Learning environments are a very important part of building a successful person. However, a disruptive student can destroy a learning environment. Problem-causing students steal education from their peers by distracting students and distracting teachers. It is a teacher’s job to make sure a class stays on task, even in the presence of a student causing problems. Younger children are much easier to deal with when they cause disruptions in class than teenagers. It is ridiculous when college students disrupt a class, and they should simply be asked to leave. However, teenagers can be difficult to deal with, but they must be handled.
A teacher should always remain professional in a classroom, especially when working with teenagers. Students do not need teachers to act as their parents or their friends. When teachers try too hard to establish a friendship with their students, the result can be a disruptive student. Students do not respect someone who comes completely down to their level. Teachers also must be careful to stay away from acting like a parent to their students. When a teacher speaks to a student in the tone of a parent disciplining their child, the student feels the need to rebel. This can only end in a disrupted classroom situation.
Teachers should lead by example. If cell phones are against the class rules, teachers should turn off their cell phones as well. If a disruptive student argues or insults a teacher, the teacher should not engage in an argument with the student. Consequences should be set for such behavior and should be followed through with every time the disturbance takes place. That way, all the students in the class know what is expected of them, and what will happen if they argue or insult anyone in the class.
Teachers should remember to treat all students equally. No one likes to be treated unfairly, and teenagers may act out if they are treated that way. A disruptive student may simply be trying to show the teacher that they are playing favorites among their students. Teachers must be sensitive to the way they treat their students. Sometimes students behave badly because of psychological problems, but often they act out because of the way they are being treated by their teachers. Teachers should constantly be evaluating themselves and the way they teach.
