Ethical Dilemma: Public or private record keeping in regards to misbehavior

In my classroom I promote consistent positive feedback with a ratio of three positives to every negative. For the purpose of this paper I will be focusing on what I should do when consequences are necessary in order to redirect behavior.

I have tried two different management techniques since I began teaching at —- Elementary. A card-flipping method, which visually reminded the students of what consequences they had received as well as giving them heightened awareness of their behaviors as they were held accountable to flip their card whenever they were reminded to stop a certain behavior.

The second method that I am currently using is a more private technique. I keep track of individual  behavior reminders and tell students privately what consequences they must serve. I created a matrix where I record interruptions and any other disruptive or disrespectful behaviors. In the following sections I will dive deeper into my inquiry about the ethical controversies and dilemmas that I face when considering various techniques to hold students accountable for misbehavior.

Ethical Dilemma