Student who interrupt in class...

What can we do about students who interrupt in class? or what shouldn't we do with students who interrupt? 

Well, all teachers have to deal with students who interrupt in class and they can cause real life problems if not dealt efficiently and effectively. These are the students who shout, interrupts during discussion by making rude or silly comments or generally ignore teacher instructions.

As teachers, we need to understand why these students feel the need to behave like this. The most common reason for their behaviour is that they need attention or wish to gain recognition/status. They are missing the sense of belonging and try various strategies to draw attention to themselves.

Therefore, to cater to their need and to have win-win situation, we need to synergize and provide them with the activities that encourages cooperative learning, engage them with different roles and responsibilities, praise and appreciate them in public, talk to them with patience, set some natural consequences for them, talk to their parents and understand their perspective, before starting a class ask the whole class to meditate and begin their day on a positive note, if you wish you can share or pass some positive vibration by words/short story to them or read aloud than please do that, re-emphasize on the 7 habits and give them small exercises or roles to perform.

In short, you can grab this opportunity to use this behaviour to teach appropriate social skills. And remember teaching behaviour is just as important as teaching academic subjects.

Is lying purposeful?

Why do children lie? Is lying purposeful? What if a child lie and then confront? What if they behave inappropriately? Why do they bully? 

Well, the perpetual problem that many parents face is lying by their children. Therefore, its important that many parents recognize that all behaviour is purposeful, even the habit of lying.When parents confront their children about their pattern of lying, they may unintentionally make the problem worse. 

Parents need to rethink their perspective for dealing with their children when they lie. Parents should never use the word lying in front of their child/children. It is preferable to use phrases such as "you need to be more up-front with me" or "you need to be honest with me" or "I trust and I know you too". This relaxes the encounter and makes it more likely that you will get to the bottom of the situation.

Children may embellish stories and lie to their friends if they lack self-confidence and proper social skills. Children may feel the need to gain approval from their peers. If you are aware that your child is fabricating information, explore the issue with gentleness or seek professional counseling assistance if necessary.

Some guidelines for parents to cope with children who conceal the truth are:

• All behavior is purposeful, even lying. Lying is not always intentional deceit/pretence and may be aimed at getting attention from parents or manipulating a situation.
• All children will lie on occasion. It is inevitable. Remember your childhood?
• When children tell the truth, reinforce their positive behavior.
• Never set-up your child by being aware of a lie and then asking him for the truth without discussing that you have information. Acknowledge up-front that you know what's going on.
• Monitor your children's behavior (without over-involvement).
• Remember lying is always a byproduct of other more meaningful areas of exploration with your children.
• As a parent, role-model honest communications and behavior demonstrating integrity with your children. 

Unfortunately, some children are pathological (chronic) liars. These children wreak/cause havoc at home.Remember that lying is purposeful behavior that can be minimized with healthy involvement with your children, appropriate monitoring, sensitivity and understanding, and role-modeling of honest, open, and emotionally expressive communications.

Children are Children

It has truly said that “Children are Children”, no matter where they live or whose class they are in. Today’s students expect much more animated, interactive class and much less dogmatic classroom atmosphere. Definitely, the chances of getting class into chaos would be quite high in such situation.  Implementing classroom management techniques requires practice for both the teacher and the student. By employing these techniques, a teacher will be able to create an atmosphere conducive to learning.

Ask students to make four to five essential agreements, provoke them, probe them and help them in framing affirmative statements. Write and paste them on wall along with Procedures and Routines until students make them habits. Ensure they understand the essence of it and reinforce the same repeatedly. Establish expectations right at the beginning, as to what kind of behaviour in the classroom is acceptable and which will not abide.    

Be prepared with all the resources before taking the class. Always keep some filler worksheets/ planned activities/ manipulative/ comics/ reading material etc. for the students in class. Engage the students in learning process. One-way lecturing will sidetrack them, which will ultimately distract other students and teacher as well. In order to engage them, plan some creative learning activities. These can be as simple as brainstorming exercise.

Despite your best efforts to engage your students, there will be such times when one of them behaves in an unacceptable manner. Therefore, devise a strategy for dealing with such difficult students and therefore you need to plan.  Also, ensure to have student of the week, student of the month.

Hear me!

Recently, I came across a case where the child and the teacher were actually struggling with their own emotions. The relationship between a child and the teacher was not healthy. The teacher was actually not prepared enough to take the class and the child was seeking for attention and care. The teacher wanted child/students to listen to her and the child demanded to be heard. The teacher was upset; as the child was fussy about writing. She was frustrated, as according to her, the child was not manageable. The child was not able to adjust, neither in the class with peers nor with the teacher. One day, the teacher in her frustration, pulled his hair and nagged him for writing. However, the child...!

Finally, management decided to go to the root cause of the matter, and started investigating, counseling the parent for the same. They even concluded that the teacher is trying and learning to overcome her limitation and that the parent needs counseling. 

Well, in this situation the person who really suffers and struggles is a CHILD. What did he actually asked for? Was listening and talking to a child is that difficult? Giving child a comfort is really hard, complicated or thorny?

Is it really about bad parenting or a lack of classroom management technique?

Trust me, listening and talking about the concerns can reassure the child that he will be safe. Children react to stress at their own developmental level. Encourage child to ask questions. Listen to what he has to say. Provide comfort and assurance that addresses his specific fears. Communicate with the child in a way he can understand. Do not get too technical or complicated. Find out what frightens him. Encourage the child to talk about fears he may have. Focus on positive things. Appreciate him openly for every small deed. Develop a good, strong emotional bank account with him. Give him responsibility; make him feel responsible and capable of doing anything and everything.

In education, intellectual development is not enough. Education must be both intellectual and emotional. The aim of education – in fact, the aim of life – is to work joyfully and to find happiness. Happiness means being interested in life, or as I would put it, responding to life. Education must be geared to the psychic needs and capacities of the child. Discipline, dogmatically (strictly) imposed and punishment creates fear; and fear creates hostility. This hostility may not be conscious and overt, but it paralyses endeavour and authenticity of feeling. The extensive discipline of children are harmful and thwarts sound psychic development.