Selecting Measures of Control - Mary-Kate Michels and Anja Jackowski

Instructions: The purpose of this exercise is to provide situations to help you in determining
which measures of control you would apply in similar situations. Working with a partner, for each
of the following, write what you would do in that situation. Then share your responses with your
classmates.
1. A student reveals a long knife and threatens to cut you.

Immediately send a student to get security or the dean. It is important to not leave the student
with the weapon unattended, and it is also important to not leave your class unattended.
2. During a test a student appears to be copying answers from a neighboring students
answer sheet.

Ask the student to move to a seat towards the front of the classroom and near the teachers
desk, then talk to them after class about cheating.
3. Although you have asked a student to take his seat, he refuses.

Give him a choice. He can take his seat now, or stand for the remainder of the class in the
Principals Office.
4. While talking with a small group of students, you observe two students on the
opposite side of the room tossing paper airplanes at each other.

Have the students throw the planes out themselves.

Another way to go about this is to utilize the misbehavior as a part of the lesson being taught if
possible.
5. During small-group work one student seems to be aimlessly wandering around the
room.

Go up to student and ask if they are okay. Do they need anything (help)? What are they
doing/looking for?
6. Although chewing gum is against your classroom rules, at the start of the class period
you observe a student chewing what appears to be gum.

Privately ask him/her to spit it out before you start the class and remind him/her that gum is not
allowed.
7. During band rehearsal you (as band director) observe a student about to stuff a scarf
down the saxophone of another student.

Take the scarf away until the end of the period and address the manner after class.
8. During the viewing of a film, two students on the side of the room opposite you are
quietly whispering.

Create an assignment on the film, to ensure that they continuously pay attention.
The assignment will be graded and warn them that each time you have to ask them to be quiet,
you will minus a point from their grade.
9. At the start of the period, while a student is about to take his seat, a boy pulls the
chair from beneath him. He falls to the floor.

Speak to student outside on how doing that can be dangerous to the other student - the other
student could have been seriously injured.
10. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, a student gets up and leaves the room.

Have another teacher watch your class for a minute while you make sure the student who left is
okay.