Schools are centres of learning. What a student learns at school, remains with them throughout their lifetime. Schools, like home, are places that have a powerful impact on every person, ultimately shaping their actions and thoughts for life.
They become even more special for children with behavioural problems. The school’s environment and atmosphere shape students’ behaviour, shaping it for better or worse. To teach effectively and deliver personalised learning, every teacher needs to understand each student’s behaviour.
What is behaviour?
Behaviour can be defined as the way a person acts or carries themselves, particularly towards others. It takes place frequently as a reaction to a certain circumstance or event or situations. Behaviour defers from person to person as each person behaves in a certain way when faced with any event or circumstance.
Psychologists believe that there are two most common reasons why behaviour takes place. These are: behaviour has a purpose and is a means of communication, and behaviour can be used to fulfil demands or desires.
What main behaviour problems arise with children in school?
Understanding a student’s conduct can be challenging, particularly when there are learning and thinking differences at work. Most often, a student’s behaviour may indicate that they lack the ability to communicate their needs to you. Students occasionally might not even be aware of what they require.
A child’s first few years of existence are wrought with both physical and emotional changes. Children frequently act out because they are less able to manage complicated emotions like irritation, disappointment, sadness, or failure.
Moreover, the school environment and the student’s home environment have a big hand in how a student behaves. Some of the most common behavioural problems that may arise in children at school are:
Learning disorder: this disorder affects a student’s ability to retain information, ability to read, write or speak, etc.
Anxiety or depression: the feeling of insecurity or of not being good enough leads to constant mental pressure that can take the shape
of anxiety or depression.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): is characterised by the need for constant attention and activity.
Eating disorders: fairly common disorders that may stem from bullying or negative feedback from peers, etc. This affects a student’s ability to eat food or certain food.
Bipolar disorder: characterised by constant mood swings, where the student’s behaviour can change drastically in a short duration.
Lack of attention span: resulting from too many distractions or negative thoughts, where a student is unable to focus in class or school activities.
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD): Angry outbursts which are typically directed at authority figures due to low self-esteem or low frustration threshold, etc.
Conduct disorder: continuous acts of cruelty towards people or animals, which may also involve physical assault or criminal behaviour.
Teachers’ impact on students’ behaviour
A student usually spends more time at school, than the time spent at home. Since a student spends more time around teachers, it is of crucial importance that teachers understand a child’s behavioural patterns and help change them for the better. Some common techniques teachers can use are:
Teachers need to understand that behaviour is learned, therefore can be unlearned. They need to set examples of ideal behaviour, and praise and reward good behaviour.
Teachers need to respond to the student in a neutral, professional tone of speech. Even when stuck in the middle of a difficult circumstance, speaking gently will help students calm down and re-evaluate their own behaviour.
Prevent distractions or triggers: often a student’s behaviour is the direct result of his or her environment. Preventing such triggers or distractions can prevent disruptive behaviour and de-escalate situations.
Providing moral support: students often react in a disruptive manner due to a lack of moral support. Providing moral support and encouragement can resolve a lot of behavioural problems in students.
Regular parent-teacher meetings: keeping in touch with the parents and regular one-on-one meetings can help a teacher to figure out a student’s behavioural patterns and triggers. This way, both teachers and parents can figure out a way to resolve such behaviours in the future.
Moreover, actions such as creating an individual behaviour support plan that methodically tackles the problematic behaviours, removing the student or removing the other students from the situation, infusing communication into each person’s behaviour assistance strategy, developing relationships between students and peers by doing different activities, it can help resolve children behavioural problems.
An online alternative provision solution?
We realise that not every student can be adequately supported with their behaviour so may need alternatives to help continue their education.
Have you considered using an online alternative provision, such as EDClass, to help support students with their behaviour? Book a free online demonstration of the platform by clicking on the image below or here.
Alternatively, call the EDClass team on 01909 568 338 or email mail@edclass.com and one of our expert team will be happy to assist you.
