Behaviors in the Classroom

Blake Chouinard
6/4/13
Dr. Li
SPGN
Behaviors At School

The Crier (Who Sheds Tears)

Behaviors:

When presented with any difficult task or a conflict, the crier (who sheds tears), which needs to be differentiated from the crier who calls foul, begins to physically cry if they believe they cannot achieve the task that is before them. Students of this nature typically are over anxious and tend to worry that anything that could possibly go wrong will go wrong. They also believe that “the weight of the world is on their shoulders” which may explain why they might be so close to tears when dealing with hard situations to handle. The crier (who sheds tears) may believe that they are not like their fellow classmates and this may lead them to be a loner of sorts and to seem like they just need a good friend. Students with this behavior may not ever believe that their work is ever adequate enough for their teacher’s standards.

Effects:

This type of crier may be difficult for some teachers to hand and teachers might not understand how they should relate to students with the behavior. Some teachers even ignore the student if they cannot or do not know how to deal with this issue. When a student with this behavior is in a classroom setting the teacher may feel uncomfortable around the student that they are actually afraid of talking to the student all together. Untrained teachers that do not know much about the behavior could use punishment if they view the reaction as immature.

Mistakes:

Common mistakes that teachers make when dealing with this type of student would be calling the student names or trying to shame them in any way. It is always important to understand that these students are not weak because of this reaction. The crying could be a positive this. Maybe showing that these students care about their work so much and are so worried about not doing well that they become so overwhelmed with failing that their natural instinct is to cry. This may be just an emotional characteristic of the student and there is nothing wrong with it.

Actions:

Students with this misbehavior have issues with self-confidence. It is difficult for them to face people and if there is a possibility that they may fail a talk then their behavior could be amplified. These students are very sensitive and easily hurt and they are obviously very emotional. This behavior can be checked by the student learning to be more assertive and also to learn that they are emotionally safe and that it is fine to be a sensitive person. Teachers with this type of student in their classroom should learn to be very patient. Also it is important to never view the crying as negative as it is not necessarily a bad behavior. Teachers can talk to students with this behavior about their sensitivity and make them recognize that sensitivity is a strength when it is not overused. By talking to these students it will help them realize that you are on their side and they may become less self-conscious about their reactions and learn how to show their sensitivity in a different way, possibly by communicating how they feel instead of through tears.

Reflection on Actions:

I think that it is definitely good advice to sit down and explain to the student that their behavior may not be abnormal. Talking to these students will help them see this issue in a different light and they may understand that it is not a problem per say but that the crying could be minimized and their sensitivity and their high need for achievement may be used to their benefit.

The Non-Participator

Behaviors:

Students with this particular behavior tend to fall behind on their classroom work on a daily basis and may not be learning or grasping lessons. They may seem indifferent or bored in class and may not remember to bring materials to class or care about turning in assignments that teachers give. This student will just sit in the classroom and do nothing but they will want attention from the teacher. Students with this behavior have “three personal voids” which are safety, esteem and self-actualization.

Effects:

The effects of a student with this behavior may be that teachers could not fully understand why these students do not seem to be learning or paying any attention and therefore do not know how to talk to these students. Teachers may become mad at this student because they refuse to participate and because these students get attention from the teacher more than others, classmates may begin to resent the non-participator.

Mistakes:

Common mistakes from teachers with the non-participator in their classroom are not even noticing that these students do not care about school because these types of students tend to be quiet. Also if the student is not disturbing other classmates teachers may not talk to the student, however it is important not to do so. Teachers must also not become angry at these students and think “if they aren’t trying, neither will I.”

Actions:

Causes of this behavior could be that students simply want more attention and they believe that if they do not participate they will be noticed. Another cause is low self-confidence. These students do not feel as if they can do well in school and instead of talking to the teacher or their classmates they just do not participate. It is important to be proactive in looking for signs of a non-participator. These students must be treated differently even if teachers do not accept late or makeup work because these students may attempt to do their work. It is important to talk to this student and attempt to understand what is causing them to not participate in class. Teachers must recognize that when students aggressively refuse to participate to remain calm because students may enjoy this attention that they are getting even if it is negative. Listening to these students and finding out why they are not participating or feel bored in class is always a helpful tool to use. It will take time to help the non-participator.

Reflection on Actions:

With this type of student it is very obvious that these students need more attention however, I think that it will be important to make sure that the class does not feel neglected and although the non-participator needs more attention, the rest of the class’s feelings and time are also equally important. It may be helpful to talk to parents as well to see if these students are eating well and getting enough rest before class and also trying to find out what the deeper issue is that is leading them to not participate.