Alexandra Kay
Education 100
Dr. Shutkin 1 April 2014
Teachers
and Misbehaving Students
Take a trip in your mind back to
your elementary, middle or high school. Most likely there was that one
designated or multiple students who always seemed to be getting into trouble.
The teacher would yell or punish these students, but they would still find
trouble after and the whole class would laugh at them or start to misbehave.
Now jump into your teachers shoes, imagine all the thought they had to put into
deciding punishments for misbehaving students. There truly is no book of golden
rules on how to handle misbehaving students while teaching. There is not one certain way to handle
misbehaving students. One recipe does not fit all. Teachers may not know how to
deal with misbehaving students because they do not know their personal
problems, not knowing of an effective way to approach students and not willing
to investigate bad behavior, but can establish a set rules.
Rummell,
Steven. "The Moral Poverty Issue." National Forum 81.4 (2001):
38. Education
Research Complete. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
This
article is eye opening and tells why students may misbehave. In very poor
areas, children do not have access to materials that are necessary. Food,
clothing and even shelter can be a struggle to get. So when these students come
to school them physically have no energy to learn. They are not interested on what
is on the power point they want sleep or food. Also, many times they are abused
and cannot physically focus on school. A vast amount of teachers blame kids for
misbehaving because they are rotten and immature. This can be true, but we must
look at home life.
This
article really opened my eyes. I have been blind this whole time on my
assumption on why kids misbehave. Of course, some kids have behavioral problems
or just naturally get into trouble, but I never looked on how strong a
student’s home life can affect their learning. I believe a teacher needs to
look at the whole situation if a student continually misbehaves. The teacher
should invest in a student’s home life and take into consideration why they
misbehave. Lastly, if a student is misbehaving the teacher could talk to the
student and see if their home life is negative. I believe, divorces, deaths,
abusive parents can really alter a student’s focus on learning. So before we
assume a student is rotten, we must really dig into his/her roots.
Bennett,
Tom. "The Behaviour Question." Times Educational Supplement
5078 (2014): 37.
Education Research Complete.
Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Tom
Bennett was a new teacher and could not handle his misbehaving students in
class. He tried the traffic light system,
putting their names on the board, taking one, two and three minutes of playtime
off them and giving them a stern few words or a pointed look. Nothing would
work. He did not know what to do. He got lost and discouraged. He then realized
that an effective way to deal with misbehaving students is subjective and
sometimes a teacher cannot do anything.
I think this
article is dead on. Great minds do not think alike, there is not an exact way
to handle misbehaving students. Sometimes, kids misbehave and there is nothing
you can do. Especially, little children do not think they are harming anyone by
acting up. Some behaviors are not preventable. I think teachers should not
stress over if they cannot find an effective way to stop students from behaving
improper. Trying so many new methods that do not work will only show the kids
they can behave badly without serious consequences. I believe talking to the
student personally is much better than a punishment.
Spencer,
John T. "We Hide The Best Parts." Phi Delta Kappan 95.3
(2013): 74-75. Education Research Complete. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
In
this article, Spencer tells the story of how he misinterpreted his students.
Spencer always assumed one of his students, Ernesto was up to trouble. Ernesto asked
to sit by Eric, a boy with Aspergers. Spencer interpreted this as Ernesto
wanting to bully Eric. One day on the playground students were kicking Eric’s
books. Ernesto pushed the students making fun of Eric and said, “Leave him
alone!” At that moment, Spencer realized Ernesto was not the bad cancer, he was
the cure. Spencer thought Ernesto was bad because of the mask he wore of the
image of being a trouble maker but never looked past the mask.
I
believe this article shows we need to personally get to know
a student rather than objectifying them through punishment if they misbehave.
This article relates to Steven Rummel’s article on a teacher getting to know
their students personally. We need to look behind the mask that a student wears
and look at the good before judging the bad. I believe it is very to assume a
child is acting a certain way because if bad behavior, but really that could be
his way to express themselves.
EDDISON, STEVE.
"The Three Wise Rules of Survival." Times Educational Supplement5073 (2013): 44-45. Education Research Complete. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Eddision
states that there is no certain way for students to follow behavior, but a teacher
can try and put effort. If you have rules, make them basic and simple. Even
though a teacher is one with the students, they need to direct them. His three
golden rules are: teachers should not expect to be productive during this time
(before breaks), use rewards such as candy to promote good behavior, and not
ask students to help clean and organize the classroom.
I
think this article states that we cannot completely control students but we can
make efforts to set a pattern to follow rules. I think not over whelming
students with many rules is much more effective than a long list of rules.
Sometimes, we cannot control behavior but using rewards will no doubt help control
and motivate students. Overall, having rules or punishing students is very
subjective. I believe there is not one way. Whatever way works to control a
classroom in a proper manner is no doubt the way to go.
Work Cited
Bennett,
Tom. "The Behaviour Question." Times Educational Supplement
5078 (2014):
37. Education Research Complete.
Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
EDDISON, STEVE. "The Three Wise Rules Of
Survival." Times Educational Supplement 5073 (2013): 44-45.
Education
Research Complete. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Rummell, Steven. "The Moral
Poverty Issue." National Forum 81.4 (2001): 38. Education
Research Complete. Web. 13
Mar. 2014.
Spencer, John T. "We Hide The
Best Parts." Phi Delta Kappan 95.3 (2013): 74-75. Education
Research Complete. Web. 13
Mar. 2014.
