When I decided I was going to blog about what it’s like being a post-pandemic teacher, I jotted down a bunch of ideas. One of them was “What about the hard kids?” Five words simple words weighed down with an ocean of answers.
Because, the fact is that I’ve had one of the hardest years ever in the classroom. Teaching feels like it’s becoming more and more difficult, in large part because of student behavior. This claim is, of course, speculation. I don’t have any demonstrable data other than vibes. But, I can tell you that over the past five years I’ve personally experienced an uptick in behaviors that didn’t exist previously. The behaviors have increased in frequency, but the “problem kids” have gone from 1-2 per grade to half of every class.
“Problem” Kids
So what are the “problem kids” doing that’s so “bad”? Shout outs are a big one. You’ve all seen the “67” trend, or at least have some knowledge of it. Now, imagine a classroom where 15 kids suddenly yell “SIX SEVEN BLEEEHHGHGHGHGH” when you say the number six or seven, or the number five, or maybe eight. It doesn’t matter. And, when you have that many kids doing it, it becomes incredibly difficult to stop. At that point, you’re on a run-away train and you have to hope that it slows long enough to jump off without getting hurt.
There’s all sorts of overt behavior like this. Kids not only shout out, but they wander around the room, they throw things, they break pencils into pieces (probably 67) and leave it on the floor, etc. But, the overt, annoying, quirky behavior is only one piece of this very frustrating puzzle. The fact is that many kids don’t have much of an attention span, to the point where they’re not listening to basic instructions before zoning out. So, now you have a situation where kids are “lost” in instruction and they mask that by yelling SIX SEVEN BLEEEHHGHGHGHGH” All because they heard the number six.
“Build a relationship”
Too often the “solution” to class culture is “Build a relationship with the student and they’ll behave” or “Have you tried getting to know them? They simply think you don’t care.” One school I taught at had a saying that if you talk to a “problem” kid for two minutes over five consecutive days, you’d win them over and they’d fix their behavior.
This is crap.
Don’t get me wrong. I am a huge fan of class culture and relationship building. I think teachers need to treat kids like kids, teachers should and absolutely need to get to know the students, treat them well, and show interest in their interests. But…a good rapport alone will not stop behavior. A student might listen to you more. They might be more willing to follow directions the second time rather than, say, the sixty seventh time, but it’s not going to stop the problems completely. Believe me, I know way more about pokemon, roblox, Mr. Beast, and motocross than any human needs to. It hasn’t stopped kids from acting out. It’s also nearly impossible to get “to know” all 160 students, and it’s ridiculous to believe they will all “like” you or your class.
Student Accountability
How do we hold students accountable for behavior in the classroom? Especially when admin wants to “relationship build” first? I’ve been struggling with this question all year. I’ve pulled out all my tricks: classroom aura points that turn into parties, resets on class rules, brain breaks, curated seating charts, flexible seating charts, relationship building, you name it, I’ve probably implemented it in my classroom. But there seems to be one thing missing…
Consequences.
When I talk to friends in other schools in other states, they all complain about the same thing: a lack of tangible consequences for poor behavior. Relationship building and classroom parties can only go so far when there are no viable consequences to be had at school or at home. If a student shouts out “SIX SEVEN BLEHHHHHHH” in the middle of class, that should be a strike one. If it happens again then, in my opinion, it’s a strike two with an actual consequence. But, kids are shouting out 5, 10, 15 times a class period. Emails home often fall on deaf ears, and administration is reluctant to step in on something that should be “classroom managed.”
So what are the options?
Well, I could send the kid out to another classroom, but that feels like pawning an already disregulated student off to another room to misbehave. I could ask them to step outside and have a private conversation with them, but then you run the risk of having all the other kids in your room fall into disarray.
Thus, the problem behavior continues and spreads and becomes a culture in the school. Suddenly, it’s February and you are drowning in a sea of problems and they are all screaming six-seven then looking at you and yelling “oh HUMBLED” because now there’s a new meme to add to the old one. And it feels like a huge tide that you’re trying to hold back with smiles, regulation strategies, and “relationships”, but you know you are dying on the inside.
Ok…So What?
I, personally, think there are education wide problems that will help fix behaviors in classrooms. However, it will take a village to move mountains. A teacher is not omniscient. We can not fix issues without help from a slew of different sources. In an increasingly divided age, we as a society need to step up for our children and make sure that they have learning environments where everyone can thrive. My thoughts are below:
- Lower Tech
- I know we all love the data technology can provide in the classroom (I’m looking at you administrators!) but I believe it’s doing more harm than good. Students are loosing the ability to focus on difficult tasks because of the gamification of education. Returning to conversation and pen and paper will hell to re-focus classrooms and build a better culture (imo).
- Relationship Building
- Yes, I know I said it’s crap, but if you have a relationship with a student, they will at least feel bad if you’re upset or disappointed. And they might change. Right? RIGHT?!
- Actionable Consequences – Administrators
- Admin, this is when you have to step the eff up. There has to be some sort of actionable consequence for student behavior. And, that consequence must be applied evenly. It might look different in each school, but could be as simple as an apology letter or community service during lunch. Whatever it is, the students need to see and understand that poor behavior leads to actual repercussions. When there’s no external motivation to change, why would they bother?
- Actionable Consequences – Parents
- Parents, look at me. Teachers. Don’t. Have. It. Out. For. Your. Kid. Your. Kid. Is. Yelling. SIXSEVENBLHEEHHEHEHEHEHEHE. Thirty. Times. In. One. Class. Period. I PROMISE YOU, we are not the bad guys, neither are you and neither is your kid. Please believe me that if you get an email about your student, things have gone terribly wrong. Teachers are not your enemy. We might not love your child like you do, but we’ve promised to put our bodies in front of your child if there’s an active shooter. We care. I promise. If your kid misbehaves at school, give them a consequence at home. Community means everyone working together. We can’t solve this problem without you. And please, for Gods’ sake, get them off Tik Tok.
- Give Grace
- I have not talked about this yet, but teachers, we need to give ourselves, our students, our admin, and our sped department, grace. Things are shit right now. Not just in the classroom, but in the world. Everyone is feeling it. Kids see it. I think sometimes a breath is needed. A step back might be warranted. Take a day off, you deserve it. Come back refreshed, and then demand collaborative solutions from your team.
Teacher Burnout is real
Ultimately, I really enjoy teaching, and I do love my students. But, and it’s a big but, teaching has become almost untenable. I have seriously considered quitting at least twice in the past month simply because things *feel* out of control. I predict we are about to lose way more teachers than we will gain, and a large part of that is because classrooms are stuffed to the brim with kids and those kids are eating us alive. We have to find solutions, not buzzwords, not motivational videos, not TedTalks about relationships. Real solutions that go beyond “engagement” and “relationships.” Solutions that have negative consequences, not just positive reinforcement.” As Sebastian from the Little Mermaid said, “Life up there, it’s a mess.” Fixing this mess will take everyone; parents, teachers, admin, districts, and yes, even students.
I asked students once: “Why do you feel that the regard I extend to a particular student cannot also be extended to each of you? Why do you think there is not enough love or care to go around?”
— Bell Hooks
Leave a comment