Dr. Evelyn Nedderman

1. The Well-Disciplined Classroom: Uncovering Myths,
Mysteries, and Discoveries from
Teachers about Teaching
By Evelyn Nedderman EdD
CITE SEMINAR JULY
30, 2019

2. ICEBREAKER
PSYCHO-
GEOMETRICS
•What shape are you?
15 minutes

3. My Research

4. What lead me
to my
research?
My
experience as
a parent of a
public-school
child.
My
experience as
a dean.
My
experience as
a classroom
teacher.
The result of
my
preliminary
research.

5. Abstract
Results from the study revealed that there was a lack of
training for pre-service teachers specifically focus on
classroom management issues.
To obtain the thoughts and opinions from the participants in
this study, I utilized a basic interpretive qualitative approach
to the research allowing participants to be interviewed on a
one-on-one basis.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the
perceptions of teachers in reference to student discipline in
an urban New York City public middle school district.

6. Background
Appropriate punishment for student
misbehavior has been an issue in American
schools since the beginning of the public
education system.
Corporal punishment and suspensions have
been the most commonly used sanctions
applied for such behavior.
Over the last two decades, New York City,
which has the largest public-school district in
the United States, has experienced dismal
graduation rates and rising suspension rates.

7. Problem
Statement
A number of studies such as The Color of Discipline,
Education Interrupted, and A Generation Later have
been conducted on student suspension and its effect on
student discipline. These studies have revealed the
alarming number of students who are suspended from
their regular classroom instruction and placed into
alternative locations that do not guarantee a
continuation of academic instruction.
NYCLU referenced a 2004 study, which found that high
suspension rates are associated with low scores on
state accountability tests.

8. Research
Questions
1) What are middle school teachers’
perceptions of what a well-disciplined
classroom should look like?
• a. How well do teachers’ perceptions of a well-
disciplined classroom compare with their experiences?
• b. What are teachers’ perceptions of how the New York
City discipline policies should be implemented?
2)What are middle school teachers’
perceptions about how their attitudes
toward students affect disciplinary actions
within their classroom?

9. Theoretical
Framework
The theoretical framework used in this
study was Bandura’s (1994) social
cognitive theory of self-efficacy. The role
of an educator is often predicated on their
ability to develop the aptitude of the
person that they are teaching; however,
this can be problematic if the educator
lacks confidence in their own abilities.
Bandura mentioned that “perceived self-
efficacy is define as people’s beliefs about
their capabilities to produce designated
levels of performance that exercise
influence over events that affect their
lives” (p.2).

10. Methods
I selected a qualitative approach because it allowed
me to incorporate my prior experience as a dean of
student discipline, which led to my interest in this
topic. The sampling strategy for this study was
purposeful sampling because statistical generalization
is not the goal of qualitative research.
To ensure that the data obtained was authentic and
representative of the selected population, teachers
were selected from one New York City public middle
school in one specific school district.

11. Themes
The following themes emerged from this study:
1. The journey that leads teachers into a NYC
classroom is not straight and narrow.
2. A revelation about the great unknowns about
teaching as a career.
3. The phantom of past experiences still prevails
today, and why our vision may not always be 20/20.
4. There are many misconceptions about teacher
training.
5. The myth behind the relevance of NYC discipline
standards.

12. The journey
that leads
teachers
into a New
York City
classroom is
not straight
and narrow.
The generational changers. During interviewing
process, several participants reported wanting to
become a teacher to make a difference.
The career changers. There were several rationales
that participants mentioned for changing careers.
The career choosers. One of the most surprising
results obtained from this study was the percentage
of participants who did not pursue a career of
teaching as their first choice in a career.

13. A revelation about
the great unknowns
about teaching as a
career
• My vision and fantasy was not my reality. During the
interview process, participants’ responses contained
little variation in respect to their vision of what a well-
disciplined classroom should look like. Several sub-
themes emerged.

14. The all things will be in alignment believers.
Several participants had a vision of a classroom
that was structured.
The freedom and connection seekers. One of
the many struggles that an educator may
encounter is trying to complete the required
curriculum and standards by a specific deadline
while infusing their individuality into teaching
the concepts.

15. After the
curtain rose,
the truth was
revealed.
• There was quite a contrast when
participants expressed what their
reality was in the classroom
compared to their vision.

16. Let the truth
be told!
Lloyd, who worked with youths who were on
verge of dropping out of high school before
transitioning to teaching as a career, said,
There was not respect for education. It
was very difficult, and it was a disappointment. I
have to work very hard to get little work. I get
little effort from the kids, and there is a lack of
parental involvement.

17. • Engagement without the commitment,
and the disruption that followed. A few
the participants mentioned that although
they are committed to educating
students, their reality has revealed a lack
of engaged learners.
• I realize that as a teacher, I have to be super
detailed about everything. If not, the kids
will catch on to the slightest things, and the
rest of the year will be a loss.
• Elasticity is a must. One theme that
also emerged was the need for flexibility.
Some participants mentioned that they
needed to be more flexible and provide
motivation.
• Joyce expressed this sentiment by saying, “I
had to rethink boundaries and rethink how
realistic my goals were. I had to come up
with creative ways to motivate students to
learn.”

18. There were some difficult
times.
• Many of the participants shared
that their hardest moments
involved dealing with poor
classroom management,
disengaged learners, and a lack
of parental involvement.
I need more guidance.
Students’ emotional challenges
also were a concern for the
participants.
Silvia shared that one of
the hardest moments was “dealing
with students who have a lot of
emotional baggage and watching
them struggle.”
The nonexistent parents.
A few participants spoke about
dealing with disengaged parents,
which they have found to be very
difficult.
We are still a work in
progress.
• Every day in a teachers’ life
can be different because you
can plan the perfect lessons
and then encounter the most
difficult situation in your
classroom.
• Some the participants also
expressed issues with the
daily requirements of
teaching and having little
guidance during their first
year of teaching. Claudette
shared that the hardest
moment was dealing with
administrators who had a
negative perception of them.

19. The phantom
of past
experiences
still prevails
today, and
why our
vision may
not always be
20/20
I asked, “For example, do you formulate an opinion of your
students when you first meet them (what are the clues about a
student that help you to perceive them a certain way?)?”
Olivia shared,
• I think so. I think everyone does. Sometimes I
am wrong. Sometimes a kid may look a certain
way because I have been teaching for so long
that sometimes you compare a student to
another student that you had the previous
years and maybe they look like them. Although
it’s wrong, sometimes it happens.

20. It matters
what you
wear!
For instance, one of the common themes that
emerged was that the participants’ perceptions
were based on the physical appearance of students.
Daniel mentioned that his perception was based on a
student’s appearance. He said, their appearance is a
tell-tale sign for me. I have seen that those children
who come in with their sagging pants, using slang …
they are unkempt in their presentation. These
physical appearances imply that these students will
post a problem in the classroom.

21. A matter of
communication!
Another theme that emerged
was the manner in which
students communicated with
teachers such as eye contact
and body language.
• Mariah revealed that she
formulates her opinions about
students from day one. She said,
I get to know my students. It is
based on their responses and
how they respond to other
students in class. I know who are
going to be my challenging
students from day one based on
how they respond to me when I
walk into the classroom, how they
look at me if I ask them a
question, and if they come in
prepared.

22. Be careful who
you listen to.
One of the qualities that
many educators possess
is the need to be
protective of each other.
• Simone, a second-year
teacher, when asked if she
makes assumptions about
her students when she
first meets them. She
shared,
Definitely!
I had a negative view of the
child, but only to realize that
was how he was with that
particular teacher. I was
wrong. I have never
experienced any of those
behaviors so far.
• Remember that
we are all
different.
Interestingly, when
asked whether they were
ever wrong about how
they perceived a student,
many of the participants
said, “Yes.”
Luke said, “There was a
student who was quiet and
appeared to do their work,
so I left her alone because I
assumed that she was doing
her work. When I finally
checked her book, there was
nothing written in it.”

23. There are many
misconceptions
about teacher
training
• The sink or swim approach. For example, some
of participants in this study had never seen or read
the NYCDE New York City Citywide Discipline
Standards, yet they are expected to ensure that
they have a well-disciplined classroom.
• A lifeboat please, because we still need help. To
gain an understanding of whether or not teachers
feel like they have the support of their
administrative staff, the following question was
asked to gain insight.

24. The myth behind the
relevance of NYC
discipline standards
Fix what is broken so that
progress can ensue.
Most of the participants
mentioned that the
suspensions only worked for
students who are not chronic
offenders.
Finding something that works
for all.
The majority of the participants
reported that more behavioral
intervention programs such as
counseling, mentoring, and anger
management should be utilized
both during and after school.

25. Conclusion
During this study, there were several other discoveries
made. First, I realized that other factors sometimes
determine the way teachers’ discipline students.
Second, I discovered that teachers are passionate
about the content they are teaching, but they
encounter many obstacles that prevent them from
making the educational impact they want for students.
Third, I found out that student discipline encompasses
several factors such as lack of student and teacher
training, parental involvement, and students’
emotional issues that teachers often have to deal
with.

26. Recommendation
for Future
Research
A recommendation is to closely examine the correlation
between teacher attrition, increased classroom
discipline referrals, and lack of classroom management
training for teachers.
Research should closely evaluate the impact of pre-
service teacher training where the pre-service teacher is
required to spend time in classrooms that are made up
of a diverse population. For instance, a pre-service
teacher should spend at least one school year observing
a veteran teacher in an urban school building if that is
the population where they intend to teach.

27. Research should also be conducted to analyze the
utilization of targeted professional development based
on the needs of individual schools and the affect that it
may have on student engagement and reducing student
disruption. Studies also need to focus on the interaction
between cultural and generation differences between
teachers and students.
Since students can be the driving force behind a
classroom environment, I think that research on the
affect of the social dynamics on classroom management
should be a focus of research. For instance, as a
classroom teacher, I encountered students that have
been in the class with the same students from
elementary school, and they develop a strong bond.

28. Recommendations
for practice
Two of the major obstacles that this study discovered were
disengaged learners and student disruption. All educators should
be trained on restorative practices to reduce the number of
classroom referrals. For instance, all teachers should be trained
on the utilization of restorative practices as a conduit into the
cultural beliefs and values of the students that teachers are
teaching. One of the findings in this study involved the
importance of teacher collaboration.
I recommend that as part of teachers’ professional development,
activities be a part of incorporating best-shared practices for
teachers. This would allow everyone to know what to do and
what not to do based on real life experiences within their own
demographic student population.

29. I recommend that a separate classroom should be
created for students who are consistently disruptive. I
am quite aware that there can be abuse of such a
classroom, but if properly regulated, it will allow
teachers to do the job of educating children without
stopping for behavioral issues of a particularly
disruptive student.
Lastly, to deal with the constant change in the
emotional and psychological need of students, teachers
should be required to have training on students’ social
and emotional evolution and needs as part of their
regular professional development.

30. After I Completed My
Research

31. The Impact of
Teachers’
Perceptions on
Student Discipline
The link between our five six senses and
student discipline ©

32. Sight &
Sound
Reactions
Are you
Rational or
Irrational ©
Anthony did not complete his project or homework again…
Simone is frequently absent…
Amanda calls you a bitch…
Johnny asked you for a pencil for the fifth time in one
week…
Melinda told you that you don’t help her, and you are the
reason she is failing and have frequent outbursts in class…

33. Brian comes to your class and is disruptive and
produces very little work but constantly requires your
attention and will not complete his required work if you
don’t give him the attention that he needs…
Larry came to school with his pants sagging hood on
and refuse to comply with your request to confirm to
school attire…
Peter has incomplete classwork for the fifth time this
week and argue with you when you talk to him about
his lack of effort…

34. Fin and Olivia are constantly causing a disturbance in your class…
You call Jenny’s mother and she blamed you, cursed at you and hung up
the phone…
Nicholas refuses to complete his required work and curses and yell at you
when you try to get him to do the work he does have frequent mood
changes and may often storms out of your class they however, there are
days when Nicholas comes in and actually get some of his work done.
Sometimes he maybe absent from school for two days or more…

35. • Kim is constantly out of control and while she is obviously intelligent, she
has a lot of incomplete work and is more interested in talking and
socializing…

36. Anthony lives with a large family and his environment is very
noisy and there is no support from his guardians for his
academic work. It is impossible for him to focus at home and is
not able to go to the local library.
Simone must take care of her younger sisters and brothers,
which includes taking them to school and making sure that
they are fed and clothed because her mother is rarely around.
Amanda is living in an environment where she is constantly
called a bitch and is told that she will never achieve anything in
life. The use of the word bitch is a part of her daily vocabulary.
So, the fact that she called you a bitch has nothing to do with
you.

37. Johnny lives with his grandmother and has no contact with his
parents, his grandmother has very little time to ensure that he
is prepared for school because she has is five other siblings to
care for.
Melinda is currently being abused by her mother and has
developed a very angry personality and sometimes you remind
her of her mother.
Brian has a learning disability and has very little stability at
home he is often in the streets with his friends and already has
several arrests for different mister meaner incidences. He may
also have an undiagnosed ADHD disorder. He can’t sit still
because he was exposed to drugs as an infant.

38. Larry’s is a third-generation gang member and sagging is pants is
part of his daily clothing attire. He has never worn is pants with a
belt and above his waist. It is just his standard dress code.
Peter is very week academically and does not want you to know
how much deficient he his and therefore gets angry when you call
him out for incomplete work. He covers is deficiencies by arguing
with you. He his also not motivated to try because he does not see
the need because he continues to get promoted.
Both Fin and Olivia are Foster children who is often neglected and
only receives attention when they are loud and fighting. They have
collectively lived in 5 different foster homes since around age 7
and 8.

39. • Jenny’s mother is only focused on her new boyfriend and
pays very little attention to Jenny needs. She thinks that it
is the school’s job to care for her child when she is there.
• Nicholas’ mother is a prostitute who sometimes brings
her clients home and he must wait outside until she is
finished. He was molested when he was young by his
uncle and was told it was his fault and that they wish he
would die.
• Kim’s parents have recently separated, and she must
share two different home environments and is constantly
exposed to arguments between her parents.

41. Awareness
Consciousness
Insights
Understanding
Impression
Senses
Interpretation

42. Perception
per·cep·tion
noun: perception; plural noun:
perceptions the ability to see,
hear, or become aware of
something through the senses.

43. Our Six Senses
©
Our hearing … how articulate or not our students are?
Our Smell… the pleasant or unpleasant odors that emits
from our students.
Our sight… what we see when we look at our students,
are they kept or unkept?
Our taste … our words that we use can have a bitter or a
sweet taste for our students.
Our touch…do you put out the type of energy that tells
a student that you don’t want to be around them?
Our emotions… unless it is controlled, it can cause you
and your students irreputable damage

44. Hearing
Have you ever mentally dismissed someone
based on their accent or lack of through
understanding of the English language? Yes/No
Have you felt dismissed by someone who
thought what you were saying as not important
(how did that make you feel?) Yes/No
Have you ever treated a student differently
based on what a colleague or another student
said? Yes/No
Have you ever changed your opinion about a
colleague based on the opinion another
person? Yes/No

45. Smell
• Have you ever openly criticized
a student based on their body
odor?
Yes or No
• Have you ever refused to help a
student because of their bad
odor?
Yes or No
• Have you ever assumed
something negative about a
child based on their body odor?
Yes or No

46. Taste are your
words
Have you ever felt the need
to openly critique a student
based on an underlying
disgust for them? Yes/No
Have you ever used words
and or phrases to negatively
respond to a student?
Yes/No

47. Sight
Have you ever had a complete change in mood based on
the sight of a student? Yes/No
Have you ever misjudged a student because of the
clothes that they wore? Yes/No
Have you ever looked at a student and they remind of
someone negative in your present or past life? And you
proceed to treat them as such Yes/No
Have you knowingly made an unpleasant facial
expression when you saw a student? Yes/No

48. Touch
• Does not always have to physical
• Have you ever thought of how the exchange of energy between two people impact their
relationship? Yes/No
• Have you ever abruptly moved away from someone (student) because you have a disdain
for them? Yes/No

49. Your
emotions
noun: emotion;
plural noun:
emotions
a natural instinctive
state of mind
deriving from one's
circumstances,
mood, or
relationships with
others.
noun: frustration
the feeling of being
upset or annoyed,
especially because
of inability to
change or achieve
something.
So, just imagine If you can control
your emotions and keep your
reactions to students factual then
your days may not be stressful.

50. How to
improve
your
emotional
sense?
Through taking control of
your professional emotions
by become more perceptive
of your reactions through
logical and rational thinking.
adjective: logical
of or according to the rules
of logic or formal argument.
•"a logical impossibility“
adjective: rational
•based on or in accordance with
reason or logic.

51. Tips for a higher emotional intelligence level
Don’t take every action or
reaction personal.
Remember that our focus
as educators, is to leave a
lasting positive impact on
our students and staff
regardless of who they are.
Set your rules with the
understanding that
someone will not follow it.
Then develop a
consequence action plan.
If you aim to please
everyone then you may end
up pleasing no one.
Remember that both
students and staff come
with emotional baggage
that they have not learn
how to correctly off load.
Remember that a logical
and factual response keeps
a levelled playing field.

52. Remember that change takes time. Adapt the New Day Approach
Exercise the power of the pause.
Remember that as educators we
are planting seeds and we may not
get to see the plant blossom but if
put the right type of nourishments
in soil then you can almost
guarantee a successful blossom.

53. The need for a
positive vison
board
• Think of some of the things that brings
you joy, laughter and overall a sense of
peace. Think of things that positively
stimulate you six senses.

54. My Pause Board

55. Future
Projects
Book Becoming a
Perceptive Educator
Student Social
Emotional Classroom
Program

56. Educators’
Acceptance!!!
Not all your working days as an educator will be great.
Not all your strategies will work every time.
You will get frustrated!
You & I do not have all the answers.
You may not always say the right thing, at the right
time to the right student or teacher.
Apologies does not make you weak.

57. Know your
limitations
Remember to utilize the
power of a team
because you may not
have all the answers!

58. About the
Researcher
Dr. Nedderman is an experienced middle school
educator whose vision for her students is to develop students’
intellectual and social abilities by helping students to become
thinkers, believers, achievers, and creators. After completing her
bachelor’s degree in 2001 from Baruch College, she decided to
enter the career field of Education. She quickly developed a
passion to inspire and educate children not only on an academic
level, but also socially and emotionally. She later completed two
masters’ degrees in General and Special Education as well as
education leadership after completing her masters degrees she
pursued and obtained her doctoral degree in Educational
Leadership. Evelyn believes that true education can only occur
when a child is taught both academic and social skills. She instills
in her students that success happens not by chance, but by hard
work bravely done.
As a middle school educator, Dr. Nedderman was
given the opportunity to serve as a dean of student discipline. Her
experience leads her to research impact of teachers’ perception
on student discipline. However, during her research she
discovered that there were other factors to be considered when
dealing with student discipline issues.

59. Contact Information
• Dr.evelynnedderman@gmail.com