Running head: CLASSROOM TEACHING STRATEGIES: TEACHING A CHILD 1

Classroom Teaching Strategies: Teaching a Child with Disruptive Tendencies

Heather Cooper

College of Western Idaho

Spring 2018
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Classroom Teaching Strategies: Teaching a Child with Disruptive Tendencies

The first year of teaching is often tough; most educators new to the classroom are trying

to navigate being in charge of a class full of students while figuring out what their teaching style

will be. Throw in a student with behavioral issues and disruptive tendencies, and it's easy for any

teacher to feel overwhelmed. Being armed with a few ideas on how to work with the student is

the best course of action any new teacher can take; a few strategies would be to look into

alternative forms of classroom instruction, utilizing tactile stimulation, or have a behavioral

intervention.

The majority of educators are familiar with the standard classroom format, which is an

arrangement that has the teacher at the front of the class and the students sitting in parallel rows

facing him/her (Lightfoot, Cole & Cole, 2014, p. 440). While this is a time-honored classroom

arrangement, professionals are finding success in turning to alternative forms of classroom

instruction. This could encompass the overall arrangement of the classroom desks and chairs,

with grouped desks and the teacher instructing at different points in the room. Another form is

reciprocal teaching, which was designed as a way to integrate bottom-up and top-down

processing. Bottom-up processing typically focuses on teaching the basic skills first before

moving onto mastering more difficult concepts; conversely, top-down processing instead focuses

on teaching skills that will accomplish specific and meaningful tasks. With reciprocal teaching,

students can be broken into small groups to accomplish a task, like reading a passage, with a

discussion leader who will help the students model metacognitive behaviors with the goal of

aiding comprehension (Lightfoot, et. al. p. 440-441). Alternative forms of classroom instruction
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can give a student with behavioral or disruptive tendencies the interaction of a smaller group, and

since a lot of children who disrupt the classroom are looking for attention, this is an effective

way to provide that attention in productive manner.

Another strategy that could be employed to handle these types of behaviors without

having to regularly resort to punitive action would involve trying to work around his/her

behaviors. For example, if the student was unable to pay attention without fidgeting or

distracting his/her peers, the teacher could first try to provide them with some sort of tactile

stimulation like fidget toys or stress balls, or with objects that allow the student to doodle

without being a distraction. By keeping their hands occupied, it can help free up some of their

attention and allow them to focus on the lecture better. A study completed by Sheryl Stavley and

Heather Brasell for the Journal of At-Risk Issues shows that previously disruptive students who

are able to use a stress ball during a lecture or a test were more attentive, happier, and more

likely to score higher on their test (Brasell & Stavley, 2006, p.7).

Lastly, a strategy that could be used would be to try to address the behavior with the

student directly, in what is called an intervention. By having an intervention with the student

who consistently displays these types of behaviors, the teacher is able to address the issues and

hear the student's side of the story and possible explanation of the behaviors. With this

interaction, it can better unite the teacher and the student in creating a plan, such as a

multicomponent treatment, that will address the multiple needs of the student without ignoring

the reason for the behaviors (Hallahan, 2015, p. 197). It's important to not resort to punishment

right away. A student who is constantly punished, especially in front of his peers, is oftentimes

taught to be afraid of exhibiting any behavior at all. We need to first find the root of the
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behavior, then teach the student strategies to avoid the behavior, and reward them for following

their behavior plans before we reach the punitive action stage.

I find this information interesting and useful not only because I am in school to be a

teacher, but because how it relates to my service learning. My service learning coordinator has

stress balls and yoga balls in her room, and she allows the students to utilize them whenever. I

see a lot of students working on their assignments or practice tests while sitting on an exercise

ball, and it seems to help them focus. They are able to bounce or rock on it, and I haven’t seen

any distraction from the usage of the stress balls or exercise balls.
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References

Brassel, H. & Stavley, S. (2006). "Using Stress Balls to Focus the Attention of Sixth-Grade

Learners," Journal of At-Risk Issues v12, n2.

Hallahan, D. (2015). Exceptional Learners: An Introduction to Special Education. 13th ed.,

Pearson.

Lightfoot, C.; Cole, M.; Cole, S.R. (2014). The Development of Children (7th ed.). MacMillan.