Now, compare your ratings of how likely you were to manage Daniel’s disruptive classroom behaviour in each of the ways described below before and after you learnt more about Daniel:
- Warn Daniel that if his behaviour continues he will be removed from the classroom.
- Warn Daniel that if his behaviour continues he will be sent to the principal.
- Take Daniel aside and have a conversation with him about what you think is the reason for his behaviour and how he can focus better in class.
We anticipate that, knowing a little more about Daniel, you are less likely to remove Daniel from the classroom and/or send him to the principal, and more likely to engage with him to try and work out what the problem is and how it can be solved.
Research demonstrates that when teachers seek to understand the behavior of disruptive students, a form of empathy, they are viewed with greater respect and the incidence of disruptive behaviour falls*.
In our experience, teachers want to understand their students better so that they can co-create positive education outcomes with them. At Secure Start, we are able to assist you and your peers with information and strategies to facilitate student experience of being understood and empathised with, with the expected outcome of a more focused classroom environment that is supportive of improved learning experiences for students.
Thank you for accepting this challenge.
Please contact us today to book a professional development session for your school.
To read more about our experience of assisting schools with effective management of disruptive behaviour, click here.
* Okonofua, JA, Paunesku, D, and Walton, GM (2016). Brief intervention to encourage empathic discipline cuts suspension rates in half among adolescents. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 113 (19): 5221-5226