Discovering Problem Students

1. Discovering Problem Students Patricia Mills EDN 340-001 Dr. Fox

2. Top 10 Problem Students • Angry, Aggressive, Challenging Students • Attention Seekers & Students who Dominate Discussions • Inattentive Students • Unprepared Students • The Con Man (or Woman) • Discouraged Students • Struggling Students • Students with Excuses • Students Who Want the Truth & Believe that Everything is Relative • Students with Emotional Reactions to Sensitive Topics

3. Angry, Aggressive, Challenging Students • May include one or more students • Males • Challenge the authority • Convey verbal & nonverbal hostility to others • Teacher • Class • Preventing angry students: • Make your expectations clear • Make yourself available • Establish good communication between student and parent • State your position • Present the issue to the class asking “How do the rest of you feel?” • Admit that you may have been wrong and reconsider

4. Attention Seekers & Students who Dominate Discussions • Students talk whether or not they have anything to say • Make jokes • Show off • Compliment teacher/students • Constantly talk in and outside of class • Attention seekers continually try to be noticed.

5. How do you handle attention seekers and students who dominate discussions? • Suggest to students that you want their ideas • Call on students who have hands raised that have not recently talked • Suggest to class that some students seem to participate more than others and ask for suggestions • Assign two or three students as “process observers” for a day • Process observers will report at the end of the class on their observations of how the discussion went, problems they noticed, and suggestions they have • Videotape or audiotape the class discussion • As a last resort, speak to the student outside of class about his or her excessive involvement

6. Inattentive Students • Students who continually talk with other students • First ask these questions.. • “Is the lecture material too easy?” • “Is the lecture material too difficult?” • “Does the topic of discussion arouse anxiety?” If the answer to these questions is “no” try these steps..

7. Break the class into assigned *buzz groups • During the collaboration in the buzz groups, pay close attention to the disruptive students to see if they are working on the task • Write in journals • Call on disruptive students to report what he or she has written or call on someone sitting near the disruptive student to get their attention • Rotate seating chart every week • Some research indicates that students who sit in the front row get better grades, therefore, rotate seating chart and allow disruptive students to sit in the front • Conference with student • Schedule a conference with the student outside of class time to ask about their feelings and to express your concern for them *A buzz group is a small discussion group formed for a specific task such as solving problems and generating ideas

8. Unprepared Students • Students who continually come to class unprepared • Communicate from the beginning of the school year that you expect students to read all assignments • Give quizzes on reading assignments • Do not use a phrase such as: • “You might want to read the next chapter before the next class.” • Give students questions to think about before they read

9. The Con Man (or Woman) • Students who excessively flatter the teacher • To get better grades • To extend deadlines for assignments • May cause a mistrust to all students • Start off assuming that all students are honest • Don’t make exceptions for a student unless you are willing to change them for everyone (unless otherwise convinced that the exception is special)

10. Discouraged Students • Students who are discouraged seem depressed and ready to give up • Signs of a discouraged student: • Frequently arrives to class late • Excessive absences • Assignments lack creativity • Assignments lack enthusiasm • Energy decreases • How do you help a discouraged student? • Allow students from previous year come to the class and describe their frustrations and self-doubt and explain how they survived and overcame the frustration

11. Struggling Students Students who struggle with the material (can be temporary but this is not always the case) • To assess the struggle, ask questions like: • “Have you missed any classes?” • “Do you study the assignment before class?” • “How do you study?” • “What kind of notes do you take?” • “Do you discuss the topic with classmates?” • Continue to check the student’s performance throughout the school-year

12. Students with Excuses Students who make fraudulent excuses usually to extend more time for an assignment • Students with excuses are often creative which helps them make believable excuses Tips to Avoid Students with Excuses: • Establish a series of penalties for late assignments • Offer bonus points for papers turned in early • Also, be flexible on deadlines and aware that unforeseen events can occur that may prevent students from turning in assignments on time • Always require evidence supporting the extension request

13. Frequent Excuses Include.. “My dog ate my homework!” “My sister tore up my paper!” “The cat died!” “Someone stole my homework!” “My computer broke!” “I forgot!” “I had soccer practice!” “I had surgery!”

14. Students Who Want the Truth & Believe that Everything is Relative • Students who question facts and truths about information being taught • “That was an interesting lecture, but which theory is right?” • Most students believe that the teacher’s task is to tell students facts and larger truths and the student is to listen to the truth, learn it, and be able to retell the information later in the school year • Student’s responses to teacher’s lecture is based on the student’s stage of cognitive development

15. Students Who Want the Truth Continued… • The lower stage is characterized by a dualistic view of knowledge • Things are either right or wrong • Students in the middle stage have learned that authorities differ • No settled truth; everyone has a right to his or her own opinion • Students in the next stage of cognitive development recognize that some opinions and generalizations are better supported than others • Student is to learn the criteria needed for evaluating the validity of assertions in other subjects • Students in the final stage show commitment to values, beliefs, and goals • Teachers need to help students understand how knowledge is arrived at in their own disciplines, what serves as evidence, and how to read critically and evaluate knowledge • Students should write journals and papers that are responded by the teacher and classmates, which serves as good debate and discussion

16. Students with Emotional Reactions to Sensitive Topics • Students who react emotionally to relevant topics discussed in class that are sensitive • When teaching sensitive topics you should: • First, explain why the topic is relevant • Remind students to listen to others opinions with respect and understanding • Facilitate a group discussion about the topic • Allow ample time for class discussion on sensitive topics because students may be reluctant at first to share their feelings • Allow students to write in journals about a position of the topic rather than their own

17. Always remember to.. • Don’t duck controversy • Listen, and get students to listen to one another • Keep your cool. Responding immediately is not required • Talk to colleagues and ask what they would do • Always remember that your problem students are human beings who have problems and need your sympathy and help---no matter how much you want to strangle them! 

18. Works Cited McKeachie, Wilbert James, and Barbara K. Hofer. McKeachie's Teaching Tips Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. 11th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001. 148-60. Print.