detention essays for students

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Teaching with Detention

Introduction

Far too often, students and educators struggle to see eye to eye. Teachers regularly disagree on methods of disciplining their students. Controversy arises, even, with the question of whether or not teachers should apply any discipline to their students, or leave it up to the parents. One of the most common practices in dealing with misbehaving students is holding after school detention. But by keeping students after school hours, are teachers exercising their rights, or going too far? Is detention an effective solution to class disruptions, or would it spur future problems?

Free resources across the internet allow for teachers to weigh detention and all of its possible alternatives.

• Lesson Plan
•   Behavior Worksheets : Here, Worksheet Place provides dozens of worksheets for students that assist them in assessing their behavior and emotions. The worksheets include behavior contracts, bullying analyses, conflict resolutions, goal setting, and more. The page also includes resources for teachers, including classroom management checklists, and class rules that teachers can display on their walls. These tasks can be used as opportunities for reflection in place of punishment or can serve as activities to be completed during detention. These worksheets are mostly intended for younger students and can be completed inside or outside of regular class time.
• Reflection Document : Pivotal Education provides this reflection worksheet to give to detention-serving students. The document is meant to outline an activity more productive than what is normally presented for students, and to prevent further behavior issues in the future. The questions on the worksheet force the student to identify and reflect on the people affected by their actions and ideas for preventing future issues. The open-ended questions within the document allow for flexibility for the worksheet to be used with virtually any age range.
• Discipline Packet : This online packet from Teacher Beacon provides worksheets and for responding to misbehavior. The packet includes printable warning slips, a behavior contract, and a sample letter to parents. Also included are writing assignments to be completed by students who break classroom ground rules. Most of these assignments serve as consequences for minor infringements such as gum-chewing, tardiness, and disruptive behavior. The writing assignments can serve as lesser consequences to stop the behavior before further action becomes necessary. Teachers can utilize items within this packet to establish ground rules and to keep track of recurring offenses.
• Do Detentions and Suspensions Work? : Here. Education World interviewed Annemarie Hillman, a policy fellow at Connecticut Voices for Children, to analyze whether detentions and suspensions prove themselves effective in schools. She classifies suspensions as ineffective since students tend to view them like vacations. Detentions, however, can work “if done right.” They can serve as an incentive to keep students from repeating misbehavior. When students serve detention during lunch, they miss out on a social opportunity and in turn will be less likely to act up in the future. 
• New Direction : James Paterson from District Administration Media examines ways that adults are trying to implement disciplinary action into their schools. The article establishes that African American and special needs students face disproportionate rates of exclusionary punishment. According to a number of cited studies, students who receive detentions are more likely to drop out of school altogether. This article highlights alternatives that teachers have found to the standard sit-silently style of confinement. Allowing students to reflect on their actions and for teachers to coach struggling students proves much more productive. Teachers can read this article to determine improvements for the established practice.
• Student-Run Courts : This article from The Guardian acknowledges the disproportionality of detentions in school systems and outlines a recent alternative to the custom: mock court systems. Rather than serve detention for certain offenses, students are to stand before a committee of their peers, make their case, and ultimately face fair consequences for their actions. The article praises this new approach, arguing that it prevents student-teacher discrimination in disciplinary systems and consequently fights the impelling school-to-prison pipeline.
• Informational Sites
• Defining Detention : Queensland Government provides a foundational understanding of detention and the common practices associated with it. The site outlines parameters for responsible behavior in a linked study, titled “Safe, Supportive and Disciplined School Environment Procedure.” This page can serve helpful for those who may desire a better understanding of what detention is, or for educators unfamiliar with how to lead a session.
• Responding to Bad Behavior : University of Florida’s College of Education lists possible ways in which educators can respond to bad behavior. The items on this list can serve as alternatives to detention, a practice which may be the first thing that comes to mind. The actions can be applied to students of most ages. The approaches range from keeping a behavior log, to requiring a writing assignment, to revoking parking privileges for older students. While detention is one of the listed consequences, teachers can choose from any item on the list to enforce in their own classrooms.
• Task Ideas : Study.com provides this list of tips and ideas for teachers choosing to hold students after school. The goal of the article and the tradition is to provide students with tasks that will prevent future mishaps and improve classroom behavior. The site lists tactics that teachers can employ, such as dialogue journals and reflection sheets, and links supporting articles for each strategy. The site lists four strategies for teachers, all of which can be stretched to fit students of almost any age range.

Young people often rave about how educational institutions take up so much of their time and teach them no real-life skills. They are, after all, full-time students by the age of six. Perhaps by making the time spent with students, detention included, more productive, teachers can allow students to further appreciate their education and apply themselves more in the future. Educators should make sure that any disciplinary measures they take have the students’ best interests in mind. Schools should weigh circumstances to decide what method of discipline would be most fair for the students’ and teacher’s time.

Additional Resources

• Middle-School : This neaToday article criticizes forms of discipline for middle-school-aged children. Author Sabrina Holcomb references the school-to-prison pipeline, a theory that correlates higher rates of suspensions and expulsions with a higher likelihood of those same students becoming unemployed and going to prison. When a student’s learning is interrupted by such punitive measures, they are more likely to drop out of school and rely mainly on government-provided welfare programs. Holcomb acknowledges that the issue is not the fault of the teachers, but rather that of the broader school disciplinary system.
•   Detention Is Not The Answer : This literature review by Stephanie McCann from Northwestern College examines practices of institutional discipline, especially detention, and attempts to determine the most productive method for everyone involved. In the past, the practice has discriminated harshly against certain students. The author gathers that students for whom detention becomes a pattern experience major social and emotional consequences that affect them “for the rest of their life.” She acknowledges alternatives for the penalty and suggests that schools find a consensus for what works for their students. 

Example Guidelines : This site lists the guidelines for after-school detention at Lakewood Junior High School in California. The page delineates the school’s specific regulations, including commonly broken rules, expectations for those serving detention, and principles of conduct for future reference. Teachers can utilize this site to gain a better understanding of how one school approaches its academic disciplinary system. Should they choose to administer detentions, educators can look to these clear-cut guidelines when crafting their own system.

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Why I Want My Students to Get Detention

It’s their job to screw up. It’s my job to help them learn from mistakes.

Every year, I have my students write about their goals for the year during the first couple of weeks of school. And every year I have a few kids who make it their primary goal in life never to get in trouble.

“I won’t get detention all year.” “I will never miss a homework assignment.”

It’s a conversation-starter every year, because I think it’s a terrible goal, both in school and in life. I believe it’s crucial to learn from mistakes.

So here’s what I tell my students about getting in trouble:

“Some of you guys wrote that you want to make it through the whole year without getting detention. I totally get that, because detention is boring and miserable. It’s supposed to be. But I think you might want to give that goal a little more thought.

You see, if your number one goal is to avoid getting in trouble, you’re going to miss out on a lot of life experiences. I’m not talking about smoking in the bathroom—that’s an experience you can definitely afford to skip. And I’m definitely not talking about bullying or being stupid on the internet because that stuff can follow you forever.

I’m talking about laughing too loudly with your friends at the lunch table or getting so engrossed in a project that you get caught working on it in your next period class. I’m talking about feeling so strongly about what you want to say that you forget to raise your hand before you say it. Having so much fun with your friends that you slip up and forget your homework one night because you’re outside playing until it’s dark.

“If you’re focused on never getting in trouble, you’re limiting your opportunities to learn from mistakes.”

You guys are kids. Making mistakes and getting in trouble is basically your primary function during this part of your lives.

There are so many things you have to learn as a middle schooler—how to help your friend through a bad breakup. How to defend somebody who’s being picked on. How to defend yourself against rumors and gossip. And nobody, nobody gets it right the first time. You’ve got to do these things the wrong way and get in trouble and figure out better ways to cope next time, or you’ve learned nothing.

And here’s the other reason it’s important. At some point in your life, you’ll be faced with a situation where doing the right thing will get you in trouble. Maybe it’ll be at work, where your boss wants you to do something slightly unethical to make a profit. Maybe it’ll be in a relationship, where being honest with someone you love results in anger and resentment. Or maybe it’ll be here in school, when you see someone with power—student or faculty—misusing it against someone without.

“If you don’t know how to get in trouble, then you’re going to have a much harder time doing the right thing when that crisis arises.”

I never want you to get in trouble for being mean to somebody. I never want you to take the kind of risks that end in tragedy, like experimenting with drugs or gang activity. And I don’t want you to get in trouble because you just decide that homework isn’t really your thing this year.

But I do want you to get in trouble. I want you to make mistakes and drive me crazy and make my life more difficult. You’re my students; it’s not your job to make sure my day goes smoothly. It’s your job to screw up and let me help you learn.

So instead of focusing on never doing anything wrong, how about you focus on doing what’s right? Even when you’re not quite sure how, even when you go about it the wrong way, even when it gets you in trouble? A kid who never gets detention may be an excellent student. But we don’t want you to grow up to be star students. We want you to grow up to be fulfilled, engaged, compassionate, wise adults.  And making mistakes is the only way to get there.”

It’s a dangerous message to send because the kids misunderstand.

They’ll expect me not to hold them accountable when they screw up, “because I told them to.” And it’s often not a message their parents will agree with. I understand and respect that—and God knows, I appreciate it—but I also have to help these kids become good citizens the best way I know how. And one of the ways I do that is by encouraging them to make mistakes.

I’m not sure the message gets through to most of my sweet perfectionists. I still have kids who make it through the year without ever doing anything wrong. I really don’t think they’re just slick, either; they really put that much pressure on themselves to do everything absolutely perfectly. But when a kid comes to me complaining about her first detention in eight years of public school, I don’t tell her I’m disappointed or commiserate with her about how much it sucks. I congratulate her and tell her that she’s gained a new life experience because that’s what I truly believe.

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3 Alternatives to Assigning Detention

Developing relationships with students to help them make positive choices requires planning and patience, but the work pays off.

There may be times when you have reached the end of your patience with a student’s behavior. They may disrupt learning or repeat a negative behavior too many times. What do we do as teachers in these scenarios? Sometimes the simple answer is assigning detention.

Yet detention is not an effective discipline tool for some students , and in fact it might increase the recurrence of negative behavior. Detention and other punitive measures, like suspensions and expulsions, can contribute to other issues , such as recidivism among students, despite harsher or longer punishments. These measures have the potential to increase apathy and defiance. They can jeopardize teachers’ and staff’s efforts to build relationships and trust. Finally, they can have a negative effect on a student’s academic performance.

There is evidence of racial and ethnic disparities among students assigned to detention. In 2014, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights sent a letter to educators outlining the disparities and offering alternatives to detention and suspension. Instead of detention, the DOE recommends restorative practices and positive interventions, such as counseling.

There may be severe circumstances that require removing a student from the school environment and placing them on off-campus suspension, such as hitting, fighting, threatening, or verbal assault. But before submitting a detention referral form for minor, day-to-day offenses, consider these three alternatives.

One suggestion is to create a reflection room in place of one for detention. In it, teachers, administrators, caregivers, and the student go through a reflective process to understand the root cause of a conflict and assist the student in understanding and identifying better options. Reflective practices teach students what actions they can take in the future when confronted with difficult situations.

As a middle school assistant principal, I recently had two students referred to me for pushing each other during recess. As I spoke with each of the students individually, I realized they had very different perspectives on what had occurred. “I tripped and landed on him. Really!” versus “He deliberately ran into me!”

These two students needed to learn how to see a situation from another person’s point of view. They each wrote a narrative description of the scuffle as if they were the other person. I followed up with each student separately, and both realized that perhaps they had misinterpreted the other person’s intentions. After writing a reflection, there’s no guarantee that they will never push each other again. But maybe they’ll take a moment to consider what the other person is thinking before they react physically.

Logical Consequences

If you are familiar with the concept of the Responsive Classroom , you might have heard about logical consequences . Instead of harsh punishment, the teacher gently instructs the student on how to correct their errors.

At the end of the discussion, students become empowered because the teacher assists them in reaching epiphanies like “When I knock things down, I have to help build them back up,” “I can fix things when I mess up,” or “My teacher helps me solve problems.” If a student leaves a mess at the lunch table, the obvious next step is to clean it up. Please keep in mind that this is not a suggestion to assign illogical chores, such as “You forgot your homework, now scrape gum off the sidewalk.”

The tone of the teacher is critical when using logical consequences. It should convey problem-solving and learning rather than anger or frustration. Maintaining students’ dignity is essential for assisting them in learning from an experience.

Logical consequences do not always have to be negative. When students make thoughtful decisions that result in good outcomes, note it. Ask your school administration if they will accept “positive office referrals” in which a teacher refers a student for helpful behaviors. How cool would it be if your students routinely wondered, “Is she there for a positive referral?” whenever the principal called a student out of class.

Restorative Practices

Restorative practices, in a nutshell, teach students how to right the wrongs they have caused. They provide alternatives to using punishment and build healthier learning communities. To quote Arkansas principal Chelsea Jennings , “Kids who are frequently in trouble are often testing a system that has repeatedly failed them, but a restorative approach says ‘we are not giving up on you.’”

If a student disrespects another student or staff member in words or actions, how can that student attempt to repair the harm done? A science teacher at our school implemented this approach when a student disrupted her class. The teacher informed the student that her disruptive behavior had taken away instructional time, and as a result, the student would have to help the teacher recoup some of the lost time by assisting with the prep for the next lab before school. Even if the student thought that prepping for a lab was enjoyable or fun, that student was fulfilling the spirit of the consequence: making up for the lost time.

Peer conflict resolution assists students in working to repair the harm done to another student. Students can be taught conflict resolution with the help of a faculty member or counselor. If a student uses a slur or disrespectful language, that student should investigate why that language is harmful. By conducting research first, the offending student can craft a more sympathetic and informed apology to the victim.

An example of this is a middle school student who made a racially insensitive joke. From speaking with the student, it was clear that he did not know the joke was offensive. He was repeating what he had read on the internet. After doing some research on the origins of the joke, the student realized why it was hurtful and sincerely apologized.

There would be no growth, no new understanding, no repairing of harm, if I simply assigned him detention.

The alternatives suggested above are not quick and easy. Some people will object, fearing that restorative practices are letting students off easy or with just a slap on the wrist. These are valid concerns, but one important point to remember is that restorative practices are preventive actions based on relationships.

Building the relationships necessary to guide students toward positive choices requires creativity, planning, and a lot of patience. So why do it? It pays off when students’ behavior improves and the community becomes a more positive environment.

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How to Reduce After-School Detentions and Make Them Meaningful

Detention has been around for as long as I can remember, and some of us—myself included—have served a detention or two when we were students. When I became principal of Wilson West Middle School, I thought deeply about detention as part of our discipline practice. Do detention policies that have been around for decades work for today’s students? If the same students keep finding themselves in detention, what good do they serve? Are detentions effective and helping students learn from their mistakes or do schools keep them simply because they are so ingrained in our tradition?

What if there was a way to stop the same students from receiving detentions or not give them any at all? You can, by replacing it with more constructive ways for students to learn from their mistakes.

Here’s what we did at Wilson West Middle School to reduce detentions and make them more meaningful:

Create a Staff Committee to Review Discipline

Like so much of our work as school leaders, we are better when we work together. We formed a committee of administrators, teachers, and counselors to review our current approaches to discipline and detention policies and looked closely at what infractions students were committing to gain an understanding of what was really happening with detention. What we saw was the same students receiving repeated detentions and not all of our teachers assigning detentions; only a few teachers gave detentions, so some students had higher detention numbers only because they had a particular teacher. And when we asked these teachers why they assigned detentions, it wasn’t because they thought them particularly effective at curbing the behavior, but rather they did it because that is what the student handbook required and there was no other way to address the behavior.

Update Outdated Detention Policies

These observations led us to review our detention policies. Our committee realized quickly how outdated some of the rules were, and we needed to make changes. For example, we dropped the no gum or food policies schoolwide and turned that responsibility over to the individual classroom teacher. Each teacher decides if they want to make that a classroom rule/policy. In real life everyone can eat and drink anywhere they want unless it is posted. Are we not getting our children ready for the next level? Teachers and staff have that morning cup of coffee or tea. Why can’t students? Do we practice what we preach?

Another big issue for which students were getting detentions involved being late to class. To address this issue, we got rid of our bell schedule. This required a major climate shift in the building, and there was immediate pushback from the staff. I created a schedule that had one-minute passing times between classes and explained to the teachers that they should be the ones starting and dismissing the classes, not the bell. Next time you are in the hallway, take a look at the number of students that stand in the hallway speaking with friends, waiting for the bell to ring before darting into class. To avoid the sporadic and inconsistent nature of late markings, there are no bells. In addition, it more closely resembles the nature of the likely next leg of their journey—college.

Creating New Detention Criteria

Just by making these two changes, we saw an overall decrease in detentions by 75 percent. The detentions that are assigned are addressed by the teacher or administrator with a call home and engagement with a parent/guardian. Getting the parents/guardians involved is the first step in making detentions more meaningful for students. After all, if the infraction is bad enough to warrant a detention, then parents need to be called.

We also track the students who are getting detentions. If a student gets four or more detentions in a quarter, we set up a conference with the parent/guardian. The staff that are invited usually consist of grade-level team members, a counselor, an administrator, and other interested parties. These meetings help to address the problem behaviors in a more direct way by discussing the underlying issues that led to the infraction in the first place.

Making Time in Detention More Meaningful

• Write a reflection as to why they got detention in the first place and what they could have done differently.
• Have a one-on-one conference with the monitor who asks the student a variety of questions for personal reflection. We developed questions for various situations to guide these conferences.
• Read an article about their offense and then report out to the counselor.
• Set goals. One of those goals should be not to get detention ever again.
• Write an apology letter to their parents for being assigned the detention. In the letter they should explain why they got the detention and thank them for picking them up after detention.

We also use lunch detentions. When serving a lunch detention, the student needs to do schoolwork as they are eating. This is also a good time to have teachers conference with students to discuss why they received the lunch detention. (Check with the building union representative prior to asking a teacher to do this during their lunch.)

Changing our detention policies have shifted our culture from a punitive one where students’ every move is monitored to a restorative one where students have more autonomy and choice. I encourage all of you to review your school’s approach to discipline and its detention policies. Making a few adjustments can definitely change the climate of your building for the better.

What is your school’s approach to detention? What strategies help make detention more meaningful and effective?

Kyle Wetherhold is the Principal at Wilson West Middle School, a state and national School to Watch. He is the 2018 Pennsylvania Principal of the Year. Follow him on Twitter @ wetkyl .

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Detention Teachers’ Resources

The teachers’ resources for my new novel Detention   are now available here . And there are three 2-minute videos to support the teaching of Detention and give insight into the writing process, as well as a video book trailer here .

We’ve worked hard on the teaching materials to create a comprehensive resource that covers the key themes of refugee experiences and statelessness as well as class, privilege, empathy, compassion, family relationships and human rights.

The book is being picked up for stage four study (years 7 & 8) but it’s suitable for readers 10+. Here’s what teacher-librarian and blogger Megan Daley (Children’s Books Daily) said about the book. Her year 7 students are studying it in term 4 this year. My intention was to write a page-turning novel that readers will devour simply as a suspenseful novel, but one that will also prompt questions and allow more in-depth study as the layers are peeled.

Detention Teachers’ Resources Contents

I worked with my publisher Zoe Walton , Shaun Nemorin and Jasmina Bajraktarevic from STARTTS (Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors) and English teacher, writer and editor Siboney Duff to build a resource that includes:

• a Q&A with me on how the story developed
• discussion questions and activities around ethical dilemmas, opportunity and whether what’s right and what is legal are always the same thing
• creative writing exercises around point-of-view, building tension, ‘show don’t tell’ and more
• the books, videos, articles and websites that I found most useful when researching refugee experiences, children in detention and Australia’s policies on asylum seekers
• a ‘Top 5 Things You Could Do’ to help and understand more about refugees
• information on Afghan Hazara people
• tips for studying these ideas in the classroom
• and lots more

The two-minute education videos to accompany the notes in which I talk about researching the novel, how a Vision Board helped me to visualise different aspects of the story and how to create a book soundtrack are here .

Good luck with the book and I hope you find the teachers’ resources useful!

Teachers’ Resources link: https://www.penguin.com.au/content/resources/TR_Detention.pdf

You can link to various stores to buy the book here or contact your local bookshop or supplier.

The main page for the book with other posts about Detention  is here .

And the teachers’ resources for my other books including  Two Wolves, The Fall  and  Tom Weekly  is here .

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Lessons From Lunch Detention

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As an assistant principal, I handle most of the disciplinary issues in my school. In a middle school, these cover the spectrum from attendance to bullying and fighting. It’s common knowledge that middle school is a trying time, when kids push limits with their parents and their teachers and require a lot of adult intervention. At school, intervention typically comes in the form of a consequence.

I am very fortunate that a majority of my disciplinary issues are for minor infractions. The most common consequence I administer is lunch detention.

I enjoy lunch detention. No, my enjoyment doesn’t stem from a deep-seated love of torturing kids, but rather from being able to sit and talk to these kids, my kids, about anything and everything. Last year, my kids dubbed the detention table “the Table of Shame,” and the name has carried over to this school year. Our table sits in the front of the cafeteria in between two of the four hot-lunch lines. It is no secret that those sitting at the table are there for penance from some type of disciplinary infraction. Kids pass by and wave to their friends at the table; some stop by for a quick chat before being shooed away with a reminder that attendance at the table is by invitation only, while others simply shake their heads as they walk by.

As lunchtime passes, my kids share their weekend adventures, their after-school plans, and sometimes their dreams (and disappointments). We talk about family separations, sibling rivalries, accidents, and in one case, a grandmother who came to visit and never left. We sympathize with one another and offer support. We problem-solve issues presented during these discussions and strategize suitable solutions. Most of the kids at the table are “frequent flyers"—those who continually cannot get to class on time, choose not to dress out for PE class, or simply are not doing their homework. These kids wind up serving multiple detentions during the school year.

I benefit from my time with these kids. They keep me in touch with my constituents. I learn about trends I may not otherwise be aware of. I also get to see my kids in another light. We never know what kind of emotional baggage kids carry to school each day. My lunch-detention kids have invited me to their youth-soccer and -basketball games, and I’ve gone to them. They are always noticeably pleased to be seen in a different light showcasing their skills and interests outside school.

The detention kids and I discuss grades, attendance, and current science experiments. We negotiate on early release and sometimes have competitions on taking shots with empty milk cartons to see who can make the “three-point shot” into the recycling bin. Last year’s incentive for a five-minute early release from lunch detention was to eat all of the cooked vegetables on the lunch tray. Baked carrots and steamed cauliflower were choked down to allow for a small taste of freedom (and basketball). The kids cheered each other on until the last bite was taken. Who knew that lunch detention could be a team-building event?

Students do not willingly give up their free time. Lunch detention does come at a cost. Most of my kids love to play football or basketball. When assigned a detention, they lose the opportunity to play. They lose their freedom that day, while I gain an opportunity to mentor them.

We never know what kind of emotional baggage kids carry to school each day."

Lunch detention isn’t just an administrator’s responsibility. While our teachers have a duty-free lunch period, many give up their time to cover my table when I am out of the building or hold their own lunch detentions. The attention students receive during this time from me or one of their teachers can be the bridge that keeps them coming back each day. I’ve learned that a “negative” consequence can have a “positive” impact.

As an educational leader, it’s easy to support these kids when you are out and about monitoring the instructional process. A quick reflection back to the classroom observations that morning sets the stage to ask kids how a particular assignment is coming along or how they did on a quiz. They will be amazed that you know what they are doing in class. The school improvement process also plays a part in this dialogue when your mentor group rises from the detention table and becomes a documented intervention success story in your school improvement plan. Our time spent together each day tends to shape us as a family gathered around a large dining room table. It’s our own version of “ The Breakfast Club ” with a diverse group of kids, but participation is by invitation only.

A version of this article appeared in the November 13, 2013 edition of Education Week as Lunch Detention, by Invitation Only

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10 Smart Detention Activities for Middle School

October 11, 2022 //  by  Michelle Mandel

Teachers do not like being the bad cop!  Detention is one punitive measure to take in response to negative behavior. Time to reflect on what you have done.  This is counterproductive, children are acting out because they are in need of attention and guidance.  So with these alternatives to detention, educators can connect, and boost students' confidence. gain trust and respect, and soon the detention room will be empty.

1. What's my purpose?

We are all special and have our own unique traits. As children get older they are told more often than not the negative feedback and not the positive behavior they demonstrate. Life is stressful and with the world changing around us, sometimes we forget why we are here, and why we all have a purpose.

Learn More: Prince Ea

2. Blackout poetry. Great instructional time 

This activity is so much fun and really it does inspire anyone to be a "poet" or at least try and give it a go. Children who have never been exposed to creative poetry will love this because there is no right or wrong. This is cool and interesting.

Learn More: The Daring English Teacher

3. You just got school detention!

This is a funny sketch video about how playing a trick on someone can backfire and have consequences! Students in detention can talk about how sometimes playing tricks is all in fun and other times not worth the risk and could have serious consequences for misbehavior.

Learn More: Youtube

4. Laughter = positive school culture

These games are meant specifically to make kids feel safe and relaxed, so they can release some stress. Harsh punishments don't work. Get kids talking to help reduce disruptive behavior!  For a middle school play Mad Dragon, The art of conversation, Totika, and more!

Learn More: Education And Behavior

5. Great assignment for detention-reflection 

This is a great way to get kids to do something with their hands while they are working on their self-portraits they can have guidance and assistance from the teacher.  This activity will relax them and put them at ease so they can reflect on any bad behavior.

6. Express yourself through a rap!

Rap music is loved by middle school children and creating your own rap about how things make us feel. "How we don't like school but being rude in class is not cool! " This exercise will give the children a chance to vent and de-stress while in detention. Great video and educational too!

7. Think Sheet

These are great reflection worksheets for students and can be adapted by grade level.  to fill out. easily and it can lead to some open conversation with the teacher or monitor. Children will learn what they can do better next time and how to avoid conflict.

Learn More: Art Teachers Help Al

8. Make Jails for phones- an original detention idea

Mobile phones in the classroom disaster!  Classroom expectations must be known, and it is imperative that we have some creative ways to get kids to give up their phones. These are easy to make and make class rule posters about why phones are so distracting.

Learn More: Pinterest

9. Lunch detention

Lunchtime is a break but others might be going to lunch detention, where they will eat in silence, not look at anyone and reflect. Well, this is the best opportunity to teach nutrition and have a talk about eating healthy and being responsible for our actions.

Learn More: 20 Teacher-Approved Nutrition Activities For Middle School

10. Punch Ball

Teachers think that if they use punch balls in the dentition room it will cause more aggressive behavior. On the contrary, children need to vent because sometimes life isn't fair. We have needed to change the old measure for decades and think creatively about time-outs.

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Confessions of a Middle School Band Director in Texas

Detention Essay

A fascinating discussion is worth comment. There's no doubt that that you should publish more on this subject matter, it might not be a taboo matter but usually people don't speak about such topics. To the next! Best wishes!! my page: download youtube videos; https://www.facebook.com ,

Can I get a copy of the entire Detention paper?

Can I get copy of the detention paper?

I have the document marked as open and view. You should be able to view the entire document, open with Adobe (it’s a PDF), download to your computer and print. It is not editable though as it is a PDF. I hope that helps.

Im desperate . . (first year teacher) I will give it a try

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