Discipline Challenges.

 Discipline Challenges.

02 May 2020

There seem to be two types of learners at our school, those with learning difficulties and others with behavioural difficulties. Most of our students appear to have a mild learning disability, they seem to cope with most of the tasks given to them and they are able to mix well with others. Terminology such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and dyscalculia is not uncommon by us. They have processing problems, especially in the area of comprehension and mathematics.

These learning challenges seem to contribute to behavioural problems in some of our students. Generally those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are difficult, and these students tend to have an oppositional defiant disorder added to their character. They tend to be disrespectful, show bully behavior and have lots of emotional challenges.

One question my teachers often ask is; How do we control disrespectful bully behavior in our classrooms? It is not always easy to remain calm and positive when a student displays disrespectful bully behaviour. The first thing we usually advise them to do is to interrupt the bad behaviour with non verbal gestures such as looking on silently, intervention is the next step, where the student is reminded by the teacher in private of appropriate classroom rules.

Wolfgang and Glickman’s Teacher Behaviour Continuum supports this idea, and list seven techniques typically used by teachers in dealing with inappropriate behaviour, looking on silently and intervention being some of them. This is one such strategy Ms. Chung could use in response to the student bullying behaviour.

My second response is usually teach the other child who is being treated with disrespectful bully behavior stand up for themselves by saying any one of the following comments: Why don't you share with the class or teacher what you just said or, It's your opinion and it doesn't make it true.

However, as a principal, the one thing I find helpful with continual disrespectful bully behavior is to contact their parents and make the consequences very clear so there are no misunderstandings regarding future actions we will take to stop the disrespectful bully behaviour.

These type of students need correction of behavior and not punishment,  the student acting in disrespectful bully behaviour just need guidance to model their behaviour in a more positive way. Lewis’s framework suggests that teachers should join with the students in deciding how they should behave, requesting students on modelling better behaviour after observing its impact on those bullied.

This idea is also supported by ‘A Student-Oriented Approach’, which state that teachers should try to encourage students be better their behaviour and  not  try to control them.

Both these strategies could be used by Ms. Chung in response to the student bullying behaviour.

Alen, K.P. (2010). Classroom management, bullying, and teacher practices. The Professional Educator, 34 (1). Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ988197.pdf

• This article provides a thorough discussion of past research and literature on the connection between classroom management and bullying.

Pacer (2018). Ways to be there as an adult- Episode 17. Retrieved from http://www.pacer.org/bullying/video/player.asp?video=113 (4:17)

This video provides some strategies for teachers in regards to helping students deal with bullying