8. Some problems require only minor interventions.
These problems involve behaviors that, if
infrequent, usually don’t disrupt class activities and
learning. For example, students might call out to the
teacher out of turn, leave their seats without
permission, and engage in social talk when it is not
allowed, or eat candy in class. When only minor
interventions are needed for problem behaviors,
these strategies can be effective (Evertson &
Emmer, 2009, pp. 188–190):
8
9. ● “ Use nonverbal cues. Make eye contact with the
student and give a signal such as a finger to the lips, a
head shake, or a hand signal to issue a desist.”
● Keep the activity moving. Sometimes transitions
between activities take too long, or a break in activity
occurs when students have nothing to do. In these
situations, students might leave their seats, socialize,
crack jokes, and begin to get out of control. A good
strategy is not to correct students’ minor misbehaviors
in these situations but rather start the next activity in a
more timely fashion. By effectively planning the day,
you should be able to eliminate such long transitions
and gaps in activity.
9
10. ● Move closer to students. When a student
starts misbehaving, simply moving near the
student will oft en cause the misbehavior to
stop.
● “Redirect the behavior.”
If students get off -task, let them know what
they are supposed to be doing. You might say,
“Okay, remember, everybody is supposed to
be working on math problems.”
11
11. ● “Provide needed instruction.”
Sometimes students engage in minor
misbehaviors when they haven’t understood
how to do the task they have been assigned.
Unable to effectively do the activity, they fill the
time by misbehaving. Solving this problem
involves carefully monitoring students’ work
and providing guidance when needed.
12. ● directly and assertively tell the student to
stop.
Establish direct eye contact with the student, be
assertive, and tell the student to stop the
behavior. “Keep your comments brief and
monitor the situation until the student
complies. Combine this strategy with
redirection to encourage desirable behavior.”
12
13. ● “Give the student a choice.”
Place responsibility in the student’s hands by telling him that he has
a choice of either behaving appropriately or receiving a negative
consequence. Be sure to tell the student what the appropriate
behavior is and what the consequence is for not performing it. A
helpful strategy is to plan ahead for how you will handle such
behavior problems once they occur. A recent study of elementary
schools in Australia revealed that minor forms of student misbehavior
were a common concern of teachers, that teachers were spending
considerable time on behavior management issues, and that planning
ahead for how to handle such problems was linked to lower stress for
the teachers (Clunies-Ross, Little, & Kienhuis, 2008). Moderate
Interventions Some misbehaviors require a stronger intervention
than those just described—for example, when students abuse
privileges, disrupt an activity, goof off , or interfere with your
instruction or other students’ work. Here are some moderate
interventions for dealing with these types of problems (Evertson &
Emmer 2009, pp. 177–178):
13
14. Inevitably, you will have students who
abuse privileges they have been
given, such as being able to move
around the classroom or to work on a
project with friends. In these cases,
you can revoke the privilege.
14
15. The time-out, which involves removing a student from positive
reinforcement. If you choose to use a time-out, you have
several options. You can (1) keep the student in the classroom
but deny her access to positive reinforcement, (2) take the
student outside the activity area or out of the classroom, or (3)
place the student in a time-out room designated by the school.
If you use a time-out, be sure to clearly identify the student’s
behavior that resulted in the time-out, such as, “You are being
placed in time-out for 30 minutes because you punched
Derrick.” If the misbehavior occurs again, reidentify it and
place the student in time-out again. After the time-out, don’t
comment on how well the student behaved during the time-
out; just return him to the activity that was interrupted.
15
16. A small amount of repetitious work can be used as a penalty for
misbehavior. In writing, a student might have to write an extra page; in
math, a student might have to do extra problems; in physical education, a
student might have to run an extra lap. The problem with penalties is that
they can harm the student’s attitude toward the subject matter. Students
also can be made to serve a detention for their misbehaviors, at lunch,
during recess, before school, or after school. Teachers commonly assign
detentions for goofing off , wasting time, repeating rule violations, not
completing assignments, and disrupting the class. Some detentions are
served in the classroom; some schools have a detention hall where
students can be sent. If the detention occurs in your classroom, you will
have to supervise it. The length of the detention should initially be short,
on the order of 10 to 15 minutes, if the misbehavior is not severe. As
when using the time-out, you will need to keep a record of the detention.
16
17. Among the people who can help you get students to
engage in more-appropriate behavior are peers, parents,
the principal or counselor, and mentors.
Peer Mediation Peers sometimes can be very effective at
getting students to behave more appropriately. Peer
mediators can be trained to help students resolve
quarrels and change undesirable behaviors. For example,
if two students have started to argue with each other, an
assigned peer mediator can help to mediate the dispute,
as described later in the chapter when we discuss
conflict resolution.
17
18. You can telephone the student’s parents or confer
with them in a face-to-face conference. Just
informing them can sometimes get the student to
improve behavior. Don’t put the parents on the
defensive or suggest that you are blaming them
for their child’s misbehavior in school. Just briefly
describe the problem and say that you would
appreciate any support that they can give you.
18
19. Many schools have prescribed consequences for particular
problem behaviors. If you have tried unsuccessfully to deal
with the behavior, consider asking the school’s
administration for help. This might involve referring the
student to the principal or a counselor, which may result in
a detention or warning to the student, as well as a parent
conference with the principal. Letting the principal or
counselor handle the problem can save you time. However,
such help is not always practical on a regular basis in many
schools.
19
20. Earlier we underscored the importance of students
having at least one person in their life who cares about
them and supports their development. Some students,
especially those from high-risk impoverished
backgrounds, do not have that one person. A mentor
can provide such students with the guidance they need
to reduce problem behaviors (Lindley, 2009; Rowley,
2009). Look around the community for potential
mentors for students in high-risk, low-income
circumstances.
20
21. Violence in schools is a major, escalating concern.
In many schools, it now is common for students
to fight, bully other students, or threaten each
other and teachers verbally or with a weapon.
These behaviors can arouse your anxiety and
anger, but it is important to be prepared for their
occurrence and handle them calmly. Avoiding an
argument or emotional confrontation will help
you to solve the conflict.
21
22. A recent national study of almost 3,500 U.S. schools
revealed that aggression and school violence are serious
concerns. In the 2007–2008 school year, schools reported
the following (Neiman, DeVoe, & Chandler, 2009):
● The rate of violent incidents per 1,000 students was
higher in middle schools (41 incidents) than in elementary
schools (26 incidents) or high schools (22 incidents).
Chapter 14 Managing the Classroom
● Almost 50 percent of schools reported at least one
student threat of physical attack without a weapon, and
almost 10 percent of schools had such a threat with a
weapon.
22
23. ● Approximately 13 percent of city schools indicated they have
had at least one gang-related crime, a higher percentage than
reported by suburban (5 percent), town (5 percent), or rural (3
percent) schools.
● Almost 20 percent of city schools reported that student
disrespect for teachers (other than verbal abuse) occurred daily
or at least once a week, higher than reported by suburban (9
percent), town (11 percent), or rural (5 percent) schools. ●
About 25 percent of schools report that the reason they have
difficulty reducing or preventing crime in a major way is the lack
of or inadequate alternative placements or programs for
disruptive students. Let’s now explore different types of
aggressive behavior problems and teacher strategies for how to
effectively deal with them.
23
24. Classroom management experts Carolyn Evertson and Edmund Emmer
(2009) recommend the following in dealing with students who are fighting.
In elementary school, you can usually stop a fight without risking injury to
yourself. If for some reason you cannot intervene, immediately get help
from other teachers or administrators. When you intervene, give a loud
verbal command: “Stop!” Separate the fighters, and as you keep them
separated, tell other students to leave or return to what they are doing. If
you intervene in a fight that involves secondary school students, you will
probably need the help of one or two other adults. Your school likely will
have a policy regarding fighting. If so, you should carry it out and involve the
principal and/or parents if necessary.
Generally, it is best to let the fighters have a cooling-off period so that they
will calm down. Then meet with the fighters and get their points of view on
what precipitated the fight. Question witnesses if necessary. Have a
conference with the fighters, emphasizing the inappropriateness of fighting,
the importance of taking each other’s perspective, and the importance of
cooperation.
24
25. Significant numbers of students are victimized by bullies (Kaiser &
Rasminsky, 2009; Vernberg & Biggs, 2010). In a national survey of more
than 15,000 sixth- through tenth-grade students, nearly one of every three
students said that they had experienced occasional or frequent involvement
as a victim or perpetrator in bullying (Nansel & others, 2001). In this study,
bullying was defined as verbal or physical behavior intended to disturb
someone less powerful. As shown in Figure 14.5, being belittled about looks
or speech was the most frequent type of bullying. W ho is likely to be
bullied? In the study just described, boys and younger middle school
students were most likely to be affected (Nansel & others, 2001). Children
who said they were bullied reported more loneliness and difficulty in making
friends, while those who did the bullying were more likely to have low
grades and to smoke and drink alcohol. Researchers have found that
anxious, socially withdrawn, and aggressive children are oft en the victims
of bullying (Hannish & Guerra, 2004).
(CONTINUED…..)
25
26. Anxious and socially withdrawn children may be victimized
because they are non- threatening and unlikely to retaliate if
bullied, whereas aggressive children may be the targets of
bullying because their behavior is irritating to bullies (Rubin,
Bukowski, & Parker, 2006). Social contexts also influence bullying
(Faris, 2009; Schwartz & others, 2010). Recent research indicates
that 70 to 80 percent of victims and their bullies are in the same
school classroom (Salmivalli & Peets, 2009). Classmates are oft
en aware of bullying incidents and in many cases witness bullying.
The larger social context of the peer group plays an important role
in bullying (Salmivalli & Peets, 2009). In many cases, bullies
torment victims to gain higher status in the peer group, and they
need others to witness their power displays. Many bullies are not
rejected by the peer group.
(CONTINU…..)
26
27. study, bullies were only rejected by peers for whom they were a
potential threat (Veenstra & others, 2010). In another study,
bullies oft en affiliated with each other or in some cases
maintained their position in the popular peer group (Wivliet &
others, 2010). What are the outcomes of bullying? Bullies and
victims are characterized by a number of negative developmental
outcomes (Arseneault & others, 2008). A recent meta- analysis of
33 studies revealed a small but significant link between peer
victimization and lower academic achievement (Nakamoto &
Schwartz, 2010).
(CONTINUED….)
27
28. A recent study indicated that bullies and their victims in adolescence were
more likely to experience depression and engage in suicide ideation and
attempt suicide than their counterparts who were not involved in bullying
(Brunstein & others, 2007). Recently, bullying has been linked to these suicides:
An 8-year-old jumped out of a two-story building in Houston; a 13-year-old girl
hanged herself in Houston; and teenagers harassed a girl so mercilessly that
she killed herself in Massachusetts (Meyers, 2010). Another study revealed
that bullies, victims, or those who were both bullies and victims also had more
health problems (such as headaches, dizziness, sleep problems, and anxiety)
than their counterparts who were not involved in bullying (Srabstein & others,
2006).An increasing number of prevention/intervention programs have been
developed to reduce bullying (Biggs & Vernberg, 2010; Guerra & Williams,
2010; Singh, Orpinas, & Horne, 2010; Swearer, Espelage, & Napolitano, 2009).
How can bullying be reduced? A research review revealed mixed results for
school-based intervention (Vreeman & Carroll, 2007). Such interventions vary
greatly, ranging from involving the whole school in an ant bullying campaign to
individualized social-skills training. Following are two of the most promising
school-based bullying intervention programs:
28
29. Created by Dan Olweus, this program focuses on 6- to 15-
year-olds, with the goal of decreasing opportunities and
rewards for bullying. School staffs are instructed in ways to
improve peer relations and make schools safer. A large
study of 2,500 students in 42 schools in Norway found that
the Olweus program was effective in reducing bullying
(Olweus, 1994). Information on how to implement the
program can be obtained from the Center for the Study and
Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado
(www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints).
29
30. This program is tailored for students in kindergarten through the eighth
grade and offers a school-wide approach and a teacher curriculum for
reducing bullying. It emphasizes how to recognize bullying behavior and
quickly respond to it and how to develop students’ communication skills
in conflict situations. Intervention methods are provided, school posters
related to bullying are available, and a parent’s guide helps involve
parents in effective ways to reduce bullying. Recent research indicates
that this program is effective in reducing bullying (Beran & Tutty, 2002;
Plog, Epstein, & Porter, 2004). Information about the Bully-Proofing Your
School program is available at www.sopriswest.com.
(CONTINUE……)
30
31. There is increasing concern about cyber bullying, which occurs when
a child or adolescent is tormented, threatened, harassed, or humiliated
by another child or adolescent on the Internet (Hinduja & Patchin,
2009). There has been a substantial increase in youth harassment and
cyber bulling on the Internet in recent years (Palfrey & others, 2009;
Uhls & Greenfi eld, 2009). A recent survey found that bullying and
harassment, both online and offline—most frequently by peers—were
the most frequent threats that adolescents said they face (Palfrey &
others, 2009). In a recent study of fifth to eighth-grade students, some
of the students said they consider online bullying as more serious than
traditional bullying, especially when the identity of the bully is unknown
(Mishna, Saini, & Solomon, 2009). To learn more about helping
students prevent cyber bullying, see the Web site of Stop Cyber
bullying (2010) ( www.stopcyberbullying.org/ ).
(CONTINUE……)
31
32. Defiance or Hostility Toward the Teacher Edmund Emmer and
Carolyn Evertson (2009) discussed the following strategies for
dealing with students who defy you or are hostile toward you. If
students get away with this type of behavior, it likely will continue
and even spread. Therefore, try to defuse the event by keeping it
private and handling the student individually, if possible. If the
defiance or hostility is not extreme and occurs during a lesson,
try to depersonalize it and say that you will deal with it in a few
minutes to avoid a power struggle. At an appropriate later time,
meet with the student and spell out any consequence the
misbehavior might merit. I n extreme and rare cases, students
will be completely uncooperative, in which case you should send
another student to the office for help. In most instances, though,
if you stay calm and don’t get into a power struggle with the
student, the student will calm down, and you can talk with the
student about the problem.
32