Handling Difficult Behaviors in the Classroom

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Handling Difficult Behaviors in the Classroom

• Gulten Argamak

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Types of Personalities

• Direct and Indirect
• Some are in between Direct and Indirect

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Direct people
Socializer Outgoing Extrovert Expressive Influenc
ing
Director Dominant Driver Task-oriented
Relationship
Task
Thinker Reserved Analytical Detail Correct
Relater Amiable Easy-going Patient Steady
Indirect people
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ControllerBlunt, direct, impatient.Task
accomplisher.Bottom line results.Control
oriented, self others.Self-motivated, hard
worker.
IntellectualDetailed, precise, lengthy.Gathers
information.Defines, clarifies, tests.Neat,
meticulous, organized.Comprehensive steady
worker.
ExpressiveFriendly, gregarious,
talkative.Stands out, colorful.Creative,
imaginative.Generates excitement.Initiates
activity, motivates.
PassiveConservative, low key.Dependable, loyal
patient.Team worker, agreeable.Practical,
blends in well.Reconciling, good listener.
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Types of Behaviors

• Attackers
• Exploder
• Sniper
• Nay Sayers
• Complainers
• Yes people
• Know it all
• Procrastinator

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Attackerscoping strategies

• React differently -- be calm
• Give time to blow off steam
• Talk only for yourself
• Avoid red ink its their color

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Exploder coping strategies

• React differently stay calm
• Give credibility to the issue
• Okay to , talk about, leave and reschedule

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Snipercoping strategies -- passive aggressive
person

• Be very careful
• Watch out for false rumors
• Stay calm and collect lists

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Nay Sayers coping strategies

• Very negative people, unmotivated, no excitement,
  they enjoy everything to stay the same.
• Avoid their contagious attitude
• Avoid being negative too
• Ask What is the worst thing that can happened?

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Complainers coping strategies

• They use these words often never and always
  words
• To cope with these people, use W words
• What happened?
• When did it happened?
• Where did it happened?
• Avoid asking Why?

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Yes type of persons coping strategies

• We all like them but they say yes to
  everything, relater type.
• Follow- up often
• Expect delays
• Reinforce your deadline
• Expect excuses

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Know it all-- person type coping strategies

• Some of these people really know, some of them do
  not know but act as if they know
• The ones that act, they havent had the
  experience
• The people who know it all, they give you more
  information than you need
• To cope with these personalities
• Never try to out-study
• What would your be Plan B
• Avoid confronting Plan A
• Play what if

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Procrastinator- person type coping strategies

• These type of People usually wait until the last
  minute
• Schedules it and puts it off several times
• This type also could be the yes person

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Types of Behaviors -- in the classrooms

• Rambling -- wandering around and off the subject.
  Using far-fetched examples or analogies.
• Shyness or Silence -- lack of participation.
• Talkativeness -- knowing everything,
  manipulation, chronic whining.
• Sharp shooting -- trying to shoot you down or
  trip you up.
• Heckling/Arguing -- disagreeing with everything
  you say making personal attacks.
• Grandstanding -- getting caught up in one's own
  agenda or thoughts to the detriment of other
  learners.
• Overt Hostility/Resistance -- angry, belligerent,
  combative behavior.
• Griping -- maybe legitimate complaining.
• Side Conversations -- may be related to subject
  or personal. Distracts group members and you.

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Behavior
Rambling -- wandering around and off the subject.
Using far-fetched examples or analogies.

• POSSIBLE RESPONSES
• Refocus attention by restating relevant point.
• Direct questions to group that is back on the
  subject
• Ask how topic relates to current topic being
  discussed.
• Use visual aids, begin to write on board, turn on
  overhead projector.
• Say "Would you summarize your main point
  please?" or "Are you asking...?"

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Behavior
Shyness or Silence -- lack of participation.

• POSSIBLE RESPONSES
• Change teaching strategies from group discussion
  to individual written exercises or a videotape
• Give strong positive reinforcement for any
  contribution.
• Involve by directly asking him/her a question.
• Make eye contact.
• Appoint to be small group leader.

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Behavior
Talkativeness -- knowing everything,
manipulation, chronic whining.

• POSSIBLE RESPONSES
• Acknowledge comments made.
• Give limited time to express viewpoint or
  feelings, and then move on.
• Make eye contact with another participant and
  move toward that person.
• Give the person individual attention during
  breaks.
• Say "That's an interesting point. Now let's see
  what other people think."

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Behavior
Sharp shooting -- trying to shoot you down or
trip you up.

• POSSIBLE RESPONSES
• Admit that you do not know the answer and
  redirect the question the group or the individual
  who asked it.
• Acknowledge that this is a joint learning
  experience.
• Ignore the behavior.

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Behavior
Heckling/Arguing -- disagreeing with everything
you say making personal attacks.

• POSSIBLE RESPONSES
• Redirect question to group or supportive
  individuals.
• Recognize participant's feelings and move one.
• Acknowledge positive points.
• Say "I appreciate your comments, but I'd like to
  hear from others," or "It looks like we
  disagree."

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Behavior
Grandstanding -- getting caught up in one's own
agenda or thoughts to the detriment of other
learners.

• POSSIBLE RESPONSES
• Say "You are entitled to your opinion, belief or
  feelings, but now it's time we moved on to the
  next subject," or "Can you restate that as a
  question?" or "We'd like to hear more about that
  if there is time after the presentation."

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Behavior
Overt Hostility/Resistance -- angry, belligerent,
combative behavior.

• POSSIBLE RESPONSES
• Hostility can be a mask for fear. Reframe
  hostility as fear to depersonalize it.
• Respond to fear, not hostility.
• Remain calm and polite. Keep your temper in
  check.
• Don't disagree, but build on or around what has
  been said.
• Move closer to the hostile person, maintain eye
  contact.
• Always allow him or her a way to gracefully
  retreat from the confrontation.
• Say "You seem really angry. Does anyone else
  feel this way?" Solicit peer pressure.
• Do not accept the premise or underlying
  assumption, if it is false or prejudicial, e.g.,
  "If by "queer" you mean homosexual..."
• Allow individual to solve the problem being
  addressed. He or she may not be able to offer
  solutions and will sometimes undermine his or her
  own position.
• Ignore behavior.
• Talk to him or her privately during a break.
• As a last resort, privately ask the individual to
  leave class for the good of the group.

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Behavior
Griping -- maybe legitimate complaining.

• POSSIBLE RESPONSES
• Point out that we can't change policy here.
• Validate his/her point.
• Indicate you'll discuss the problem with the
  participant privately.
• Indicate time pressure.

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Behavior
Side Conversations -- may be related to subject
or personal. Distracts group members and you.

• POSSIBLE RESPONSES
• Don't embarrass talkers.
• Ask their opinion on topic being discussed.
• Ask talkers if they would like to share their
  ideas.
• Casually move toward those talking.
• Make eye contact with them.
• Comment on the group (but don't look at them
  "one-at-a-time").
• Standing near the talkers, ask a near-by
  participant a question so that the new discussion
  is near the talkers.
• As a last resort, stop and wait.

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Sources

• http//www.hcc.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacD
  evCom/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip.htmbehaviors

http//www.teacheroz.com/teachers.htm
http//www.sjy.org/technology/teacher_resources.ht
m
http//lessonplanet.teacherwebtools.com/search/Lan
guage_Arts/ http//www3.extension.umn.edu/parents
forever/unit1/unit1-7c.asp
Dealing With Difficult People And How To
Cope Workforce Learning Systems Overland park,
Kansas 66214 Video Tape Vol. 1 and Vol. 2
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Teaching Adults
Adults are a challenge to teach. Theyre
intelligent, inquisitive, and usually highly
motivated to learn. Adults want their learning to
be problem-centered and personalized. Many adults
enjoy learning. They are life-long learners who
are comfortable with "school-like" settings.
Other adults are not. As a teacher of adults,
youll see a wide range of differences in the
adults you teach.
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Characteristics of Adult Learners

• Adults have a broad base of experience upon which
  to draw and to share with others.
• Adults have many other things going on in their
  lives family, job, community and social
  responsibilities.
• Many adults face barriers to learning such as
  unlearning, unrealistic goals, poor self-image.
• Adults may not risk failure in learning
  situations.
• Adults want information to be relevant to their
  needs and immediately applicable.
• Adults respond better when the material is
  presented through a variety of teaching methods
  and when information is understood through
  different sensory experiences.

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Barriers to Learning

• Resistance to Change
• Negative Self Image
• Fear of Failure
• Assumptions about Parents

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Resistance to Change

• If what you are teaching is in conflict with the
  belief system of the adult learner, she/he will
  resist "buying into" the concepts or ideas you
  are presenting. Adults have definite mind-sets
  which resist new ideas. Helping an adult change
  is like dealing with an ice cube. First you help
  them melt the idea and then you reshape the idea
  as in refreezing the water into another shape. Be
  sensitive to opposing viewpoints. There are many
  "right ways" to accomplish the same task.
• Adults need to integrate new ideas with what they
  already know. Ideas that conflict with what they
  know or believe are integrated more slowly.
  Integration of new knowledge requires transition
  time and focused effort to hear things. Adults
  need to process against their own experience,
  then unlearn and begin to accept new leanings and
  try new things. This adult learning theory is the
  premise on which the format of Parents Forever is
  based. The shorter classes spread over several
  weeks allows people to process what they have
  heard between sessions.

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Negative Self Image

• A low self-esteem and lack of confidence make it
  hard to learn, especially when a person is afraid
  to ask questions. Many parents view divorce as a
  failure and will have a negative self image as a
  result.

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Fear of Failure

• Although we are capable of learning new things at
  all ages of our lives, some adults feel insecure
  and will not participate so as not to look
  inadequate in a group situation. Parents may feel
  like they have failed at marriage and are
  embarrassed by that. The presenter can help by
  providing a respectful environment that is free
  from blame and shame.

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Assumptions about Parents

• What are some assumptions that are made about
  divorcing or single parent families? A common
  assumption is that two parents families are
  healthy and one parent families are unhealthy.
  Assumptions such as this need to be examined and
  discarded to be effective with this group. The
  words that come from a teachers mouth will
  reflect bias and will generate resentment from
  the learners. The book Working with Parents by
  Dolores Curran helps parent educators examine
  assumptions about parents and dispels many of the
  myths that are held. It is important in Parents
  Forever to assume that parents want to be better
  parents, to assume that they may be doing the
  wrong things for the right reasons, and that they
  know more than they think they know. Affirming
  their strengths is important to setting a good
  learning environment

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Motivating Adults

• Adults can be ordered into a classroom, but cant
  be forced to learn.
• What does motivate adults?
• Adults are motivated by life changing events and
  what can be more life changing than a divorce?

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Motivating the Adult Learner

• Another aspect of adult learning is motivation.
  At least six factors serve as sources of
  motivation for adult learning
• Social relationships to make new friends, to
  meet a need for associations and friendships.
• External expectations to comply with
  instructions from someone else to fulfill the
  expectations or recommendations of someone with
  formal authority.
• Social welfare to improve ability to serve
  mankind, prepare for service to the community,
  and improve ability to participate in community
  work.
• Personal advancement to achieve higher status in
  a job, secure professional advancement, and stay
  abreast of competitors.
• Escape/Stimulation to relieve boredom, provide a
  break in the routine of home or work, and provide
  a contrast to other exacting details of life.
• Cognitive interest to learn for the sake of
  learning, seek knowledge for its own sake, and to
  satisfy an inquiring mind.

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