We, teachers often use the terms classroom management and classroom discipline interchangeably. However, the two ideas are different in how they are applied in a classroom setting. Classroom management is the responsibility of the teacher to provide procedures and routines. Classroom discipline is the student's responsibility for following rules and facing consequences of breaking rules.
However, in both classroom management and classroom discipline, the teacher sets expectations for the class. The students must know at all times what is required of them, and they also must know what the consequences are if they do not adhere to those requirements.
Research shows that teachers who have poor classroom management skills will commonly use strict discipline to gain control of their students. Instead of students knowing what is expected of them and responding to procedures and routines, they are worried they might get in trouble. A classroom run by strict discipline might not result in a positive learning environment. If a student does not know what is expected of his/her, the chances she will misbehave increase, resulting in the need to discipline.However, very often and despite our best efforts we, teachers, feel "hopeless" in certain classes or with certain students due to discipline problems.
This short course (based on Penny Ur's book A Course in Language Teaching) does not deal with general classroom management and organisation but only one aspect of classroom management: the discipline issue and (potentially or actually) misbehaving students.