Root Causes of Root Causes of MisbehaviorMisbehavior

Most student misbehaviors occur for a Most student misbehaviors occur for a reason. One of our most important jobs is reason. One of our most important jobs is

to figure out the reason. to figure out the reason.

• There is a method to their madness. Determine the goals of the misbehavior. What are some general reasons for misbehavior:– Attention– Power– Revenge– Avoid failure

Goal 1: AttentionGoal 1: Attention

• Students misbehave in order to get the teacher to pay attention to them.

• Student may not see this as misbehavior.• Usually not a serious problem--or at least the

type of misbehavior is not of a serious nature.• However, behavior is disruptive to class.• Typical feeling of the teacher is annoyance.

Goal 2: PowerGoal 2: Power

• Student tries to gain control of the class. They are trying to be in charge and refuse to accept the directions of the teacher.

• More serious in nature. Shows up as refusal to follow rules or initially may show up as “testing the rules.”

• Must be dealt with by the teacher in a firm manner. Only one person can be in charge.

• Typical feeling of the teacher is: threatened.

Goal 3: RevengeGoal 3: Revenge

• Student misbehaves as a reaction to a situation or action of the teacher. Often follows punishment.

• Often a reaction to “save face” with peers .• Very serious and cannot be tolerated!• Typical feeling of the teacher: hurt feelings• Avoid this behavior by: handling all discipline

matters privately. If possible, get the student to admit they were wrong. Never lose your temper!

Goal 4: Avoiding FailureGoal 4: Avoiding Failure

• Rather than attempt to play basketball, student will misbehave in class, pretend they don’t care, or act like a clown.

• May appear to be wanting attention or even rebellious, but that is not the goal.

• These students have given up on themselves because, all too often, previous teachers have given up on them.

• Exhibit “class clown” tendencies or go the opposite to withdrawal and sullen attitudes.

• Typical feeling of the teacher: frustration• Patience is the key. Insist that they will succeed in some way in

your class. Lots of encouragement is needed.

Weight what a student “won” and “lost” from behavioral management situations. Sometimes, misbehavior is worth the consequence. For some, getting in trouble is better than being ignored.– Jenny story from MS

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