rhetorical analysis
Without discipline, there is chaos. Without orderliness, learning cannot occur(Simmons 70). Classroom disruption is being recognized by both conservative politicians and the American Federation of Teachers, as a key problem in schools. More and more teachers are resorting to punishment to solve these problems. Advocates of punishment believe it is a more effective method than encouragement to increase patience in studying. But when is the use of punishment necessary and when is it enough? Critics of punishment believe that when rules are clear and consequences are straight forward, children learn the importance of inner control, as well as the values of trust, respect, and civility(Wolfgang 152). Either way, the question surrounding punishment in schools is: to punish or not to punish?Believers of punishment argue that there are many positive effects of punishment. Directing his argument at parents and teachers Chung-ceng Lin argues that Punishment is a more effective method than encouragement to increase child diligence in studying(Lin 46). Although educators and psychologists persistently support encouragement rather than punishment for childrens education, many teachers and parents often a
Lin, Chung-cheng. Why Parents and Teachers May Prefer Punishment to Encouragement for Child Education. Boston: Southern Economic Journal, 1996. In contrast, some critics of punishment argue there are more effective ways to discipline a child. They believe that physical punishment is morally wrong and should be done away with in our society. These advocates use more pathos and ethos in their argument, again most likely directed at parents and teachers. According to Haeuser, some of the side effects of corporal punishment include ?loss of self-esteem, repressed anger and resentment, anti-social aggressive behavior, and the learning that it is okay to resolve problems via physical force? (197). If punishment really worked we should have no delinquents or criminals. After all, as children, most convicts have been punished and abused frequently. If punishment worked then we should now have a perfect society. We obviously don't and we obviously need to look for other methods(Glasser 107). An alternative to punishment is that of Reality Therapy, as proposed by William Glasser. Glasser is not a believer of teacher?s use of physical control. Isolation is a great alternative to physical punishment. It requires no physical interference with the child. Glasser sees the use of isolation, not for the purposes of punishing a student, but instead, for providing a place for the student to sit quietly and think about a plan for re-entering the classroom. When the student persists in breaking his or her commitment, or refuses to make one, then the student is removed to a place where he or she can begin again. This form of punishment is far better than physical punishment itself. It teaches the child to respect his teacher rather than hate the teacher. If physical punishment causes all of these negative side eff
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Approximate Word count = 1233
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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