The Marriage of Education and Discipline

THE MARRIAGE OF EDUCATION AND DISCIPLINE
By: Alpha Sanford

Discipline is a broad term that is almost synonymous to the field of education. In fact, separating each from one another is unthinkable. It would mean having to ask somebody who has gotten back from a dinner party the question, “Did you eat dinner devoid of your dessert?” without feeling a bit stupid. Moreover, it doesn’t seem right to isolate the skeletal system that holds up the entire body of education, which is discipline.

In the field of education, the community is composed of many variables to make it functional and progressive. One of them is the absolute presence of competent staff who are in combat against fighting illiteracy. Another factor is the presence of order, safety and respect where students convene at ease under the same roof for more than 160 days annually. Lastly, this community might face extinction without the presence of a common goal. This goal defines what most schools are and why schools are in constant search for improvement. This goal is what everybody might call, life’s purpose.

Every student read about it, they breathe through it and then follow it. From birth, each person is made to search for that purpose and it seems that going to school is the most appropriate way to go and find it. It seems that going to school and at least finishing some parts of it is the key to move ahead or probably move one step up towards that particular goal. It’s not that the school has all the answer to it nor does it provide everything that is needed in order to face this goal, but it has been the norm and the school has been what is identified as a place where thoughts and ideas are formed. These thoughts and ideas which later on turn into something that will make sense or something that might lead to seeing what each person was born to do usually originate from the community, specifically from school where an influx of individuals with different personality challenges one’s own perception therefore bringing in more analytical thinking.

Take for example a doctor, a policeman or even better a teacher. Where have they gotten most of their skills in their respective fields? It’s not solely from the street obviously nor from their natural talents but mostly from school where they meet, interact and learn from different individuals about various things. Things or lessons that eventually comprise the bulk of their professional knowledge.

Part of searching for life’s purpose is knowing what is right or wrong. At an early age, most people do not have a specific and concrete idea of what could be right or wrong. It has to be taught; it has to be seen; it has to be modeled by somebody who knows the borderline between what is right or wrong. It has to be very specific that any room for some grey matters should be eliminated.

Yet the basic understanding of what is right or wrong stems from getting DISCIPLINED! Again this is where education and discipline comes together as one. The marriage of the two is a lifetime commitment. One is not effective without the other and vice versa.

Whether somebody likes it or not, discipline creeps through the four walls of the school and in most waking hours of being in school. It is unavoidable; in fact, it is written boldly on the walls. Every student learns how to follow the routine. Every student learns how to get in line, follow the teacher and listen to the lesson presented or else….

There is a corresponding consequence and each of these follow the path of indirect and silent form of discipline. Most of the times, teachers do not even notice the presence of discipline as they go about their day but it is a fact of life that while teaching, discipline is always a part of it. Teachers communicate it – through written, verbal or mostly through body language. They merely do not impose most of the disciplinary cautions but because they cut across the moment of instruction while the teacher is teaching a particular subject, they barely recognize it.

Which is the beauty of it!

Which is the creed that education and discipline both have!

Most people do not know that what they are getting is already a form of discipline. However, when people starts labeling certain actions as discipline, they view it as punishment making it even more difficult for somebody to manage their own behavior let alone learn to get over the mistake.

In the end, it really doesn’t matter as to what extent does a particular discipline comes into play. Whether discipline is in the form of corporal, subtle, less or more – the issue is not crying to manage misbehavior per se or teaching a person to withstand punishment but making it sure that every person who undergoes through the blending of education and discipline gets a more sense of responsibility to his actions.

The measurement of a true education is not coming home with the certificate or diploma that beams with somebody’s name on it rather it is by displaying the knowledge gained from knowing that life’s purpose are coated through learning what is righteous and what is acceptable by the norm of a safe society.