No matter if you teach preschool, high school math, middle school special education, or PE… disruptive behavior from students is a commonality. Learn from veteran teacher and guest blogger Gina (from Teaching with Heart) as she vulnerably shares some mistakes we all often make regarding disruptive behavior.
—
Don’t throw in the towel yet!
We all have those students whose behavior we have to manage all day long. We’ve tried everything to change their behavior, from smiley face charts to token boards to rewards and consequences, but nothing seems to work. We wind up feeling exhausted, burnt out, and frustrated from all the redirecting we do every day, and sometimes we just want to throw in the towel. But I’ve got good news: we might be making things harder than they need to be. Keep reading to find out the 3 mistakes you might be making when trying to change disruptive behavior.
-
Focusing on the Behavior
Student behavior can be so disruptive, frustrating, and even dangerous, that it’s easy to get blinded by the behavior itself and become hyper focused on it. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t even really matter WHAT behavior your student is engaging in. Many traditional behavior strategies are a response to a student’s behavior, and ultimately, reactive strategies. Behavior science tells us that all behavior is a form of communication, and that all behavior serves a function. To find a strategy that actually works to change behavior, you need to focus less on the behavior itself and more on WHY it’s happening.
Once you can figure out the function of the disruptive behavior (why it’s happening), you can plan proactive strategies that will lead to real behavior change, and make a plan for exactly how you will respond to the challenging behavior each time it pops up.
-
Being Inconsistent
It’s really hard to respond consistently to disruptive behavior when you’re overtired and overworked. We have a million things on our plate, and sometimes it’s easier to just let that student have their way because we don’t want to deal with the fallout. But without consistency, there can’t be any real behavior change.
When you’re inconsistent with how you respond to student behavior, your kids are unclear on the expectations. You send the message that sometimes you’ll respond one way, and sometimes you’ll respond another way. In order for students to learn your boundaries, it’s important that you’re consistent in how you respond to student behavior every single time. Make a plan for how you will respond to student behavior (what you’ll do and say) and share it with any adults that enter your classroom to make sure everyone is consistent.
Taking Student Behavior Personally
As teachers, we care so much about our students, that oftentimes we take their behavior personally. But your students aren’t intentionally trying to manipulate you, be defiant, or be difficult because they want to make your life miserable (although it sometimes feels like it!). Ross Greene says it best, “Challenging kids are challenging because they lack the skills to not be challenging.”
Instead of taking our students’ behavior to heart, we need to take a step back and separate our emotions from the situation. We need to realize that our students aren’t out to get us, but instead, their behavior is communicating to us that they need help. Before you respond to a student’s behavior, take a few moments to calm yourself down so you can think clearly and be consistent in your response. Remember… a dysregulated adult cannot help a dysregulated child!
The most important points
Student behavior is hard to navigate, but there are a few important things to keep in mind that will make things a little easier:
- Plan strategies that address the function of the behavior
- Be consistent with how you respond to behavior
- Don’t take student behavior personally
If you’re tired of constantly managing disruptive behavior in your classroom and are ready to learn more, click here to watch my free training, How to Teach Rules & Routines to Stop Disruptive Behavior From Day 1.
