Root Issues of Student
Behavior Problems
Dave Opalewski
4622 Still Meadow Dr.
Saginaw, MI 48603
(989) 529 - 9928
[email protected]
Stop It!!!
z Bob Newhart Youtube
Notable Failures
z Creative and imaginative people are often
not recognized by their contemporaries.
Even more often, they are not
recognized in school by their
teachers. The following is a list of
examples:
Notable Failures
z Einstein – 4 years old before he could speak and 7
before he could read.
z Newton – did poorly in grade school
z Beethoven – His music teacher once said of him, “As a
composer, he is hopeless.”
z Thomas Edison – His teachers told him he was “too
stupid” to learn anything
z F.W. Woolworth – Got a job in a dry goods store when
he was 21, but his boss would not let him wait on
customers because he “didn’t have enough common
sense.”
More Notable Failures
z Walt Disney - fired by a newspaper editor because he
had “no good ideas.”
z Michael Jordan – Cut from his high school JV
Basketball team because” he didn’t have the skills to
play high school basketball.”
z Leo Tolstoy – Flunked out of college
z Louis Pasteur – Was rated as “mediocre” in chemistry
by his professors at Royal College.
z Admiral Richard Byrd – The Navy forced him to retire
because he was “unfit for service.”
Teacher Miscues
z Sure attitudes causing failure:
y Them – “it’s all their fault”
y Me – “I know I’m right”
y Me – “I’m going to show them they are
wrong”
Wrong with “Them”
z “It’s not what is wrong with them
z It is what am I going to do about it!!!
Remember
z We live in a world full of conflict
z It is not what is wrong with them, it is
what has happened or is happening to
them
The Past
z The past doesn’t excuse a person’s
behavior but it can explain a person’s
behavior.
The Past
z “We are products of our past but we don’t
have to be prisoners of it.”
(Rick Warren)
The Past
z You may forget your past, but your past
remembers you.
Loss
z In most states, we kick kids out of
school without a helping program
z In Fact:
y Every 9 seconds in the U.S. a student is
expelled from school.
y In other words, we lose a kid to the
streets every 9 seconds ! !
Myth Vs. Fact
z Myth: Nothing works with respect to
treating or preventing violent
behavior
z Fact: A Number of prevention and
intervention programs that meet
very high scientific standards of
effectiveness have been identified
z
Source: “The Challenge,” Dept. of Ed. SDF Programs Newsletter
They Don’t Want To
z “In all my years of clinical practice,
After treating thousands of teen drug
addicts, I have come to the
conclusion that not one of them ever
wanted to take drugs.”
y Dr. Joel Robertson, psychiatrist
Alarming Stats
z 89.9% of Michigan prisoners dropped out or were
expelled from school
z For every 4 cents spent on education, we spend
one dollar on adult prison programs
z Of 126 students who murdered schoolmates or
staff, 122 have been abused
z In countries with stricter gun control, there are
fewer school shootings
z
Source: Malcom Smith, “The Peaceful Intervention Program”
Student Misbehavior
z Students who chronically misbehave and struggle with
academic success often are frustrated in their classes and
act inappropriately to get attention from their peers or to
have the last word with their teacher
z Others act out of frustration and gain notoriety for being
disrespectful, difficult in class, and poor students in general
z These students, usually are the ones that need more class
time to catch up on skills, but because of discipline policy,
miss valuable class time.
z As this cycle of failure grows, so does the frustrationof
these students
Interesting Facts
z Our children spend their time watching TV
or on the Internet more than any other
activity in their lives
z Our children observe over 20,000 acts of
violence on TV and the internet before
they graduate from high school
z The TV and internet is the number one
caregiver of our children
Research Evidence and
Child Misbehavior
z Denying a child emotional
responsiveness/ignoring a child’s need for
intimate human interaction is the most
destructive form of abuse and neglect
short of killing or permanently maiming
the child (Egeland & Erickson)
z Many children’s problems are the result of
the spill-over of problems and conflicts of
adults (Herrenkohl & Egolf)
Children Believe What
Their Parents Tell Them
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
You’re pathetic
You can’t do anything right
I’m sick of looking at your face
Don’t you know how to listen
You disgust me
You can’t be my kid
Words hit as hard as a fist. Stop and listen
what you are saying to your students !
Perception
z “A child’s perception of the teacher’s
perception of whether or not they
can learn the material, is more
powerful than the child’s own
perception of whether or not he can
learn the material”
Why Is This Kid So
Different ?
z A high needs young person (one with ADD,
ADHD, attachment issues or other
personal problems) is simply different
z Not bad. Not intentionally demanding,
Just different
z When a parent or teacher can keep that
distinction in mind, working with a high
needs child is easier.
Research Study
z A research study has indicated as
many as 33% of identified LD
students have superior intellectual
ability
z Source: Helping Hand,” Vol. 12 Issue 3,
November, 2001
Student
Rationalizations
z
z
z
z
z
How will that help me get a job ?
We never talk about the real world
My brother never studies
My parents don’t care what I do
Everyone else does it
Teacher’s
Rationalizations
z The principal never does anything
z Students won’t listen
z The only way to reach them is
through threats
z I already tried that and it didn’t work
z Students from that family never do
well
Favorite Teacher
z Groups of two
y Discuss with your partner the most influential
teacher you have ever had: two minutes
Most Desired Teacher
Qualities
z In order according to students:
y
y
y
y
y
y
Sense of humor
Explains assignments
Fair
Kind
Willing to help
Content area knowledge
Benefits of Consequences
Rather Than Punishment
z Makes students accountable for their own
behavior
z Allows the student to make their own
decision about what course of action is
appropriate
z Permits the student to learn from the
natural or social order of events in their
culture/community
Goals of Misbehavior
z Attention - interrupting, clowning,
forgetting
z Power - tantrums, demands, stubborn
z Revenge - rude, hurtful, violent
z Inadequacy - quitting easily, not trying
z Create Excitement - chaos feels normal
z Peer Acceptance - anxious, need to belong
z Superiority - to compensate for feelings of
inferiority
Behavior
z When we focus on the behavior, we
are not focusing on the primary
issue. Although the student needs to
eliminate the behavior, the real
issues is not the behavior, the real
issues are:
y What does the behavior cover up
y What does the behavior provide for the
student ?
Boston 247
z Youtube
Boston 247 Results
z Student was given negative consequences
such as removal from classroom resulting
in:
y
y
y
y
y
Lingering ill feelings between teacher/student
Student falling academically further behind
Student frustration
Behavior perpetuates
Crisis repeats
Primal Brain Vs. Modern
Brain
z “Humans have one brain, but it has
developed over time and become more
complex, leaving us with essentially two
brains:
y Modern brain
y Primal brain
Primal Brain
z Responsible for survival, drive and instinct
z When the primal brain is in operation, the
modern brain is not working much.
z The student who is screaming and venting is
operating from his primal brain.
Screaming/Venting
z Any kind of talking or reasoning during this
primal brain operation is most likely to escalate
rather than de-escalate the situation.
z Think about a time someone told you to calm
down – did it work????
z It may have made you angrier!!!!
When Facing the Primal Brain
z Am I in a threatening posture
z Am I too close, providing a feeling of entrapment or the
need to escape
z What am I communicating with my body, my hands, my
facial expressions
z What message am I sending nonverbally to the primal
brain
Modern Brain
z When the situation calms down the primal brain
turns off and the modern brain kicks into
gear(Parasympathetic response), rationality
returns, bringing back clearer thinking.
z Many times the student feels sorry for the
behavior and can process more clearly.
z
Teaching Anger Control
z Not during an anger episode – worst time
because the primal brain is not fond of learning
z Teach when students are calm, and engage
them in these techniques when their modern
brains are engaged
Should Teachers Get
Angry?
z Because we are not perfect, we all get
angry at times. Pretending your angry
feelings don’t exist isn’t healthy.
y . Righteous anger
y You have to do something and doing nothing
isn’t something.
Teacher Anger
z Not the Elimination of our anger but the
transformation of our anger.
z Share your feelings with someone you
trust who is strong enough and smart
enough to help you deal with them.
z When students escalate, stay calm.
z When angry feeling come reflect don’t
react.
Hot Button Activity
z Groups of two
Strength vs. Deficit Approach
z A strength based approach means we respond to
students in ways that notice their value and focus
on what is working.
z We must maintain a positive approach, even
when the child’s behavior is hard to understand
We Must Reframe Our Perspectives
z Deficit-Based
Strength Based
z He is just a bad kid
His behaviors may be a
challenge, but no such thing
as a “bad kid”
Strength Vs. Deficit
z Deficit
Strength
z What is wrong with him?
z Here she goes again
–
–
What is right with him?
I wonder what is the
underlying reason why she
does that
Strength Vs. Deficit
z Deficit
Strength
z He refuses help
He’s afraid he will get hurt
again if he lets me in
Strength Vs. Deficit
z Deficit
z He can’t be trusted
z
z We are in charge around here
Strength
He needs a positive person in
his life to trust
Let’s give her a choice
Thoughts On Change
z Suffering does not have to occur to make change
z Sometimes seeing a better life is enough, but the
child must know how to get there, be supported
in route, and be allowed to make mistakes along
the way
z For some children (and adults) change seems too
painful. They do not feel they can make the
change as it has not worked in the past or
something is wrong with them
z “What are the risks if I change ?”
z Swap behavior; don’t expect to change behavior
z Practice the change in behavior
Protecting “You”
z Keep Book - “I saw this or read this on this date”
“this is what I observed” Make sure this
documentation is written in a non-judgmental
manner. “The APA says this is a warning sign”
Make duplicate - forward one copy to central
location
z Contact Parents - “Here is what we saw” “We
want you to be aware” “You may choose steps or
we can help you”
z Document contact with parents - Write down time
and date of call, who said what, if you left a
message on a machine, or got a busy signal/no
answer
The Problem Reader
z Frequently, students who are struggling
readers misbehave or choose to be absent
from school to avoid being frustrated or
embarrassed in front of their peers
z Meanwhile, school administrators exhaust
discipline options and increase the
academic problems with school
suspensions
z Intervening in this cycle of failure is vital
Ways To Intervene
z Help them to read and write better
y One similarity with these students is reading
comprehension scores below the 25th
percentile on standardized tests
y Studies also show that once students
experience success with reading and writing,
they recognize a relationship between effort
and success, have less frustration, exhibit less
classroom misbehavior
y Additional data supports claim that when
reading and writing skills improve, so does
attendance, self esteem, classroom behavior
Ways To Intervene 2
z Build Relationships
y Let your students see you as a person, not just
as a teacher
y Look for alternatives to detentions
y Don’t get involved in a battle of the will. You
won’t win
y Respect goes both ways. Put-downs don’t
work
y As relationships are developed, attitudes
improve, behavior improves, attendance
improves, and academics improve
Ways to Intervene 3
z Make students your allies, not your
adversaries
y Read prom story
Building Relationships
z Always treat students with dignity
y don’t back student into corner - put on defense
y don’t develop power struggles winners/losers
y eliminate sarcasm
y “lets talk as self respecting individuals”
y be open to student feedback
y put students into position for success
Building Relationships
z Respect is more important than
obedience
y with respect, obedience will come for
the right reasons
Building Relationships
z Model behavior you expect from
students
z Use practical discipline strategies
y if they don’t work don’t use them
y embarrassing a student does NOT work
y discipline for correction, not retaliation
Affirmation
z One of the most effective techniques I
have ever seen:
Arrange chairs in a semi-circle facing a single chair
The single chair is the “hot seat”
Each student takes a turn in the hot seat
In the first part the one in the hot seat was asked to tell us
“what is good about me” not easy but our children must learn to
affirm themselves
y In the second part students in semi-circle tells the one in the
hot seat what they left out. (No comments about looks or
clothing)
y The one in the hot seat listened to compliments and praise for
several minutes.
y
y
y
y
The Effect
z To say that this exercise had a positive effect would be
a great understatement. It had a powerful effect on
everyone in the room.
z Students talked the next day about how great it felt.
z Common responses were:
y
y
y
y
y
y
y
“There is a lot more good in people than bad”
“We need to get in the habit of looking for what is good in others”
“Building up people is better than tearing them down”
“Nothing feels better than genuine praise from others”
“We all need recognition and encouragement”
“It feels good to make someone else feel good”
“Affirmation brings out the best in people-everyone wins!”
Alternatives To Detention
Develop a service project
Simply go for a walk for a leisurely chat
Have student help with a bulletin board
Have student help set up a science lab
Read a book to Elementary children
Spend time in computer lab teaching or
being taught by other students
z Remember - the idea is to build a better
relationship
z
z
z
z
z
z
Create A Hunger For
Behavioral Change
z “Come on, I will do it with you”
z Genuine modeling
z Tell a child “you are needed”
Points About Attitude
z You can’t discipline attitude
z To achieve a positive attitude, you
must appeal intrinsically to a person
I Get What I Get
z I can’t pick my students
z What am I going to do about that,
NOT what is wrong with them
z I don’t have control over who I get
BUT I do have control over what I do
z Teach the kids we have, NOT the
ones we’d like to have
Kids Respond
z You are in charge of the behavior, the
response. Make it worthwhile
z We are always in a relationship with the
student and we can’t take ourselves out of
the relationship
z Everything in your classroom that happens
is in direct relation to what you do. So if it
doesn’t work, DON’T DO IT
z If you think student apathy is a problem,
you have a problem
It Is NOT What We Do,
It IS What We Believe
z What we believe is the reason for what we do
z If I believe it is my job to get kids excited about
what I teach, than my behavior reflects that
z I must believe that this student has a right to be in
my classroom and my job is to teach him
z If I believe kids will learn if I do a better job, I
better do a better job
z I believe that kids will be better because they had
me as a teacher
z We all need to look at what we believe, because
that’s what makes the difference, and that’s what
makes kids change
Closing Thoughts
z Standards are not high or low, they are
appropriate or inappropriate
z I have a choice to walk into my classroom
with a scowl or a smile
z Today is the first day of the rest of my
students’ life and today is the day I can
make a difference
z If you determine to make this year the best
year for your students, you will have the
best year of your career
Remember !
z If you don’t touch their hearts, you
won’t teach them anything
z Keep standards appropriate. When
we lower standards we are insulting
our students
z Love your students ! !
In Conclusion
z Show the real person
y call the student by name
y greet with a smile
y notice something - haircut, new clothes,
etc,
In Conclusion
z Set Clear Boundaries
y nurturing, assertive, nonthreatening
discipline
y give the “why”
y rules give boundaries
y consequences
In Conclusion
z Give students some ownership
z “Schools isn’t being done to them”
z Make instruction relevant
In Conclusion
z Find ways for students to be
successful
z Positive channels of communication
should be taught and made available
Remember
z Don’t Condemn the actor
z condemn the action