This document provides strategies for dealing with disruptive student behaviors in the classroom. It suggests remaining calm, speaking to students privately, acknowledging their achievements, and giving them responsibilities. It also advises against power struggles, sarcasm, ridicule, or ignoring problematic behaviors. Specific behaviors addressed include talking back, defiance, disrespect, interrupting, refusal to work, and being annoying. The document offers tips like organizing engaging lessons, finding students' interests, changing seats, and praising positive conduct.

1. Talking back to teacher
Unaffected by teacher’s
instructions/actions
Claims teacher is unfair
Pause
“I don’t think I heard you?”
“Is everything ok?”
Remove audience pressure
Speak to student privately
or arrange a time to do so
later
Be caring but honest
Tell them what they have
done that is causing
problems then be sure to
listen to them as well
Give them classroom
responsibility
Give them opportunity
to succeed
Acknowledge their
achievements and recognise
their improvement
Don’t get into a power struggle, raise your voice, or issue threats/ultimatums
Yells abuse/swears
Attempts to shock staff
and impress peers
Likes to appear ‘streetwise’
Remain calm
And remind them that this
behaviour won’t be tolerated
Relate problem to outside
world “what if you were on a
date with your gf/bf?”
Remind student you want to
help “I don’t want people
thinking bad of you”
Give little attention to the
language but acknowledge it
(show your displeasure)
Give little attention to the
language but acknowledge it
(show your displeasure)
Don’t ignore the behaviour, be sarcastic/condescending, or lecture them about it
DefianceAbusivelanguage
Total lack of courtesy towards
staff/classmates
Sneers, tuts, rolls eyes
mutters
Make student responsible
for their actions & remind of
consequences
Remove the audience
Ask the student to follow
you to the hallway for a chat
Keep your cool
Don’t look frazzled and
respond respectfully
Not an enemy – Offer them
nothing but support Don’t be sarcastic or ridicule them, lose control or respond
too quickly/harshly, or too defensively
Disrespectful
Totally ignores teacher
Acts superior

2. Frequently out of seat,
wandering around room
Fails to bring equipment to
class
Short attention span,
daydreams etc.
Organise the lesson
Make small ‘chunks’ with
achievable tasks
Interests
Find and use their interests
to get them engaged
1:1 time
Regularly to show you care
and won’t give up on them
Ask them how can you
make the lessons more
appealing?
Explicit instructions so
they know what to do
Acknowledge their
achievements and recognise
their improvement
Don’t think “they should just get on with it”, belittle them, or nag/lecture them
Co-operative work
to give opportunity to
practice appropriate social
behaviour
Give them a responsibility or
task to meet need for
empowerment Don’t let it disrupt lesson
flow unless behaviour
actually stops flow of lesson
Proximal praise for on-task
students
Speak early to persistent
interrupters & explain effect
of behaviour on group
Adequate opportunity to
talk as students often talk
out of turn because they
don’t think they’ll get a turn
Don’t neglect the opportunity to teach good social skills, give undue attention to their interruptions
RefusaltoworkInterrupting
Shouting out
Makes silly/rude
comments
Tries to engage teacher in off-
topic conversations
Ignoring teacher and
talking over them
Praise privately when
student makes
improvements
Making silly noises e.g. tapping
on the desk
Purposely trying to annoy
the teacher
Change seats
Seat student next to you &
keep an eye on them
Explain effect of behaviour
Make student aware of
impact on other students
Reinforce +ve behaviour
Catch them being good and
praise them
Involve them in tasks
Don’t get into a power struggle, raise your voice, or issue
threats/ultimatums
Annoying