Discipline and Education are the two major components involved in the process of any kind of teaching learning situation. The goal of Education is to help people use their minds better to think about what’s true in the world and what’s not true, what’s beautiful and what may not so qualify, what’s ethical and what’s not. For any type of learning, discipline is must and a pre requisite. Discipline in any sense should not be considered as something rigid and rude as commonly perceived by everyone.
Discipline is referred to systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order – that is, ensuring instructions are carried out – is often regulated through punishment. “The word discipline comes from the Latin word disciplina, meaning ‘teaching, learning.’ Discipline shares a common root with the word disciple: ‘one who accepts and helps to spread the teachings of another’”
Discipline may be treated as a tool required in the proper management of all aspects that are conductive for a perfect teaching learning environment. A good and nurturing environment is very much required to have a positive learning to occur. It is the prime duty of a teacher to mould his students in a positive manner so that they can excel in life with exceptional capabilities and skills. Discipline is required in every activity one indulges in since the morning to one retires for the night. Discipline is the only path which can lead an individual to a bright future.
Some of our greatest fears as parents, teachers and mentors that surround discipline is that how much is enough? How harsh is too harsh? Am I helping, or somehow making things worse? Psychological researches suggest that being successful with discipline means looking at discipline as teaching, and not as a punishment. Discipline is not about getting students to do what a teacher/mentor want them to do. That's what dictators do, and a teacher/mentor is not a dictator. Discipline is providing an environment in which positive teaching and positive learning can occur simultaneously. Discipline is not a control from the outside; it's an order from within. Nature is the best mirror of perfect discipline to all of us. The earth, the sun, the moon and other planets are governed by certain laws to maintain perfect harmony and beauty. Any deviation from these set rules, will spell an utter disaster in nature.
Discipline is necessary for both the teacher and the taught in a teaching learning atmosphere. A good teacher has a great responsibility of keeping a high image of his personality in the society. He can't do it unless he maintains an intellectual and more discipline of a high order. No student will obey and respect an indisciplined teacher, however high may be his knowledge. Similarly only a serious and self disciplined student achieves something worth in the life. Students who are not disciplined, just wander here and there, waste away their precious time and energy in useless activities and later on repent in life. They soon learnt that there is no shortcut to success and it is only through consistent hard work and self discipline that they can achieve their objective in life.
Discipline is not only desirable but indispensable. Absence of discipline in teaching learning atmosphere means decay. To prevent decay, discipline has to be imposed. Discipline is essential for the success and development of a child and It is the only key to success. A teacher/mentor should be able to shape and mold the young minds of students' with discipline and an approach to remind them of how important they are to the society and that their future will depend how they adjust to different situations. When the teachers in ancient India taught their students, it was their trust and belief in the teachers and the discipline shown by the students that learning was possible even through the word of mouth. The core values still remain in the modern days, although more technicalities have permeated the manner in which students learn nowadays.
Our present system of Education stresses much for value based education, but the absence of discipline is seen everywhere which will fetch only bitter consequences. It depends on all of us to think that where we are going …Whether in the right or wrong path.
Bency Joy
GSSS SABARI
PhD scholar in Psychology