Kailey
Why do some kids act bad in school
Sometimes when I am in school studying, A random person just starts mouthing the teacher and talking back to the teacher. I do not see the reason for this after all they have done for us. Without them we would not be as smart as us kids would be now. That is my question I hope someone answers if they know the answer. #teaching #teacher #education #badkids
9 answers
Sheila Jordan
Sheila’s Answer
Hello Kailey: This is an AWESOME question. My daughter is a first year High School Math Teacher and I'm answering your question based on what she shares with me about her class on why students act out. . .
#1 - Don't care - they have no interest in being at school or learning
#2 - Unmotivated - this might be because they have no real goals or dreams about doing anything in life at the moment
#3 - Something personal may be going on - this could be things like a boyfriend/girlfriend, home life, etc.
Now this isn't a complete listing of why kids act out in school. There could be many factors that are not made aware of regarding the student for instance, they may be on some kind of medication for whatever reasons, have a learning handicap, etc.
It's great that you respect the teacher and come prepared to learn. You will go far with those qualities. Continue to focus on your work and not get distracted by those students who act out. The teacher will appreciate you for hanging in there. Keep up the good work. :)
Best of Luck to You!
Sheila recommends the following next steps:
Karen Kitchel
Karen’s Answer
While these kids can be distracting, best if we try not to judge the reasons for their behavior. They may not have had the kind of parents or caregivers that we had when we were little. So they didn't learn to respect others. Some kids have medical issues they may not be aware of which can result in bad behavior.
As a volunteer teacher, I try to make an effort to look for positives in this type of student even something as small as the color of shirt they are wearing to encourage them to think positive or to learn to say thanks. It's easy to reach out to others who are well behaved and treat us well, but a good challenge is to make an effort to make contact with those who irritate us. Also you will never know who is watching your behavior and just might imitate you!
With every good wish!
Shelby Steuber
Shelby’s Answer
Joan Coughey
Joan’s Answer
As a teacher for over 28 years there is no magic formula/answer as to why students act out. The reasons can be as individual as the students themselves. As others have offered suggestions as to why kids act out, I will also offer some reasons and provide ideas to stop the behavior before it becomes a habit.
To start, you will have IEP’s and GIEP’s and 504 agreements. These are students that have been tested and found to have a specific issue...emotional, behavioral, or academic issue. The answer for these kids is usually determined by the IEP team with suggestions on how to help these students in class; these ideas are called SDI’s (Specially Designed Instruction) that former teachers that have found what works in educating these children. You might be on the team that creates the first plan to address these issues.
Regardless of why kids act out, you’ve got to have a firm format for how to handle these outbursts, aka behavior expectations for all students. These are your ground rules for running a successful classroom. The rules should be firm, consistent, and constant. The rules should be posted in your room for all to see daily. They should be easy to understand. For example, my first rule I explain each year is: We will be respectful of others opinions and views. I explain that this rule is applicable to our discussions, working in groups, etc... once you have posted the rules, you can not over look them for some and not for others.
Some discipline downfalls to avoid:
1. Believe it or not, not following your own rules/consequences. Some days it will seem like a hassle to follow through on little things that happen. Be consistent daily.
2. “Don’t pick up the rope” Kids will like to argue or negotiate if they’ve really broken your rules. Don’t negotiate. If a rule was broken, that student gets the consequence, period.
3. Not providing at least to modes of instruction. We all learn differently, so it goes to reason that we should offer audio modes, visual modes, and hands on modes for each lesson. Using only one mode eliminates at least half of your learners.
4. Only offering one way to show what they have learned. Currently I offer a project menu for each project. Some were: writing, creating a slide show, drawing a cartoon, creating a piece of music and writing why the music shows understanding, artistic rendering, and making a model to name a few. As long as they demonstrate understanding, who really cares how they show it.
5. Not realizing that some kids have serious gaps in their learning. You have to be on the lookout for kids who might not understand a term or concept from previous years of schooling. Kids will act out if they are confused. Catch them up before or after school.
6. Not having incentives for students to show you their best work. Since I taught sixth grade, I would always offer a “reward” for the best two or three projects. This encourages healthy competition amount students. (My rewards always included a blue ribbon and a Blow Pop. You wouldn’t believe what kids will do for that blue ribbon and candy, or cool pencil or erasers!)
7. Using the same format to learn everyday. This never works. The kids get bored. I used many games in my room that kids loved! They would spend the time to study to be able to compete against others!
8. Not knowing what all the kids are capable of. Regardless of where each student is at, learning should always provide a challenge regardless of the student’s level.
There are more, but I wanted to list not only the problems of the classroom behavior, but simple solutions to fix those problems.
Good luck,
Mrs. Joan Coughey
Mt. Lebanon School District
Literature 6
(Newly retired!)
Simeon Snow
Simeon’s Answer
Ali Hashemi
Ali’s Answer
Actually, there may be different reasons for this behavior.
Maybe, they are ignored as students or even as humans and they just want to make their presence obvious to others and the teacher.
They may be less motivated to take part in the class as they realize that this is not for them and they are not into it.
Their individual differences are not be considered and taken into account by the teacher.
The teaching method may not fit their preferences and they find it boring or the subject is less challenging.
Ali recommends the following next steps:
Simi Radhakrishnan
Simi’s Answer
Have you ever tried making friend with such kids...some of them may actually turn out to wonderful friends..and your friendship could actually change them. they may open up to you on what their insecurities are and as a true friend, you can help them come over it and change the pattern in their behaviour. No one is completely bad right...give it a shot:)
Katelyn Viray
Katelyn’s Answer
*They don't see the point of why it's important to learn subjects that they believe won't be useful for their future. One of my classmates did not do his work because he didn't need the credit, and took the class because his friends were in it.\
* They enjoy being the class clown. Maybe they enjoy getting their teacher mad or making other people laugh.
* They're bored. The student might be really smart, and finding entertainment or has no idea what's going on in the class and does not want to admit it
There may be other reasons why a student acts up during class, but just know everyone has a reason of doing something. Keep doing you :)
Jason Aaron White
Jason Aaron’s Answer
As you know, with the recent string of school shootings in the United States , there was a strong emphasis on educating every one on Mental health awareness. In addition to Mental health, there are characteristics called "Learning disabilities" that I realized are prevalent in general education students as much as they are in special education students.
Learning disabilities are factors that hinders an individual from retaining information, focusing during classroom or lectures, or many other factors that causes an imbalance of emotional behaviors. If I were you I would find the time to read up on Learning disabilities and Mental health awareness in the classroom. Once I become a full-time teacher, I had planned to do educational seminars to make students aware of this. You never know what problem someone may be going through internally until the issue is brought above the surface. I wish you the best.