You love being a teacher and everything that comes with it. You have the opportunity to shape the future generation by inspiring young minds. Teaching aims to impart knowledge and make the students more curious. Unless and until students learn to ask questions, they will never think outside the box. While teaching can be rewarding, it can be challenging as well. Not all classes are the same. You get stubborn students who disrupt the class and prevent the class from functioning well. At times, you feel like a warden, managing a bunch of little criminals. The students can easily create chaos in class that is hard to handle. Continue reading this article to learn practical tips that will help you manage difficult students.
Do Not Assume: They say when you assume, you make an ass of you and me; the saying cannot be truer. So, do not assume anything about a student. A pre-conceived notion can be misleading, especially if you are dealing with a new batch of students.
- Treat all the children equally. Teachers tend to have their favorites, but it is better not to show your affection to a particular student in front of the whole class.
- At times, some classes are labeled as difficult or hard to teach. Do not believe what others say until you teach them. Many students are considered difficult because they are bad at their studies. But, being bad can always be rectified. The students need a compassionate teacher who would work hard for them to help them get better marks.
Be Strict: You need to show the students that you are not the one to play with. If needed, you can toughen up and punish kids accordingly. You cannot physically beat a child; that is out of the question. But you can send them to detention. You will often see the same student showing up at detention. You may call their guardian and ask them to try behavior therapy, which works wonders for many children. At times, children act up because of the past trauma they endured. These things get addressed in a therapy session. So, make sure you recommend students to get therapy for better behavior in class.
Keep Them Engaged: Another interesting way to deal with difficult students is to keep them engaged with classwork. When they are forced to solve the equations in the classroom, they will be less tempted to create trouble. As they say, an empty mind is the devil’s workshop. Therefore, make sure they have enough tasks at hand. You can tell their work will determine their final grade to ensure they pay attention to their task.
Call The Parents: Kids who are difficult at school are difficult at home too. So, the parents must be informed about their behavior in school. If the parents know, they can take proper steps to control their child. You, as a teacher, do not have the time to devote to a few students who disturb the class. Therefore, you must inform the principal about it and set up a meeting with the parents.
