Black students received 65 percent of defiance and disruption suspensions last year, even though they make up about 46 percent of the student population in Toledo.

Related: Preventing suspensions: Tackle discipline problems with empathy first     

The reason for the high numbers is multi-faceted, and the solutions need to be as well, said Amerah Archer, acting executive director for the Department of Equity Diversity and Inclusion in the Toledo Public Schools.

“We understand there’s sometimes a cultural mismatch between teachers and students and their backgrounds,” Archer said. “So we offer culturally responsive training, to help our teachers understand how to build relationships and students across cultures.”

The district has also brought in outside mental health providers and — in all 57 of its schools — it has set up social-emotional wellness teams to examine discipline data and look for trends, including racial disparities within schools and classrooms. Educators receive training on how to respond to students who have endured trauma and may be acting out as a result, with responses that can lead to alternatives to suspensions.

Sheena Barnes, president of the school board until January this year, points to a culture that views some children as more dangerous than others. She’s also concerned about educators who have trouble appropriately interpreting a child’s behavior.

Barnes, who is Black, got a call last year to come to her child’s school immediately. Her son, who is on the autism spectrum and was in third grade at the time, had been trying to mix paints to make a specific color. The teacher accidentally took one of the colors away, frustrating the boy, who threw his paintbrush and splattered some paint. After Barnes arrived and helped de-escalate the situation, she said the teacher asked her if they could talk. 

“’He just scares me,” she said the teacher confessed to her. 

“So I asked her, ‘What did he do? Did he bite you, kick you, did he throw something at you, cuss at you? I’m going through all the list of things that could make you scared of a 9-year old, my baby.’ And she says, ‘It’s the way he looks at me.’

“And I just crumble,” Barnes recalled. “If you’re scared of him in third grade, what the hell are you gonna do to him in ninth grade?”

Moments like these – when adults see children as threatening – can influence decisions made in a heated classroom situation. The Department of Justice report on Toledo schools last spring concluded that “subjective infractions that are prone to bias, such as ‘Disruptive Behavior’ and ‘Failure to Follow Directions’” play a role in racial discrepancies when it comes to discipline.

Related: Hidden expulsions? Schools kick students out but call it a ‘transfer’

Toledo school officials noted that the report said that the district had “made significant progress” in some areas and that the Covid-19 pandemic had “hampered and delayed the District’s ability to execute certain provisions in a timely manner.”

Barnes, who remains on the school board, said she welcomed the continued monitoring by the government, because, she said, “we still have work to do.”

“There’s not a bad child – there’s a child reacting to a bad situation,” she said, sitting in a cafe in downtown Toledo, and noting the many serious issues faced by young people, such as gun violence and food insecurity.

“Maybe I can’t read. So, I’m gonna disrupt the class, because I don’t want to get embarrassed,” said Barnes. “Or if you ask me where my homework is, I’m gonna make some silly jokes and get kicked out, because I don’t want people to know that I didn’t have a home to sleep in last night, or I couldn’t do my homework, because we didn’t have power.”

Sometimes disruptive behavior starts with a small incident – like a student calling out in class. If a teacher has trouble redirecting the child, it can escalate, and the classroom can become chaotic. Teachers sometimes conclude that removing the child who is being loud is in the best interest of the whole class.

Experience and training can provide teachers with tools to address student conduct without suspensions.

One study in California published last year found that it was often the least-experienced teachers who relied on removing disruptive students from the classroom, and that even three years of teaching experience led to a substantial drop in the number of students referred for discipline.

The same study found that, among teachers who removed students from class and sent them to the principal’s office for disciplinary action, the top 5 percent did this so often that they accounted for most of the racial gaps in these referrals – effectively doubling those gaps.

Those gaps are largely driven by incidents that require a more subjective call, such as for “defiance,” rather than more objective categories like drug use or skipping class, according to Jing Liu, an assistant professor of education at the University of Maryland and one of the study’s authors. 

Related: Civil rights at stake: Black, Hispanic students blocked from class for missing class

Other researchers argue that stressful environments can bolster racial inequities.

“When people are stressed out, when they are under pressure, when they don’t have the time to think through a response, they are more likely to rely on racial biases,” said Juan Del Toro, a professor in the psychology department at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, who has studied the impact of discipline policies on Black students. 

Del Toro argues that more support for teachers could bring down the number of suspensions for low-level offenses, which in turn could help more students perform well academically. His research showed that when students committed minor misbehavior infractions, those who were suspended experienced significant negative academic consequences, compared with students who were just written up for the same kind of offense. 

In Toledo, Jamarion, a 10th grader at E. L. Bowsher High School, was serving an in-school suspension last December for getting in an argument with another student when he was assigned an additional three days for talking in the suspension room.

“We were just talking about the way we were feeling, bored and all that. You’re just sitting there all day staring at the wall or doing your homework,” said Jamarion, who is 15. (His last name is being withheld to protect his privacy.) “You should at least get a warning or something.”

“It’s not fair,” he said. “I was mad, upset.” And he said he was concerned about missing more math classes and falling behind.

Related: How career and technical education shuts out Black and Latino students from high-paying professions      

Educators and administrators emphasize that simply banning suspensions for low-level offenses would not change school culture or help educators find alternatives. “It could fix the data,” said Myree, the former Cincinnati principal, “but it might not fix what’s going on in the building.”

Some districts in Ohio, such as Cleveland Municipal, reduced the number of disobedience suspensions of Black children over the past year, but the number in Ohio overall climbed to more than 78,400 in 2022-23, up 16 percent from the previous year.

Izetta Thomas spent 18 years as an educator in Columbus public schools in Ohio and is now the education justice organizer for the Columbus Education Association, the union that represents Columbus educators. 

She believes individual teachers have a responsibility for their actions, but that teacher-prep programs and the school system itself could do more to curb the overuse of suspensions. 

“It’s hard for educators because a lot of us might feel like this [discipline decisions] is not what I signed up to do, this is not what I learned in my college classroom,” said Thomas. “But why isn’t it a part of teacher training in colleges? Why isn’t understanding of our own biases and lenses and those that are different from ours, why aren’t we taught early on what that is?”

“Everybody needs Band-Aids, she added, “but Band-Aids only last so long.”

Editors’ note: The Hechinger Report’s Fazil Khan had nearly completed the data analysis and reporting for this project when he died in a fire in his apartment building. Read about the internship fund created to honor his legacy as a data reporter. USA TODAY Senior Data Editor Doug Caruso completed data visualizations for this project based on Khan’s work.

This story about racial disparities in school discipline was produced by  The Hechinger Report , a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education.

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