Disruptive Behavior.

[Juiles S.]

I have a new student in my class who can't seem to control his behavior. In the middle of most lessons, he just gets out of his seat and looks out the window. This is not just a problem in my class, it seems that all of my colleagues are having the same trouble.

Could anyone share some insight with a rookie teacher on how to address this type of behavior?

Many Thanks,

Juiles

[Unregistered]

I had a problem just like yours. I assigned him 2 seats in the classroom. When he tired of one, he went to the other. It worked for him and it worked for me. He just could not sit in any one place very long.

Perhaps the daydreaming could be a preferred activity for him after the required work is done and done with quality.

Good luck! tales4u2@msn.com

[Unregistered]

Focus on positive behavior - not the negative. Try a reward like a candy ****************er or whatever when he displays appropriate behavior. It doesn't seem to matter how old the students are, they are all pretty motivated to receive a treat and positive attention from the teacher!

[Unregistered]

What is the age of this student? If they are middle school/high school, have you discussed this problem with his/her parents? The student demonstrates traits of a tactile learner and therefore, in order to be "involved in the learning process" they have to have a hands on approach to learning. Can you take this knowledge and involve the student in other ways to get them to learn the topic at hand? Once you get the student engaged, the student should settle down and you will no longer have this problem.

The first thing is to talk to the parents and see what you can find out if they are underaged.

Hope it helps and good luck.

Kevin

[sisterbls]

Is this student in elementary, middle, or high school? He may need some coping straegies modeled/ taught. I would focus on anything that is positive and reward him for focusing on tasks and instruction. He may need some distractors that will keep him actively engaged at times. I had a hyperactive student who could not sit for more than five minutes at a time. I gave him responsiblities in class ( ie. cleaning the sinks, filing papers, running errands, sorting papaers, crayons, etc.. ). I also contracted him with a behavior modification system (use of a 15 minute chart which I checked or he checked to monitor self-control). He added up his checks and could redeem them for prizes, time with a kindergarten reading buddy other than our weekly time (which he really loved),lunch with teacher, etc. With this child I had to keep switching the monitoring system every two or three weeks. If he grew bored with it, he would become a major distraction to the entire class. I kept lots of note . One day I tallied all of the times he had distracted the class and shared it with him after school. I shared this with his mom , also. It was an eye opener for all of us. He had been disruptive over 80 times in one day. Think about the instructional time lost for allof the other children! Mom had taken him off of his medications and thought that we were exaggerating the situation !

[HaffTX]

It sounds, from just the tidbit of information provided, that this student is either ADD(tend to lose focus frequently/"zone out"), ADHD(cannot sit still, impulsive), or this child is not being challenged or engaged enough with the current lesson. Many children that are "above" their peers, in any number of different subjects, can become a behavior problem if they aren't challenged.

I agree with the previous post-er, who suggested giving the student "extra" things to do and a reward system for positive behavior, to discourage being a distraction to the rest of the children. I have always found it a great way to turn a bad situation around, to make the child(ren) in question a "helper(s)" in any way that I can.

I agree also that children can learn to taper their behavior with a little incentive, but in situations where a child has a true organic problem(chemical imbalance, etc.), that doesn't always work. A child in this situation, can easily have self-esteem issues if they are given an unattainable goal.

[ConnieSemler]

Try to use positive behavior and reward when he/she is behaving. Also send home a certificate when the student is behaving. Drop Mom or Dad a note or a phone call too!
Also let the student run an errand for you so he/she gets a chance to get out of their seat in a positive way!

Good luck

[Unregistered]

It might be helpful if he had a purpose for getting up. Maybe he can help pass out papers or erase the board. Then you can work on when it is appropriate to move around. If you explain that he needs to stay focused on his classroom helper tasks then he may not feel the need to focus on what ever is out the window.

[Unregistered]

Ask him in a friendly positive way, what it is that he is thinking when he feels the need to go to the window. What did he feel at the desk, what does he feel when looking out the window. Maybe he will give you an answer that will help you.

[Unregistered]

Don't make the mistake of jumping to the conclusion that this is strictly "a behavior problem". Does the child have hidden disabilities?...PDD, Anxiety disorder, ADHD. Quite often there is a "hidden" disability that facilitates the behavior. If this is the case the child can be hurt and things can get worse for him if you treat it strictly as behavior. I tell you this as a parent of a child with multiple "hidden" disabilities. Actions that our school district took to "deal" with his behaviors were the opposite of what they should have been doing. This caused him a great deal of pain, fear, anxiety ect. As a result, I homeschool him now. Please look into these possibilities and remember, children are not all cut from the same mold, some are born to stand out!

[Unregistered]

Try structuring the "getting up"; Discuss with the student a guideline that suits both of your needs. Place parameters on the movement, with terms you can accept. Perhaps other students will benefit by this, as well.

Motto: Stretch the unexpected into a positive and then say that you planned it that way!

[unregistered]

I have a new student in my class who can't seem to control his behavior. In the middle of most lessons, he just gets out of his seat and looks out the window. This is not just a problem in my class, it seems that all of my colleagues are having the same trouble.

Could anyone share some insight with a rookie teacher on how to address this type of behavior?

Many Thanks,

Juiles


In response to this child and as a piece of advise, this child needs to be redirected. First of all, we need to make sure that we use positive thoughts and words with the student. Secondly, ask the student what he likes to do during his spare time. Once you have more info on this child, offer him as a reward for his good behavior and hard worker of the day, a little of what he enjoys doing. (example: even if he is a middle school student, if he likes to draw, play with cars, etc. give him the opportunity to explore what he enjoys also in the classroom, with limits ofcourse! Use your judgement. This child needs something to be looking forward to and not just to sit there and listen to the teacher speak. Students need hands on activities and interaction amongst themselves once too often. Best of Luck!

[Unregistered]

Your posting did not make clear the nature of the disruption. Is the student loud and annoying to others? Does he/she remain at the window too long? Have you simply asked the student why she/he goes to the window? How old is the student? If no one else is disrupted by the behavior, I'd explain to the student the consequences of not attending to tasks, and then I'd let it go. My 33 years experience has shown me that sometimes when I permit a particular behavior to continue (so long as it is not harmful or distracting to others), the student will eventually return to the fold. I even had one 9th grade student SIT (as in her regular seat) on the wide window sill for half a year because she functioned better from that location. Only after I had handled her emotional issues could I then teach her that a "window seat" is not an appropriate adult choice in a "business" setting. Teach from the heart! Be genuinely concerned for each student's well-being. you'll never go wrong.

[Unregistered]

Your posting did not make clear the nature of the disruption. Is the student loud and annoying to others? Does he/she remain at the window too long? Have you simply asked the student why she/he goes to the window? How old is the student? If no one else is disrupted by the behavior, I'd explain to the student the consequences of not attending to tasks, and then I'd let it go. My 33 years experience has shown me that sometimes when I permit a particular behavior to continue (so long as it is not harmful or distracting to others), the student will eventually return to the fold. I even had one 9th grade student SIT (as in her regular seat) on the wide window sill for half a year because she functioned better from that location. Only after I had handled her emotional issues could I then teach her that a "window seat" is not an appropriate adult choice in a "business" setting. Teach from the heart! Be genuinely concerned for each student's well-being. You'll never go wrong.

[camrynsgrammie]

I Have Several Students That Display The Same Behavior, Two Of My Students Are Currently On Medication For Adhd. Your Best Resource Of Information Is The Parents Please Talk With Them Before Passing Any Type Of Judgement On A Child Who May Not Be Able To Control His Behavior And Suggest That The Parent Get Professtional Help For The Child To Make His Life And Everyone Elses Much Easier. Behavior Modification Along With The Medication Should Be Done. If That Isn;t The Problem Something At Home May Be Going On. Discuss With Parents.

[Unregistered]

I agree with some of the others...It just may not be disruptive behavior, even though it looks that way. If he has that need of getting up, then I would use it to my (teacher) advantage. Let him help you teach the lesson...maybe work the overhead, hold any teaching visuals, etc. In the meantime, I would do my homework to find out if their is a disability or ADD. If not, maybe make a referral.

After 23 years of teaching, I have learned to first, seek the root of the problem before trying to correct the problem.

[Unregistered]

It amazes me to witness the number of teachers willing to bend the rules for a child just because he acts out. I hope you are all just as attentive to your students who display better manners or consideration for others and for classroom rules. Just a veteran teacher

[marsiemc]

You had mentioned that this student is having trouble not only in your class, but also with his other teachers. The first thing I would do is conference with the other teachers to see what they do. Also, like most other teachers said since he is new you might not have all the information you need about him before you can take steps towards managint his behavior. You need to be talking to parents, they can give you information about his past behaviors in classrooms or tell you if he does have a disability. If not, like one other teacher said, you need to use your heart. Sometimes there has to be special circumstances for a certain child to learn better. If the child does not have a disability, that doesnt mean you cannot make accomidations to better serve the child! Just some helpful thoughts!

[laura peterson]

I don't think the kids should disrupt other students.They should get kicked out of school because there are other children trying to do their work.if some kids want to be bad and not taking advantage of the teachers help,then they are wasting the teachers time!I would defenitely not put up with that!!!!!!!





Thanks,
Laura R. Peterson

[Unregistered]

you could have the whole class go over to the window whenever the little boy gets up and does it.

[Unregistered]

I've read the posts on handling disruptinve behavior. While I can empathize with those students who need to stretch, I have a hard time accepting that we, as educators, need to search for the underlying cause of such behavior. We've become inured to the fact that kids aren't supposed to be up and walking about. When did it become "acceptable" to stroll the room and disrupt the class. In my classroom, the kids understand that they'll be given time to get into groups for part of the period as the lesson allows. This helps many of them stay in one spot. (I have middle school, 6-8). Others recognize that they're moving to another class in 40 minutes.
Why are we afraid to ask a student why he or she is up and then tell that student to sit down? I know I sound like an old crank, but we used to have rules in school and I am disappointed that respect for lessons are trumped by a student's need to exercise. We seem to want to ascribe blame to a perceived illness rather than ask a child to sit and stay seated.

[Stuart Little]

instead of trying to figure out why that particular student is standing up to stare out the window, why not just ask him/her? if you've tried that already or don't want to, simply:

1. ignore the child
2. team meeting with parents, counselor, fellow teachers, and administrators
3. look out the window too and have your whole class do so until that child stops annoying you

[Veralise]

Have you considered that he may be a "gifted" child and simply be bored?

Try giving him something interesting that challenges him and see if that helps!
Also do tell him to stay seated! LOL!

[Unregistered]

I think I might know what you can do.... Just give him a seat by the window and a seat in theback of the room. I f you do that when he wants to look out the window he can go to the window seat when he doesnt want to look out the window he can sit in the other seat. Hopefully this and the other suggestions will help you with that STUDENT!!!

[Unregistered]

How I long for the days when we would simply duct tape the lad to his chair.

No muss, no fuss...... simple application of elementary physics to ensure the lad remained in the full upright position but with no drop-down tray to worry about.

[Unregistered]

it is simple, all you have to do to him is punish him, the first time give him a warning then a detention then a referal... no exceptions!