When students misbehave or fail to follow classroom rules, there are consequences. The most common one is getting pre-referrals. Many students believe that pre-referrals are too harsh and unfair, while others disagree.
After getting three, students have lunch detention. And if they skip lunch detention, they get an extra day and campus security has to walk them from class. After getting six, the student’s parents get called, and administrators, teacher, parent and student have a meeting to discuss behavior. And after about nine, students will get detention after each pre-referral. Sometimes, pre-referrals can be a little unfair, while other times they can be fair.
Pre-referrals are used as a form of discipline for students when they are not listening or paying attention. If a teacher warns a student multiple times and they still don’t listen, they are given pre-referrals.
Students get lunch detention just after three pre-referrals. Many students believe that they should get detention after more than three. Students can get three pre-referrals in one day by doing things that they are comfortable with doing.
Just by leaving their phones out in class, they get a pre-referral, and if that happens to them more than three times a day, they will get lunch detention the next day. Although it is expected for students not to have their phones out, some students may forget and leave them out on their desks or use them for something small. Which doesn’t make it completely fair.
Breaking classroom rules that are set by a teacher is another way to get a pre-referral. And while those can be fair, many teachers do not have the same classroom rules as others. So if a student is used to one teacher’s rules, they may get confused when going to another class. But, while many think that this isn’t fair, others believe it is fair. If a student has been attending a class for a while, they shouldn’t be confused or forget the rules of other classes.
When students plagiarize, they get pre-referrals, and that is fair. Many students plagiarize and think that they will not get caught, but when they do, they don’t think anything about it. But they will end up getting pre-referrals, and after so many times doing this, they will end up getting lunch detention. And although students will say that it’s not fair, it is. Students should not be stealing work from other students or using other work as their own. So, for that, they will get a pre-referral.
Pre-referrals can be too strict, and students can get them for simple things most of the time. The school should take away some of the things that you can get pre-referral for. And to make it be that after you get five pre-referrals, you get lunch detention instead of after three. Also, students should have a meeting with the school after eight pre-referrals.
Although the things students can get pre-referrals for are mostly fair, not all of them are. The school should be keeping students accountable, but students still should be given more chances.
