Managing Disruptive Classroom Behavior

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Managing Disruptive Classroom Behavior

• Angela Provitera McGlynn

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Biography

• Professor Emeritus of Psychology, MCCC
• Author of several books and numerous articles
  regular contributor to The Hispanic Outlook in
  Higher Education
• Latest books see slide towards end of
  presentation
• National Consultant on Teaching and Learning
  Issues Trainer for Transformation Associates,
  LLC
• Web site www.mccc.edu/amcglynn/index.html
• E-mail address amcglynn5_at_verizon.net

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(No Transcript)
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Objectives

• Create a positive tone at the start of the
  semester
• Prevent disruptive behavior from occurring in the
  first place
• Handle side conversations
• Manage technology-related disruptive behaviors
  such as cell phones
• Prevent violations of academic integrity
• Deal with incivilities should they occur

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Question

• What is the number one classroom behavior issue
  that you hope to manage more effectively?

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Create a positive tone at the start of the
semester

• The task of the first day is to begin to create a
  climate in which all students feel welcome
• The most important goal for the first day is to
  have students leave with a desire to come back

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Create a positive tone at the start of the
semester even in large classes
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Create a positive tone at the start of the
semester

• Getting students to want to return to the next
  class involves students feeling
• that the teacher is approachable
• the beginning of a sense of community with their
  classmates, and
• students believing that the course is worthwhile
  and that they can succeed in it

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Managing Disruptive Behavior by Creating a
Positive Tone

• Research shows that disruptive behavior is more
  likely to occur in authoritarian classroom
  settings
• It is important from Day 1 to create a warm,
  inclusive classroom atmosphere
• The first day of class is the most important day
  of the semester

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Managing Disruptive Behavior by Creating a
Positive Tone

• Some time should be devoted to learning students
  names and getting students to meet one another
• Introducing yourself in a way that makes you seem
  approachable is crucial

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Creating a Positive Tone Introducing Yourself
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Warming the Classroom Environment

• Build rapport with students by
• greeting them before each class begins
• use students names to boost their self-esteem
• invite students to visit your office
• show your caring and interest in students lives
  and in their learning
• use humor where appropriate to create informality

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Warming the Classroom Environment
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Preventing Disruptive Behavior

• Distribute a handout about appropriate classroom
  behavior on the first day of class (or include a
  statement in the syllabus). Either tell students
  you would like their input, or have the students
  create the guidelines sheet
• (See The Classroom as a Learning Community
  guidelines sheet)

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Preventing Disruptive Behavior

• The handout needs to be non-authoritarian but
  very clear regarding your attendance policy,
  lateness to class policy, respecting everyones
  opinions in class and respecting one another,
  cell phone policy, no-talking while someone else
  is talking, etc.

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Preventing Disruptive Behavior

• Word the statement in a positive way rather than
  telling students what not to do
• Clearly state the norms for class discussion, as
  for example, respecting each others opinions

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Preventing Disruptive Behavior

• Create an atmosphere in which it is acceptable to
  disagree, always respectfully
• If a student makes a potentially hurtful remark,
  intervene by depersonalizing the remark and
  processing the issue so that all students feel
  protected

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What To Do With Side Conversations

• Establish eye contact with the talkers
• Move close to where the talkers are speaking
• Remind students that only one person speaks at a
  time in the classroom

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What To Do With Side Conversations

• Speak to the talkers privately after class
  explaining that you understand it is difficult to
  stay quiet for a long period of time but that you
  and their classmates are distracted by their
  talking
• Ask students to write something down related to
  the course

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Tips to Prevent Classroom Incivility

• Use your referent and expert power by knowing the
  content, modeling appropriate behavior, defining
  appropriate behavior, and by being available
  and approachable to students
• Use the classroom dynamics to empower students
  and ensure that they all feel valued

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Tips to Prevent Classroom Incivility

• Develop a student behavior policy
• Provide a syllabus that makes expectations and
  student evaluation policies clear
• In the syllabus, emphasize what students should
  do or how they should behave rather than what not
  to do and explain how this relates to student
  success. Have disclaimers such as This syllabus
  is subject to change.
• SUMMARY OF SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE VIDEO
  SATELLITE BROADCASTCoping with classroom
  incivilities Nanny 9-1-1 for the
  professorPresenters Stacie R. Chismark, Lara
  Duvall, Mia Alexander-Snow, Moderator Bob Ray
  Sanders

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Tips to Prevent Classroom Incivility

• Develop student contracts and have students sign
  them
• Students can participate in the development of
  the behavior policy
• SUMMARY OF SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE VIDEO
  SATELLITE BROADCASTCoping with classroom
  incivilities Nanny 9-1-1 for the
  professorPresenters Stacie R. Chismark, Lara
  Duvall, Mia Alexander-Snow, Moderator Bob Ray
  Sanders

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More Tips for Preventing Incivility

• Restrain talkers and stalkers
• Set boundaries from the beginning and respect
  those boundaries at all times
• Dont let students be rude to each other Were
  here to discuss everyones ideas.

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More Tips for Preventing Incivility

• Gracefully get the class monopolizers to stop
  talking by complimenting them
• Youre ahead of me
• I can tell you have given this some thought
• Does anyone else have some thoughts on this?
• Very interesting point we can come back to it,
  but have to move on now

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More Tips for Preventing Incivility

• Cultural perceptions shaped by stereotypes and
  social power are reflected in social interaction
  and may influence classroom incivility
• Students and faculty assess each other in terms
  of cultural perceptions. Be sensitive to how you
  perceive your students and how they might
  perceive you based on gender, race/ethnicity,
  age, class, etc.

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Scenario for Discussion

• A student in your class makes a remark that you
  interpret as racist or reflecting ethnic
  prejudice, or a remark that is sexist, classist,
  ageist, or homophobic.
• How can you use the remark as a springboard to
  enlighten the class?
• In other words, what strategies can you offer
  that could turn the remark into a teachable
  moment?

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Academic Integrity Issues
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Preventing and Responding to Violations of
Academic Integrity

• Explain academic integrity in your course
  syllabus and in your first or second class of the
  semester discuss the college policy and your
  expectations
• Give examples of violations
• Be clear as to the consequences of violations
  both in writing and verbally in class
• See 50 Classroom Activity Ideas in Promoting
  Academic Integrity in the Classroom, U. of South
  Carolina

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Preventing and Responding to Violations of
Academic Integrity

• Remind students periodically about academic
  integrity, particularly before exams and when
  papers are due
• Create assignments that preclude the possibility
  of cheating
• Divide research papers into smaller steps or
  assign shorter papers
• Know ahead of time what your limits/policies are
  going to be with regards to cheating and apply
  them equitably

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Preventing and Responding to Violations of
Academic Integrity

• Have students write about material directly
  related to the course content and offer required
  source materials
• Use their writing/research in course discussions
  and on tests
• Meet with students to discuss their research
• Have students submit packets of their source
  materials
• Sterngold, A. (2004)

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Strategies For Dealing With Incivilities After
They Occur

• Address incivilities when they occur warning
  forms, documentation, reflective listening
• Do not become angry or defensive and give
  students a chance to express themselves as long
  as they are doing so respectfully, acknowledge
  the students feelings, be willing to apologize
  (I am sorry that you are struggling with so much
  on your plate)

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Strategies For Dealing With Incivilities After
They Occur

• Body language is important maintain eye contact
  and an open posture
• Empathy is important for positive outcomes. Let
  the students know that you are on their side and
  tell them that you want them to succeed

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Strategies For Dealing With Incivilities After
They Occur

• Ask students exactly what it is that they are
  upset about and ask them to suggest a solution to
  the problem that is fair to everyone involved
  (including the other students in the class)
• Remind students of policies and accommodations
  that you or the college make that may make their
  situation better

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Dealing With the New Students Misbehaviors

• Cell Phones
• Text Messaging
• Using Laptops for communicating with others or
  for playing games
• Misusing the Professors E-mail or telephone
  availability
• Teaching E-mail Etiquette

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The old and the new

• New challenges

• The old days

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Responses To Overt Incivilities

• Using reflective listening techniques
• Do not become defensive
• Reflect back on your understanding of the
  problem, restating it for the students to let
  them know that you are trying to understand the
  problem
• It is never appropriate to respond to
  disrespectful behavior with disrespectful
  behavior. Be calm.

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Responses To Overt Incivilities

• Talk with the student privately but not in an
  isolated place
• If the incident occurs in the classroom, reassure
  the rest of the class that you will not allow
  their learning environment to be compromised
  (after the student has left the room)

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Responses To Overt Incivilities

• You are not perfect. If you behaved badly,
  apologize, and assure students that it will not
  happen again
• Along with the faculty, the institution has a
  responsibility to diminish the occurrences of
  incivilities

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Adding Tools to Your Trade/Art

• Think about a time when you had a problematic
  situation in class. How would you handle it now
  based on what you have learned?

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Angelas most recent books by Atwood Publishing,
888 242-7101, www.atwoodpublishing.com
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References

• Coping with classroom incivilities Nanny 9-1-1
  for the professor a satellite video broadcast,
  (Oct. 20, 2005) Presenters Stacie R. Chismark,
  Lara Duvall, Mia Alexander-Snow, Moderator Bob
  Ray Sanders, STARLINK Web Seminar
• Manning, T., Everett, B. Roberts, C. (2006).The
  Millennial Generation The Next Generation in
  College Enrollment, Starlink Presentation (New
  Standards for the New Student)
• McGlynn, A.P. (2007). Teaching Todays College
  Students Widening the Circle of Success, Atwood
  Publishing.

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References

• McGlynn, A.P. (2001) Successful Beginnings for
  College Teaching Engaging your students from the
  first day, Atwood Publishing.
• Oblinger, D.G., Oblinger, J.L. (2005).
  Educating the net generation (On-line)
  www.educause.edu/educatingthenetgen
• Oblinger, D.G. (2003) Boomers, Gen Xers,
  Millennials Understanding the new students.
  Educause Review, 38, 37-47.

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References

• Sterngold, A. (2004). Confronting plagiarism How
  conventional thinking invites cyber-cheating,
  Change, May/June, 16-21.
• Top 10 Tips for Addressing Sensitive Topics and
  Maintaining Civility in the Classroom, Faculty
  Focus, June 24, 2009. By the Center for Teaching
  and Faculty Development at San Francisco State
  University
• University of South Carolina Office of Academic
  Integrity, Promoting Academic Integrity in the
  Classroom, available at http//www.housing.sc.ed
  u/academicintegrity/teach/html

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