#classroom behaviour problems

[whysocialstudiesrules]

[whysocialstudiesrules]

Linda Shalaway outlines a few of the most common behaviour issues and how to wean students away from them while still retaining your sanity.

Those students included: The Chatterbox, the Boycotter, the Debater, the Sulker, and the Clinger

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Intermediary Students, Children or Proto-Adults?

Social Studies can be an interesting and compelling class, or one of constant battles in intermediary schools. Much of the differences comes from the teacher’s perceptions of their students, AND vice versa.

It’s been my experience that while intermediary students are in fact, by law, minors, treating them as adults and showing them what sort of expectations come with that treatment offers them a positive challenge. 

Once puberty hits, a mental switch is flipped. Perhaps this does not occur consciously, but an irrevocable change occurs none the less. This change tells the child that they are worth respecting now, even if they do not understand how to show that respect in return. I would argue that this is where much of the grades 7-9 drama comes from, but that’s another topic entirely.

Where science and math are the study of the ‘What’ and ‘How’, Social Studies is the study of the ‘Where’ and ‘Why’. This where and why is very important to these students as they need to know how they fit into this world being described. Engaging intermediary students on a level of maturity, even if they don’t always meet up with it, can build a much more positive classroom experience.

Imagine a classroom where the teacher spoke down upon the 8th grade students the same way they would a 5th grade child. No respect would ever be exchanged and rebellion would surely be building in the ranks.

Now imagine a classroom where the teacher attempts to engage those same students as adults. Asking thoughtful questions, building off the students’ responses, and walking them through the outcomes rather than paving the students over with them. In this classroom, doubtlessly there would be those who do not measure up to the average level of maturity but they could model after their peers once the classroom procedures are established.

Students will rise or fall to your expectations as their teacher. Showing them that you will teach them as adults will motivate them to be better than where they started the year.

[whysocialstudiesrules]

Know thyself (and thy classroom)

Every teacher has had those students who seem to defy every goal you’ve set out for the classroom. They chat, text, leave their worksheets blank, and ignore your instructions at every possible turn. 

But don’t panic there are always things you can do as a social studies teacher.  When the classroom gets you down, change the classroom.

Find what sort of activities get the least amount of resistance from those students who defy you. Is it the hands-on activities? The more conversationally based ones? Or maybe it’s the activities in which silent seat work is required. Building in a lesson which uses this sort of activity every once and a while can motivate students to participate further as it will benefit them the next time that preferred format arises.

Maybe these students are over-stimulated outside of school and find they are ‘gearing down’ in order to meet the energy level of your outcomes. Solution? Allow them some extra stimuli while they work. Earbuds are everywhere in today’s classrooms, whether they are officially permitted or not. Allowing these students to listen to music while they work can stave off the boredom and restlessness which may have been the cause of their prior defiant behaviors.

Perhaps they need a more enriched environment. Social studies is blessed with ample resources for the classroom. Visuals such as maps, timelines, graphs, posters, and photos can bring a lot more to the learning process than simple lectures ever could for visual learners. Documentary films may seem like a cop out, but in moderation they can build a stronger connections between topics for many students. 

In social studies, especially in a intermediary classroom, behavior problems can be a large detriment to the learning of the majority of the other students who are present. Identifying the causes and potential solutions is key to maintaining the productiveness of your learning environment. 

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Young boys and girls usually exhibit problematic behaviors such as stealing, lying, fighting, using bad language, skipping class, and bullying. They display aggressive actions due to various reasons.

“The teenage years are a formative part of the life of every individual. Nonetheless, the continuous transformation that young boys and girls endure usually provokes negative behavioral issues and poor attitude. A lot of them experience anxiety and low self esteem; but in order for them to hide this uncomfortable phase of transition and change, they create a different persona.”

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Michael Linsin gives a thorough introduction to managing difficult students and by consequence avoiding more difficult classroom situations.

When it comes to any classroom, there will always be those problem students. The ones who seem to take endless pleasure in bothering the teacher, and in this case that’s you. 

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Cell Phone Ideas and Other Behavioural Solutions

“A teacher from Dallas found a creative way to address the cell phone problem. If students wanted to bring a cell phone to class, they had to pay a dollar at the beginning of the year (help was provided for students who couldn't pay). The teacher took a dime from the dollar every time a student refused to put his phone away when asked. If a student's dollar ran out, he or she had to pay another. The money collected was donated to a charity chosen by the class at the end of the year, and the unused balance was returned to the students.”

Source: Meeting Students Where They Live - Richard L. Curwin

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Basic reminders on everyday behaviour problems

Teachers who can draw on a range of responses when dealing with common classroom misbehaviours are more likely to keep those students in the classroom, resulting in fewer disruptions to instruction, enhanced teacher authority, and better learning outcomes for struggling students (Sprick, Borgmeier, & Nolet, 2002).