The disruptive behaviors are disruptive or aggressive actions that disrupt discipline and disrupt the harmony of the group hindering the process of teaching and learning and attention in the classroom.
During the course of the school stage, some children can sometimes present disruptive behaviors in the classroom, causing reactions that can also be negative for the child himself, for example, rejection by their peers and teachers, social isolation, as well as an increase in the same inappropriate behavior.
Some examples of these behaviors in the classroom are:
- Actively challenge teachers.
- Start fights.
- Deliberately annoying other people.
- Attitudes of disobedience.
- Difficulty waiting and following directions.
- Speak when the teacher intervenes.
- Get up frequently from your seat. Being late to class.
- Do not bring material, mess up furniture among other.
The family as a model. Educating is an ambitious task, where do you start?
The first and most important reference of virtue and character that a child can have is the adult who takes care of him. Parents’ relationships with their children are based on the educational norms that regulate the coexistence between all the members that compose it. Thus, for example, the rules of schedules that must be met, collaboration in domestic tasks, the demands of parents towards their children to assume their responsibilities, the lifestyle that the family leads, the limits of what is available to them, allowed and not allowed to do, etc., are the first lessons that children learn about what is “right” and what is “wrong”.
Learning these lessons can be easy for some children and present difficulties for others, depending on how they assume that their needs are not immediately met, their capacity for effort, a sense of personal responsibility, etc.
Therefore, the adaptation of children with disruptive behaviors depends on three variables:
- The characteristics of the child: Self-confident or passive, extroverted or introverted, sad or happy, calm or restless, shy or bold. If you have learning, developmental, emotional and / or behavioral difficulties, and if these have been detected and treated or not.
- The educational style they receive at home: Parents always want the best for our children, and with that objective we carry out our educational tasks to the best of our ability. But not everything that is done for children is suitable for their education. For example, authoritarianism or excessive allowance for discipline rules are detrimental to the child.
Coordination with the school
The educational action carried out by the family must be complemented with that carried out by the school. The child should not perceive the school as something confronted with the family that acts differently. Therefore, parents must show them our educational interest by attending school appointments or meetings, interviews with the tutor, speaking positively about the teachers, in short, collaborating and strengthening the relationship with those who want the same end as us.
If you are a parent or educator, recognize that this is your most important, demanding, and rewarding challenge. What you do every day, what you say and the way you act, will influence the shape of the future of our society more than any other factor.
Some recommendations to prevent disruptive behaviors in the classroom
Get to the classroom relaxed, if possible, before the students arrive. It is not advisable to start the class by asking for silence, it is preferable to stay in a visible place until the environment calms down and begin to speak naturally. Plan your classes carefully, avoiding the appearance of disorganization. It begins by briefly recalling what was done and the conclusions of the previous class, to re-engage content and give continuity to the topics covered. It is advisable to first deal with topics of interest to the students, asking them about them and relating them to what is going to be seen. It encourages participation, listening to students, offering the possibility of giving opinions and suggestions for the class, assigning responsibilities, etc.
Use your creativity and the element of surprise to attract attention and prevent boredom. It is advisable to move around the class with some frequency, carrying out an active supervision of the task and helping the students. It is important to comply with the agreement. This generates in your students, feelings of trust and security. Avoid viewing the behavior as personal assault. It is very positive to show control of emotions, a relaxed attitude and self-confidence when restoring order. Practice assertiveness. (Extracted from the study carried out by the General Directorate of Teaching Personnel Health Service and Occupational Risks of Educational Centers of the Junta de Extremadura).
The contribution of dide in the early identification of learning, developmental, behavioral and emotional difficulties The importance of identifying students with certain problems or difficulties that increase the risk of disruptive behaviors should be underlined. For example:
- Lack of information processing skills
- Lack of voluntary control of your body
- Family and / or school maladjustment
- Social maladjustment
- Low tolerance to frustration
- Difficulty managing anger
- Dominant, demanding, and self-centered behavior
- Disobedience
- New technologies and their maladaptive use
- Attention and impulsiveness
- Anxious mood
- Social, mental, behavioral inflexibility
- Even high capacities
These situations require specialized detection and intervention by the educational and psychopedagogical guidance team.
The dide tool facilitates the automatic collection of relevant information from the child’s environment (their parents and teachers answer the questionnaires) to determine the factors that are influencing these behaviors. Early detection avoids frustrations, low self-esteem and school failure.
We cannot put all children with disruptive behaviors in the same “bag”. We can and must identify the origin of these behaviors so that the educational professional can offer each child adequate and timely care and treatment. With the tools at our fingertips, why wait until it’s too late?