3 Questions to Ask Yourself When a Student isn’t Following Classroom Expectations
Erin Evans, M.A.
It’s mid-October. You’ve been running yourself thin for the last three months and your patience is running out. Of all students, why must little Johnny be the one earning the perfect attendance award for the third month in a row.
You all know a little Johnny or two. They come in every class. You begin the year optimistic. You try all the tricks in your book. Some might help for a little while. Others might backfire. You seek help and you’re told, “you just need to build a relationship with him”. Ha! If it were that easy you wouldn’t be having that conversation and I wouldn’t be writing this article.
In all my years of teaching, some in special education, I’ve found that when one glass of wine with dinner isn’t enough to wind down at the end of the day, it’s time to re-evaluate. Ask yourself these three questions and see if you can’t gain some new perspective on little Johnny.
1. Is the learning I’m expecting Johnny to do within his zone of proximal development?
In the rush to get everything in before state testing starts, we sometimes lose sight of who we’re teaching. Pre-assessment at the start of each unit, formative assessment along the way, can help guide you and offer insight for what scaffolding or extension may be needed. It doesn’t matter where you’re at in the curriculum or how soon you need to “get through” it. You’re wasting your time if you aren’t meeting students where they’re at.
2. Are there social dynamics at play?
The students viewed as behavioral problems are often acting out as a way of concealing a deeper problem. This is true starting in about 4th or 5th grade. Students become more and more aware of each other’s academic performance. A child who is struggling academically will do anything to save face. After all, it’s far cooler to be the class clown than the “dumb kid”. Be mindful of this. Provide scaffolding in discreet ways. Be selective about seating arrangement. If little Johnny is sitting right by the “cool kid” he’s always trying to impress, then you’re going to be fighting this battle until May.
3. How does little Johnny see himself?
Sometimes a student with a pattern of undesirable behavior has been at it for so long, they don’t know any other way. How can you change the script? Not so long ago, the little Johnny in my class, gave me an important reminder. I had called him over to my table. At once, he said, “what did I do?”. He hadn’t done anything. I wanted him to join a small group for some skill practice. He was so used to behavior redirection, that this was his automatic response. That was on me. When a child always expects correction or redirection from an adult interaction, his self-concept is diminished. When reinforced for all the positives, the self-concept is improved, and the positive behaviors increase. It’s a win, win.
When you’re frustrated, tired, and you’ve felt like you’ve already put so much time and energy in, it’s hard to think in this way. Especially when you’re at your wits end. You also can’t keep doing what you’ve been doing. You can’t call someone to get the child out of your classroom. Unless the child is being unsafe, that’s the last thing you want to do. (Well, it’s the first thing you want to do in the moment.) For the long term benefit of you, the student, and the rest of the class though, you need to show this child that you want him there. Fake it till you make it if you have to. Let him know you’re on his side and celebrate the wins together. You’ve got this.
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