Classroom Strategies For Managing Difficult Behaviour

Summary

This video outlines eight effective strategies for defusing difficult behavior in a classroom. Key techniques include staying focused on the main issue rather than secondary behaviors, using a child's name to maintain attention, referring to school policies, and distracting or deferring disruptive actions. The strategies also emphasize maintaining privacy when addressing behavior, reducing the sense of threat by adjusting your physical stance, enlisting trusted students for help, and removing the class from the situation to eliminate an audience. These approaches are designed to foster a more constructive and less confrontational classroom environment.

Takeaways

• 😀 Focus on the primary issue and ignore secondary behaviors to avoid getting sidetracked.
• 😀 Repeating the child's name can help maintain attention and show you care.
• 😀 Referring to the school policy removes the personal aspect of behavior management.
• 😀 Distraction is a useful first step when addressing minor behavioral issues.
• 😀 Defer dealing with disruptive behavior until it is less disruptive to the group.
• 😀 Defuse tension by speaking in a calm, emotionless tone, like a 'robot'.
• 😀 Address behavioral issues privately to avoid making the child feel embarrassed.
• 😀 Lower your physical position to lessen the sense of threat and intimidation.
• 😀 Send a trusted student for help to ensure you can manage both the child and the class.
• 😀 Remove the audience (other students) from a defiant child to take away the source of attention.
• 😀 Consistently use calm, clear strategies to avoid escalating the situation with difficult behavior.

Q & A

What is the primary focus when dealing with difficult behavior in children?

The primary focus should be to address the main issue causing the behavior, rather than getting distracted by secondary behaviors that follow. For example, if a child refuses to do their work, you should focus on the initial request (getting the work done) rather than responding to any additional negative behaviors that may arise.

How can using a child's name help defuse difficult behavior?

Using a child's name helps to maintain their attention, reinforce the relationship between teacher and student, and make the child feel that the teacher is personally engaged and cares about their actions. It serves as a tool to focus their attention on the task at hand.

Why is blaming the policy an effective strategy for managing behavior?

Blaming the policy shifts the focus from a personal confrontation between the teacher and the child to a neutral, rule-based approach. This reminds the child that the behavior is not about the teacher's personal feelings but about adhering to established classroom rules, making the situation less emotionally charged.

What does 'distract, defer, defuse' mean in the context of managing classroom behavior?

'Distract' involves redirecting the child's attention to something else, 'defer' means delaying a response to the behavior until a more appropriate time, and 'defuse' refers to calming the situation using a neutral, unemotional tone to avoid escalating conflict.

What are the risks of addressing difficult behavior in front of the whole class?

Addressing difficult behavior in front of the class can lead to embarrassment or a power struggle. The child may become more defiant, and it also puts them in the spotlight, making the situation worse. It's better to handle it privately, away from the attention of peers.

How can reducing the sense of threat help in managing behavior?

By lowering the physical stature (e.g., kneeling or sitting beside the child), the teacher reduces the physical power imbalance, which can make the child feel less threatened and more likely to cooperate. It creates a more calm and supportive environment.

Why is it important to send a trusted child to get help during difficult situations?

Sending a trusted child to get help allows the teacher to focus on managing the disruptive behavior without losing control over the rest of the class. It ensures that other students are still attended to while also managing the situation with the child causing disruption.

What is the strategy of removing the class from a difficult situation?

Removing the rest of the class from a difficult situation removes the audience from the child, which can diminish the child's need to act out in front of peers. It shifts the focus away from the disruption, leaving the child with fewer reasons to continue defying the teacher.

What role does repetition play in managing difficult behavior?

Repetition helps reinforce the teacher's expectations without getting caught in side conversations or secondary behaviors. By repeating the initial request (e.g., 'I need you to get on with your work now'), the teacher maintains clarity and consistency, which is important for children who may try to distract or derail the conversation.

Why should emotional tone be minimized when dealing with difficult behavior?

Minimizing emotional tone helps defuse a potentially escalating situation. By using a monotone or neutral voice, the teacher removes any fuel for further emotional escalation, creating a calm and controlled environment where the focus can shift back to resolving the issue.