Introduction
Teaching a class where some children demonstrate problem behavior, can be a rather stressful job. The behavioral difficulties of some students can impede the instruction of the other students and disrupt the productive functioning of the class. In order to find a suitable solution to the problem, it is imperative that the teachers adopt strategies and alter the approaches in teaching such a class.
Main text
It is important that when faced with such a situation of problem, the teacher must assess the root cause of the problem or behavior of the child (Alberto & Troutman, 1995), by trying to gain insight into the reason why a child is behaving in an inappropriate manner. It has been indicated by researchers that attempting to know the cause of the behavior is important in addressing problems. When the causes or reasons for the specific behavior have been identified, the teachers can move to adopt strategies to correct the behavior.
For instance, if a child is engaging in a particular behavior, it is important to know whether the student is doing so because of the formation of a habit (Alberto & Troutman, 1995). Habit formation in children can lead to several behavioral problems in class. In such cases, the child needs to be explained in private that the certain behavior is not acceptable, and that it will impede with his acceptance not only in class but also in society. Behavioral problems can also be addressed by involving parents and sometimes friends to correct a certain behavior of a child (Wright, 2001).
The instructional approach in class may be altered and made more interesting by initiating group discussions so as to engage the attention of the students. The students who indulge in problem behaviors may be given additional attention by the teacher, as they may be doing so to attract attention.
In case the approaches do not work, the teacher may also approach the student in private and point to the interference caused due to the behavior (Wright, 2001). In some cases, the behavior can be effectively altered by rewarding the student for those behaviors which are acceptable so that the student takes pride and makes an effort to avoid the unacceptable or problem behaviors (Wright, 2001).
Summary
However, the range of problem behaviors in a class of special children is immense. It is therefore important that the teachers evaluate the behavior of students and by ensuring that the students’ behaviors are altered by utilizing effective strategies in the classroom, rather than simply punishing or reprimanding the students. At all times, it is important for the teacher to know and evaluate the root cause of the behavior of the child.
References
Alberto P.A. & Troutman A.C., 1995. Applied behavior analysis for teachers, 4th Ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill/Prentice-Hall.
Wright J., 2001, “Resources to Help Kids Learn”.