Why Students Misbehave

Rudolph Dreikurs Goal 1 Attention Seeking Attention seeking is the most common goal for young children. They want to be the center of attention and when they are ignored they misbehave because being ignored is worse than punishment.

Question Do I feel annoyed?

Foundations of Teaching

Why Students Misbehave

Rudolph Dreikurs Goal 2 Power and Control The second goal or reason for misbehavior is power and control. Students often engage in power struggles to control situations and people. Question Do I feel beaten or intimidated?

Foundations of Teaching

Why Students Misbehave

Rudolph Dreikurs Goal 3 Revenge The third goal of misbehavior is revenge. Students who are motivated by revenge have given up every hope of being accepted and view the world as cold and uncaring. They want to get even and often become violent.

Question Do I feel wronged or hurt?

Foundations of Teaching

Why Students Misbehave

Rudolph Dreikurs Goal 4 Display of Inadequacy or Learned Helplessness When students feel defeated, they give up hope of ever succeeding. They acquire a condition known as self-helplessness and accept their condition with abandoned resignation. They feel worthless and unworthy to deserve love and caring. These students may become passive-aggressive. Question Do I feel incapable of reaching the student?
Foundations of Teaching

Scenario #1
The year has gotten off to a great start except for one thing. In one of my classes, I have a student who seems too eager to please, and blurts out answers to questions whenever I try to have a teacher-led discussion.

SOLUTION

Foundations of Teaching

Scenario #2
I think that it is important to assign some homework several times per week. Some of these assignments are practice with what I taught that day and sometimes they are in preparation for the following day, e.g. grammar etc. Unfortunately, I have several students in each period that just arent doing the homework.

Foundations of Teaching

Scenario #3
I am fortunate to have computers in the computer lab at school. So, I often have students use them to gain information on ESL. One day, while straightening up the lab area at the end of the day, I noticed some eye-catching graphics on one of the computer screens, and used the history function on the computers internet browser to confirm that the computer has been used to visit inappropriate websites.
Solution

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Scenario #4
I have successfully included students experiencing colours and art in my classes. My students are engaged and seem to enjoy my class. Unfortunately, even when I remember to have students clean up at the end of each period, I still seem to have to clean up the class when they go back.
Solution

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Scenario #5
For the most part, I am extremely impressed with my students this year. They are generally well-behaved and bright. Unfortunately, it is obvious that several of them are pooling their answers on the homework assignments, or worse, copying off the same paper.

Foundations of Teaching

Scenario #6
It is the end of the marking period, and I just gave my final unit test for the semester. I passed out progress reports to my students at the end of each period. After school, I had a visit from one of my most engaged students who was crying and very upset. Her current grade is an 79%, and she says that she has never before received a B in any class.

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Solutions
Talk to student after class telling them you are glad they are offering their answers, but want to hear from other students. have all students raise their hand before answers. Telling students to take time to think about it before answering.
ESTABLISH NORMS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS AND BE SURE THAT THEY ARE ENFORCED, USE WHITE BOARDS OR NUMBERED ANSWER CARDS TO ENCOURAGE ALL STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE.

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Solutions
I will do several things that make clear my expectations and enhance my ability to monitor computer use:
1. I will arrange the computer monitors so that I can see several of them at once from one or two central locations. 2. For the next two weeks, I will heighten my attention to each class's computer use by making a point of monitoring all lab groups and spot checking their browser history at the end of each period.
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Solutions
A proactive solution would be to establish a procedure for students from the beginning of the year in which they require a signature at the end of each class period. (either each group or each individual) in order to "check out." This will signify that their table/workplace is cleaned up, and things are put away. Without this signature, there will be a five point (or whatever is appropriate) deduction in the marks.

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