Occasionally, our students may pay less attention to our direction and respond less to our discipline than we expect. Of course, we are all well aware that student behavior can vary in response to several forces and factors. The time of the year and proximity to calendar breaks can have an impact. Special events and occasions in their personal lives can also be distractions.
However, when we account for these elements, and any others we might factor in, and still find that students are not responding as we expect, we need to consider other potential causes. A good place to start is by examining our behavior and our approach to correction and redirection. Here are six common, but potentially troublesome, discipline approaches that are worthy of review and, if necessary, adjustment.
Culprit #1: Inconsistency. Addressing misbehavior at one time and ignoring it at other times can be a recipe for future misbehavior. Students seek predictability and stability, so when our behavior is inconsistent, they can become confused about our expectations. Also, when our choices to ignore or address behavior appear to favor some students, other students may conclude that our behavior is evidence of favoritism and even bias. The result can be growing resentment and increasing misbehavior.
Fix: Set only the rules and expectations you intend to enforce. Commit to addressing misbehavior regardless of the student, with exceptions occurring only when you have a good reason to do so.
Culprit #2: Failure to follow through. Giving directions and making threats that are not enforced sets the stage for future problems. Empty threats can lead to lack of respect and students ignoring established rules and expectations. Failing to follow through undermines our authority and diminishes student respect. As noted earlier, students seek consistency and predictability.
Fix: Resist making threats or promises in anger or when you are not committed. When you promise an action, be certain to honor it. If circumstances change and you need to adjust your stance or actions, be transparent about the reason.
Culprit #3: Excessive negative reinforcement. While we need to give attention to unacceptable behavior, we must also be quick to notice and reinforce appropriate behavior. The focus of our attention matters. If we spend most of our time correcting and enforcing consequences, students who seek attention are more likely to misbehave. Meanwhile, students who choose to follow directions and respond to our expectations can feel ignored and undervalued.
Fix: Be conscious of how much time you spend correcting and admonishing students. Seek a balance of time and attention in favor of positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior, good choices, and other positive actions.
Culprit #4: Public shaming. Writing names on the board, keeping track of misbehavior with sticks and stickers, and confronting students in front of the classmates leads to embarrassment and students feeling shamed. Shaming can lead to lingering resentment and become the cause of future misbehavior. Some students may feel they need to push back to avoid looking weak in front of their peers. Without intending, we can find ourselves having to deal with even more serious misbehavior in response to our approach.
Fix: Whenever possible, address student misbehavior in private. Distracting and disruptive behavior may require our immediate attention to redirect the offending student, but reserve extended discussion and consequences for a private setting when you can.
Culprit #5: Ignoring the cause. Behavior choices are made with purpose, even if students are not fully conscious of the reason. If we ignore or fail to understand the cause, we may be inadvertently reinforcing or escalating the behavior. Failing to understand and address the cause of misbehavior can make the situation worse.
Fix: Resist assuming the cause of misbehavior whenever possible. Take a minute to reflect before responding. When practical, have a conversation with the student to explore what is behind the behavior and how the root cause might be addressed.
Culprit #6: Overreacting. When in frustration or in response to other emotions we exaggerate or dramatize the significance of misbehavior, we expose the situation to escalation. Our behavior can become the issue. We can create hostility and engender a sense of unfairness. Of course, underreacting can also lead to confusion and assumptions that some unacceptable behavior is acceptable.
Fix: Use the gap between what a student does or says and your response to consider how much response is required. Sometimes “the look” is all that is needed. At other times, a brief comment or redirection is enough. The key is to match our response to the seriousness of the situation, but we need to avoid having our current mood drive what we say or do.
Obviously, most—if not all—of these potential missteps are familiar. However, in the fast-paced and distraction-filled context within which we manage our classrooms, it can be easy to forget, ignore, or let slip what we know to be effective management and discipline strategies. A brief review can head off problems before they grow and place us and our students back on track for behavioral and academic success.
