Discipline Without Distance
S.N.A.P. Coaching Framework
About the S.N.A.P. Method™ : The S.N.A.P. Method™ is a reflective framework created for teachers navigating the real world.
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing…” — 1 Peter 3:9
For many of you, school is back in full swing. Your heart is hopeful, and your classroom is ready. The walls are vibrant, pencils are sharpened, and your routines are set. You’ve studied the class list and whispered a silent prayer over each name. Yet… there’s still a knot in your stomach.
Because deep down, there’s one fear many teachers won’t say out loud:
“What if I get that class?”
You know the one.
The class with the student who flips desks.
The student who curses as if they’re in a street fight.
The student who disrupts, refuses, threatens, or storms out.
You’ve seen the TikTok videos. So have I.
One video showed three upper elementary boys walking into Walgreens as if it were theirs, grabbing what they wanted, and swearing at the store clerk when confronted.
The boy in the green robe? He used some… colorful language to describe one of the workers.
Another clip featured a young girl in a bright pink jacket shoplifting at the mall. When a group of teens reported her, she didn’t flinch. She rode the escalator up, punched one of them in the face, then descended, smirking.
The internet dubbed her “Junie B. Baddie.”
I couldn’t help but wonder… What if one of those kids ends up in someone’s classroom?
What if one of them ends up in YOURS?
A Moment That Made Me Pause
Right after watching those videos, I saw a post: “Praying I don’t get any bad kids this year.”
I understood. I truly did.
Then it occurred to me, what if someone else is praying that the very child gets a teacher who won’t give up on them?
Discipline can’t just be about sending students away when they’re at their worst.
The truth is, some students walking into our classrooms this year already carry more than we can imagine: generational pain, trauma, fear, street survival skills, and a worldview shaped by instability and chaos.
How do we teach and lead in classrooms where chaos occasionally enters with a backpack?
What Happens When Suspension Becomes the Default
When we lead with fear instead of faith, we depend on removal rather than redirection.
When removal becomes routine:
Relationships break before they even begin.
Students internalize that they are the problem rather than having a problem.
Teachers burn out trying to manage behaviors instead of reaching hearts.
Don’t misunderstand me; there are times when students need to be removed for safety or discipline, but if suspension is the only option, we miss the chance to teach.
So What Do We Do Instead? The S.N.A.P. Approach to Discipline
This is not about being soft. This is about being strategic and spirit-led. When there is no plan, our students often “perish,” and when we react, we often regret it.
That’s why the S.N.A.P. Method™ can be a game-changer in classrooms full of unpredictability:
STOP. Take a moment before you respond. Breathe. Ask yourself: Is this behavior triggering something in me?
NOTICE. Observe patterns. Notice what preceded the outburst. What is the true need behind the noise?
ACT. Respond, don’t react. Use your words, posture, and tone to de-escalate rather than escalate.
PLAN. Follow up. What structures, supports, or conversations are needed to prevent this from becoming normal?
When Students Are Unruly, Teachers Must Be Wise
Discipline isn't about asserting power; it’s about teaching self-control. The most effective disciplinary moments are those that teach both the student and the teacher.
We can’t always prevent fights, curse words, or outbursts, but we can choose whether our classroom becomes another battleground or a place where healing starts.
That doesn't mean accepting everything. It means understanding behavior wisely and intervening intentionally.
Your Boundaries Can Be Kind and Firm
To the teacher afraid of that class, take heart.
You don’t need to fear students who come in loud, guarded, or aggressive. You were called for a purpose like this. Your presence might be the first reliable support they’ve had in years. Your tone could be the first calm voice they’ve heard all week. Your structure might be the first sense of safety they’ve experienced in a long time.
You can be compassionate and consistent.
You can have high expectations and a soft heart.
You can redirect without rejecting.
You can lead with peace, not panic.
Let This Be the Year…
Let this be the year you remember as the most significant, the one when you realized the most troubled students were often the most hurt.
Let this be the year your classroom becomes a space where discipline is rooted in dignity, not distance.
Let this be the year you teach from conviction, not fear.
Because somewhere, a child is about to walk into your room…and they need more than just rules.
They need someone who understands the story behind their struggle and responds with purpose, not punishment.
