Responding to bad behavior,Bad
behavior is not a good thing at all in a classroom and you cannot ignore it --
otherwise it will get worse. The problem is that it is easy for your response
to be ineffective or even make the situation worse.
There are
many ways of responding to bad behavior. Here are just a few.
Basic rules
Bad behavior, not bad person
Adopt an attitude
that behavior can be bad and unacceptable, but this does not mean the person is
bad. A bad person is unredeemable and cannot be changed. A basically good
person can be separated from bad behavior, especially if you act as if this is
what they really want.
Act, but do not react
Reacting
means acting instinctively, without thought. Unfortunately, our instincts were
largely sharpened in the relatively recent ecological past of the primate
jungle, where aggression is an appropriate response. A natural response to bad
behavior is anger, but unfortunately this only creates more problems, if not
today then certainly in the future.
Acting
means thinking first, and then acting in a way that will achieve a good result
for the student, for you and for the school. This may not mean an immediate
response, and giving a little time to cool down (and let them cool down) can be
very productive. An effective approach is to hold back disruptive students at
the end of the lesson.
Analyze, then respond
Seek first
to understand the real reason why they are
naughty,
then design your actions to address the deeper motivations. Done well, this can
be very effective.
Be consistent and fair
When you
are responding to bad behavior, always be clearly fair. Treat each incident
separately and be equal-handed with all. If you make rules then you must always
follow them up. If you use a punishment with one child, you must be prepared to
use it with others.
However,
do remember that different responses work differently with different students.
Customise what you do to have the appropriate effect. And always keep your
cool, of course.
When they
are not paying attention you can:
- Use silence, just standing and looking at
them. When they pay attention, thank them and continue.
- Remove the source of
distraction, for example confiscating magazines and toys.
- Call them back after class and
keep them waiting for a while as you ignore them whilst clearing up. Then
talk about paying attention to one another.
Some students
often prefer to chat with their friends rather than join in the lesson. It is
generally a bad idea to try and talk over side conversations.
- Ask one of the talkers a
question about the work, or just a general question, such as 'So, Michael,
what would you have done in this situation?'
- Ask the rest of the class what
you should do about the people involved. When they hear their name, and
especially when they realize everyone else is talking about them, they
will stop talking.
- Interpose your body
between the talkers (easily done if they are quite distant from one
another).
- Separate the talkers, moving
them near people with who they are unlikely to converse.
Heckling
When their
jibes are directed at you, then you can defuse their comments in many ways.
- Ask them to explain what they
mean. Keep questioning them until they get a bit embarrassed.
- Ask them why they made the
comment. If they make another smart response, reject it and return to the
original question. Force them to think more deeply.
- Reframe their comment,
reinterpreting it as if it were positive.
- Ask the class if that was a
smart comment.
- If the comments are
inappropriate, call them out immediately. Say that the comment was
inappropriate and give them a chance to apologize. If they do not, then
take them to the next stage, for example holding them back after class or
sending them to the head teacher.
When
students threaten one another or otherwise cause fear or anger within the
classroom,
- Ask them directly what they are
doing.
- Ask the class what they think.
Ask if the behavior is appropriate.
- Separate the parties.
- If necessary, send the
aggressor out of the classroom. Tell them to cool down (and only then
reason with them).
- Follow up separately with
aggressor, victim and observers. Get the whole story.
- If the behavior is a repeat,
then move the aggressor to the next stage of the school discipline system.
Fighting
Sometimes
fights break out in the classroom. These can be of two very different sorts.
One is due to bullying (and can be initiated by the victim 'snapping'), the
other is pecking-order disputes. Neither is acceptable, of course, and must be
dealt with carefully.
- Do not put yourself between the
fighters unless you are very certain you can separate them little harm and
within legal constraints.
- Use a clear, commanding voice,
tell them to stop, now.
- Get other children away from
harm's way.
- If feasible, dousing them with
water can be effective.
- Send one of other children to
get help as appropriate.
- Put both of them through the
school system for fights.
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