Teacher Strategies for Managing Disruptive Student Behavior in Class

This report explores the crucial role of teachers in student learning and behavior management, referencing Levin and Nolan's work on classroom management principles. It discusses how teachers shape the learning environment, address student needs, and modify behavior. The report examines societal changes affecting student behavior, highlighting the need for new behavior modification techniques. Two case studies analyze disruptive behaviors, such as vulgar language and inappropriate invitations, suggesting interventions like verbal redirection, parental involvement, and empathy-based approaches. The report also includes a quiz and a written response reflecting on the use of peer reinforcement as an effective strategy. It emphasizes the importance of teachers adapting their methods to address diverse student needs and maintain a positive learning environment. Desklib provides access to this and other solved assignments, along with AI-based study tools to support students.

Running head: EDUCATION
Education
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author’s note

1EDUCATION
Two discussions
1. 1st discussion:
Research suggests that teachers are the key to student learning. Based on the review of
the chapter 1 of the book by Levin and Nolan (2014), my opinion is that teacher’s indeed play an
important role in influencing student behaviour and their learning process. This has been said
because learning environment of student is shaped by teacher’s behaviour. They play a role in
teaching techniques to student that supports them to efficiently complete task. They are able to
identify weak points or areas of improvement for student and use those understanding to
accurately modify learning skills of student. This is supported by the research evidence by Buhl-
Wiggers et al. (2017) as the author believes that teacher’s behaviour and their teacher’s quality is
critical for student’s education and their life prospects in the future. The research revealed that by
increasing the quality of teaching, educational interventions for target pupil becomes more
efficient.
I regard teachers as vital for student learning and controlling their behaviour because they
engage in appropriate instructional activities to promote development of children. Efficient
teachers are those who are able to recognize the special learning abilities or weakness of students
and use those knowledge to modify learning patterns and promote students to actively participate
n learning. Teachers also have access to several authority base to influence student’s behaviour
and make them proficient during the learning process. However, it can be said that student’s
learning achievement is dependent on teacher’s efficacy. Efficacious teachers are able to exhibit
greater effort and willingness to try new teaching methods to meet the learning needs of student
(Donohoo, 2016).

2EDUCATION
1. 2nd discussion:
Students are not the same, they have changed. These changes have occurred due to the
cumulative effect of societal changes on student’s behaviour. When looking at the student’s
behaviour two-three decades ago, students used to respect teachers and had intense value for
them. However, the same behaviour cannot be expected from students today. Today teachers
cannot demand respect from student just based on their title. In contrast, many incidences of
students misbehaving with teachers has been reported. However, instead of taking disciplinary
action against disruptive behaviour of students, there is a need to assess what conditions facilitate
such behaviour in students. This is seen because of the presence of several issues in community
today such as drugs and alcohol abuse, unemployment, abuse and teenage pregnancy. Children
experiencing these types of issues in society are most likely to show disruptive behaviour in
school. There are various studies which have given evidence regarding the disruptive classroom
behaviour of students. Pas et al. (2015) has reported about an alarming increase in disruptive
behaviour in classroom and the evidence suggested that disruptive behaviour might be linked to
psychological problem and emotional problems in student. Hence, the challenge for teachers
today is to learn new behaviour modification technique to appropriately deal with misbehaving
student.
Levin and Nolan (2014) explain there is likelihood of experiencing disruptive behaviour in
school because schools bring together many conditions that leads to misbehaviour. For example,
as large number of diverse student group still learning socially acceptable behaviour are
concentrated in one place and inappropriate student-teacher interaction lead to frustration among
students. Hence, teachers need to master skills that help them to effectively deal with disruptive
classroom behaviours.

3EDUCATION
Case study response:
Based on the review of two cases studies, it has been found that teacher is troubled by
very disruptive or negative behaviour shown by a student or group of students in the classroom.
The case study 1 from the middle school level of the ‘First Analysis’ depicts use of vulgar
language by group of 12 year old body. The teacher has asked them several times to use
appropriate language in the classroom. However, this has not worked. This scenario gives an
example of the kind of disruptive behaviour displayed by students in the classroom. The
student’s response that using vulgar language makes them cool is an example of the impact of
social media or digital environment on students. The scenario also gives an example of problem
behaviours of student as vulgar language violate behavioural norms and expectation in the
classroom. Currently children are motivated by television icons who depict use of vulgar
language in songs and movies. Instead of morally judging the appropriateness of language used,
such styles of icon appeal to children. Sun and Shek (2012) also argues that misbehaviour of
students retard the effectiveness of the classroom and impede learning process. Hence,
appropriate intervention is needed by teachers to ensure that students learn self-control and ways
to maintain discipline during the classroom. The girl might be displaying her sexuality in this
way also because of conflict or not getting enough care from her parents. She might have also
developed such interest by seeing such things on television and magazines.
In response to the use of vulgar language in classroom, I would intervene by
implementing verbal intervention to modify behaviour of students. Glock (2016) has revealed
verbal intervention to be effective in management of student misbehaviour in classroom. I will
try to avoid sarcasm and reprimanding the group initially. For example, I would start by
teaching other ways to look cool in the classroom. Instead of directly instructing the student to

4EDUCATION
stop using vulgar language, I will use the tactics of reminding student of other choice to make
them look cool. For example, when some students quickly give response to questions in class,
then I would call this behaviour as ‘cool’. This might help the student to think again and evaluate
whether using vulgar language is cool or bad. When the student is using such language, I can
also suggest other words that can be used in place of vulgar language to help modify disruptive
behavuor of the student group. If the student’s behaviour is not changed even after using this
strategy, then I my go for zero tolerance policy towards use of foul language by imposing
penalties every time the group used such language.
Another case study in the book revealed a different scenario of misconduct shown by a
classroom student. In the second case study, a seventh grade girl was found passing notes
repeatedly to a boy in the classroom. When the girl did not listened despite repeated warning
from the teacher, the teacher took her notes. As the girl started crying after the class, the teacher
read the notes and found that she was calling the boy to her room when her parents were away.
This is a very challenging situation for a teacher when a student is showing such disruptive
behaviour of inviting someone for sexual pleasure (Levin and Nolan 2014). The girl might have
shown such behaviour because of the impact of her personal life on her behaviour. She might not
be receiving the affection and attention that she needs from her family and this encouraged the
girl to seek other paths for pleasure.
In response to the disruptive behaviour displayed by the girl, my strategy would be to
take a structured response. I would first personally call her parents and ask them whether they
are aware that their child is developing such interest. Instead of reprimanding her, I would
motivate her parents to monitor child’s behaviour at home and create an environment that keeps
her away from such sexual behaviours. Another strategy will be to work closely with the girl and

5EDUCATION
make her aware about the risk associated with her behaviour. Developing a sense of empathy
with the student is important to ensure that the girl does not continue with her behaviour. As the
girl might be suffering from low self-esteem post the incidence, she can supported by making her
aware about her self-esteem and sense of power needs. This would help to break the cycle of
discouragement too. This strategy is also in relevance with unconditional teaching process as
individual student’s response or behaviour does not govern teacher’s action in this process
(Hamilton, 2017).
Quiz:
1. power (d)
2. instructional competence (b)
3. Modeling violence in the media (a)

6EDUCATION
Written response
During my school days, I had found my teacher to take an appropriate response against
boys who disturbed everyone in the classroom. As the usual process of warning students and
reprimanding them did not helped, the teacher took the step of peer reinforcement to change the
behaviour of my classmates. Peer reinforcement involves the strategy of commending another
student who is behaving appropriately and commending that student publicly to change the
disruptive behaviour of the target student. For example, when my teacher used to ask question,
those children used to make too much noise and responded before they are being asked to do so.
This created much chaos when the teacher asked questions. Hence, when the teacher saw other
student raising hand before answering the question, she would appraise her by use of statements
like ‘I like the fact that you follow manners and raise your hands before speaking’. The
advantage of this strategy is that the children with the disruptive behaviour is not directly
reprimanded, however peer reinforcement gives them the message regarding behaviours that are
appropriate in class. Furthermore, words of appreciation motivate other children to mimic the
same behaviour and earn appraise themselves (Lum et al., 2017). The same things reaction was
shown by those children in my classroom too. My teacher was successful in reinforcing positive
behaviour in the children. The children noticed their peer to be receiving verbal appreciation in
the classroom and this motivated them to avoid disruptive attitude in the classroom. Such
innovative instructional techniques should be employed by teachers to appropriately deal with
disruptive behaviour in the classroom.

7EDUCATION
References:
Buhl-Wiggers, J., Kerwin, J., Smith, J., & Thornton, R. (2017, April). The impact of teacher
effectiveness on student learning in Africa. In Centre for the Study of African Economies
Conference. Retrieved from:
https://www.riseprogramme.org/sites/www.riseprogramme.org/files/inline-files/Buhl-
Wiggers%20The%20Impact%20of%20Teacher%20Effectiveness%202017-04-30.pdf
Donohoo, J. (2016). Collective efficacy: How educators' beliefs impact student learning. Corwin
Press.
Glock, S. (2016). Stop talking out of turn: The influence of students' gender and ethnicity on
preservice teachers' intervention strategies for student misbehavior. Teaching and
Teacher Education, 56, 106-114. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.02.012
Hamilton, D. (2017). Examining Behavioral Techniques, Encouragement, and Consistency in
Classroom Management. In Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential
Learning: Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL conference (Vol. 44, No. 1). Retrieved
from: https://absel-ojs-ttu.tdl.org/absel/index.php/absel/article/viewFile/3096/3044
Latif, M., Khan, U. A., & Khan, A. N. (2016). CAUSES OF STUDENTS’DISRUPTIVE
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR: A COMPARATIVE STUDY. Gomal University Journal of
Research, 32(1).
Levin, J., & Nolan, J. (2014). Principles of Classroom Management: A Professional Decision-
making Model. (7th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson, Allyn, Bacon, Inc. Sons.

8EDUCATION
Lum, J. D., Tingstrom, D. H., Dufrene, B. A., Radley, K. C., & Lynne, S. (2017). Effects of
tootling on classwide disruptive and academically engaged behavior of general‐education
high school students. Psychology in the Schools, 54(4), 370-384. Doi:
https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22002
Pas, E. T., Cash, A. H., O'Brennan, L., Debnam, K. J., & Bradshaw, C. P. (2015). Profiles of
classroom behavior in high schools: Associations with teacher behavior management
strategies and classroom composition. Journal of School Psychology, 53(2), 137-148.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2014.12.005
Sun, R.C. and Shek, D.T., 2012. Student classroom misbehavior: an exploratory study based on
teachers' perceptions. The Scientific World Journal, 2012. doi:10.1100/2012/208907