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This is the system we have developed for dealing with minor offences in class like:

- Late, skipping
- Out of uniform
- Not bringing paper/pencil/books
- Inappropriate language
- Slacking off
- Talking out of turn
- Computer games, cell phone, MP3
- Horseplay
- Not bringing back forms on time

The overall process is as follows:

0. Teacher puts up the attached poster and prints out a copy of the attached offence tracking form for each student, placing the forms in a binder.
1. Student breaks a rule
2. Teacher tells student to go to the "Lines Corner" (wherever the poster with the lines text has been put up) and start writing (which also temporarily removes the student from his peers). The student is to bring his own paper and pen to the corner and start writing right away. Failure to do so is opposition to authority and is just cause to send the student to the office.
3. Teacher records the date and nature of offence on the student's offence tracking form. For each offence, the number of lines to write out doubles (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64...).
4. Referring to the offence tracking form, the teacher informs the student of how many lines he must write out this time around.
5. The student writes and writes and writes until he is done. They really hate it.
6. The teacher collects the lines, cancels them (preventing re-use) by stroking a pen across them, and checks off their completion on the student's offence tracking form.
7. Done!

The advantages are:

- Easy to gain compliance as the punishment for the first few offences is to write the lines out only once or twice.
- Minimal time elapsed between undesired activity and feedback (like the strap)
- Easy to administer and track since the student has to start writing right away and hands you evidence of completion at the end
- Hard for student to avoid (students would always have excuses or simply outright skip detentions)
- You don't get punished by losing your lunch hour running your own detention hall for a kid who probably won't show up
- Progressive discipline. First offence is essentially a warning as it only takes a minute to write out the lines once.
- Easy to document for future reference.
- Gives you a sense of control, even when kids are misbehaving.
- Positive, affirmative message being copied out. Also makes your expectations clear.

You can optionally:

- Give "get of jail free card" exemptions that students can cash in on a future offence. For example, a student who takes care of a mess without being told to do so can be granted such an exemption. I just record such exemptions on their offence tracking form and ask if they want to cash it in when an offence occurs.
- Get full page "student index cards" from the main office with full parent contact information on a one page per student basis. Then photocopy the offence tracking form onto the back. You then have an integrated parent contact and behaviour management system with very little paper to deal with.