The
trouble has reached the point you, the teacher, need to request the student instigating it step
out the door and wait for you to come talk with him. He may or may not comply
at the first request, usually students do, but sometime you need to remind him
of rule one, Follow Directions. Usually that gets him out of the room.
So he’s
gone. Now it’s time to get the class back on track. DO NOT STOP TEACHING. Go on
until you reach a natural stopping point. Once the students are involved in the
task at hand, casually walk out the door as if you didn’t have a care in the
world. Remember students are always watching how you react. If you are riled up
they know it immediately. If you are calm, they recognize that you are in
control of yourself and the class. Stay calm.
If you
are upset about the discipline issue, wait. Sometimes another student would
think I had forgotten the student standing out in the hall and reminded me that
he was there. I’d say, ‘Yes, I know.’ And go on with teaching.
When
you are no longer angry go out to talk with the student. You may find him
seated on the floor or pacing the hall, or he may just be standing waiting
there. From past experience he is expecting that you will come out angry and
start berating him for the infraction that sent him out in the first place.
He is
about to be taken by surprise. You walk out the door and simply ask a question.
The question depends on the situation. After you ask the question you simply
wait for the students to answer it. I promise you will be surprised more often
than not.
One time I asked, ‘Why did I
request that you come out into the hall?’ The young man answered, ‘Because I
called him a douche bag.’ I hadn’t heard that part of the conversation. I had
to come up with a response fast. So I said, ‘And?’ His answer: ‘I talk too
much.’
After the student has acknowledged
that there is a problem you still need to let him do the talking. Now it’s time
to ask him what he plans to do about the situation. In the above case I asked, ‘What do you think
you could do about it?’ His answer: ‘Not talk so much.’
After the student proposes a
solution, ask if that’s what he wants to try and then invite him back into
class. Frequently that will lessen the trouble you’ve been having with this
student by a marked degree. In the particular case I just described I never had
to request the student leave the room again.
Another case involved a middle
school student. Just before the class dismissed for lunch, I saw his binder go
flying, ending up under another student’s seat. I requested that he step out in
the hall and stay until I had a chance to speak with him. The bell rang, I
dismissed the other students and then went out in the hall to talk with the
young man in question, I’ll call him Johnny.
I said, ‘Johnny, how did you binder
end up under Sam’s desk?’
‘It was at the edge of the table
and I happened to hit it,’ was Johnny’s reply.
‘Would you demonstrate that for me?’
I asked.
We went back into the classroom; he
put the binder at the edge of the table, sat down and hit it with his elbow. Of
course it only fell to the floor directly below his table.
‘Wow,’ I said, ‘that didn’t even
come close to Sam’s chair.’
‘I guess I must have hit it harder
than that,’ he offered. I suggested he try it again. The binder failed to go
the required distance even with a more determined shove.
‘Okay, here’s what really happened.’
he said,’ I threw it at Sam because I was mad at him.’
‘Oh, I see. What do you think I
should to keep this from happening again?’
‘Move me away from Sam.’
‘I’ll do that next class. Have a
good lunch.’
Johnny was a chatty young man, but
ended up the year one of my quietest, most cooperative students. Letting him do
the talking in a difficult situation made all the difference in the world in
our teacher-student relationship.
If you want more information on
this theme go to: http://www.loveandlogic.com/c-13-classroom-management-discipline.aspx
No comments:
Post a Comment