Clearly established expectations in the classroom, including posted rules and clear and consistent consequences for students does not always result in well behaved, focused students. Many teachers will struggle to maintain control of students, particularly those students who have learned over time that poor behavior receives extra attention (albeit negative attention) from those in authority (parents or teachers).
It is these students – the ones who are misbehaving simply for the purpose of receiving attention – that may cease their behavior when ignored. But this is a tricky task for a teacher to take on.
Times to Not Ignore Student Behavior
When a student is disrespectful, it is important to address this behavior and teach (and model) respectful alternatives to the behavior. Lack of respect is becoming a major issue for a lot of teachers and it is important for both teachers and parents to step up to the plate and focus on teaching our children what respectful behavior looks like and to simply not allow disrespectful behavior, period.
When a student is being hurtful to another student, the behavior must be addressed promptly. This is obvious in regards to physical behavior, but just as important when it comes to bullying. Often, when a bully targets another student, the teacher/parent/administrative team responds promptly to instances of bullying, but become more placid over time as the same bully continues to torment. It is vital that teachers, parents and administration never tire of eliminating the effects of bullying in schools.
How to Ignore Poor Student Behavior
Drawing less attention to students who misbehavior out of a wish for more attention is the basic idea behind ignoring student behavior. This method of managing behavior ONLY works if the student is truly acting up in order to receive attention. There is always a reason for a student to act up – finding that reason is often the starting point to solving any number of problems. Some other reasons students might act up, other than for attention, include a misunderstanding of the expectations, (or simply not understanding the rules) inconsistency from the teacher (do you follow through the same way every time for every student?) and lack of instruction/self-control (when Tom takes Jon’s pencil, how does Jon react?).
What will happen when you start to ignore inappropriate behavior? Well, likely the behavior will increase – sometimes dramatically. This happens initially because the student is seeking attention, so when the attention is removed, the student will escalate, hoping for eventual attention. Teachers need to be aware of this and have already worked out a line in the sand, so to speak, where they will step in and correct the behavior.
It is also important to realize that simply ignoring inappropriate behavior is not enough to quell the attention seeking behavior altogether. If the student is seeking attention, that indicates a need in that child’s life, and it is important to provide attention for proper behavior. This includes praising the student for any positive behavior or answer in front of the class, thanking the student for remaining focused on class work and even asking the student to be a special helper around the classroom.
By calling attention to positive behavior, the student who acts inappropriately for the sake of attention will learn that poor behavior receives no attention while positive behavior receives attention, and will slowly shift towards acting more appropriately in class. This process takes time, though, so teachers who attempt this method of behavior modification in the classroom should be ready for a long journey when ignoring student behavior.
