Disruptive behavior in the classroom
is one of the primary concerns of teachers around the world. According to
statistics, more than forty per cent of childcare professionals quit their jobs
in just five years: they find it hard to handle unsettling behaviors in the
classroom.
Troublesome behavior is
essentially any kind of demeanor that acts as a threat to productive learning situation
as well as successful performance of a teacher. This definition is useful in
that it helps to make a distinction between the types of behaviors occurring
within the classroom. Here are a few ways in which a reflective practitioner
can handle such behaviors while teaching.
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Reflect
on action before action
Take some time to ponder on
all common disruptive classroom behaviors you may have to face: distracting
other students during the class, gossiping, not following directions, showing
aggression, being rebellious and so on. This is extremely important to staying
proactive and planning strategies of management.
Thus, you are better prepared
to handle situations as you have reflected on action before action. Think
critically about your experience and personal knowledge of strategies utilized for
reducing disruptive behavior. You would do well to learn from the strategies
employed by senior colleagues in school.
Reflect
in action
When a disruptive behavior
happens right before your eyes, you need to reflect in action. Plans to handle
recurring behaviors like the ones mentioned above will be useful at times; when
you 'frame' the 'issue', think critically 'on the spot' about the context
(classroom), students, experience and personal knowledge of strategies employed
for preventing disruptive behavior.
You should follow the policy
of the school on handling disruptive behavior. Moreover, you need to be clear
about strategies to manage violent, confrontational or critical behaviors such
as using tools in a workshop as weapons of ‘war’, throwing tantrums thereby creating
anxiety in other learners, or showing defiantly no inclination to follow rules.
Understand the hidden message of violent communication
Almost
all behaviors are a way of communication, particularly disruptive behaviors.
However, violent communication of small children may be extremely difficult to
understand. To avoid such behavior, you
must try your best to understand the unclear and unknown message of such communication.
Patient perseverance is the key here.
Connect with all your students
Try
to connect with all the children so that they can build a strong relationship
with and trust in natural authority. This is important before you expect them
to display their best behavior. You can make a class behave using brute
authority, but the costs will be heavy.
That
might turn even a quiet child a ‘militant’. A warmer and stronger connect with
them will be more productive. The first reaction of the teacher after managing
the misbehavior must be to play more with the child, give quality time, and
make her/him feel important, relaxed and
at home in the classroom.
Evaluate the reaons
Evaluate the
reasons that caused the disruptive behavior. Was the class noisy? Was the group
time too long? Was the child hungry? Are there any disturbing issues at home
that the child faces? Is the child having a hard time establishing friendships?
A reflective early
childhood education practitioner will ensure a good connect with
all children, as they know they are being understood
properly with immense love and taken care of.
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