Have you ever noticed that it seems the harder you push back against difficult students, the more resolute they become? As strange as it may seem, resisting difficult students strengthens their behavior. Any first year teacher knows that no amount of scolding, detentions, whatever, work? It's like they get on a destructive path and their egos become committed to seeing it through, sometimes to the point of expulsion from school. Even then, they will say the teacher or the principal had it in for them.
They complain to family and friends that their teacher doesn't like them. It may even be true. I had teachers who did not like me. It did not stop me from getting a begrudging A in their class anyway. Now we all know we cannot change anybody. We can only change ourselves. We know this, but somehow it doesn't stop us from trying anyway.
A strange thing about human behavior is that the more we try to change a person, the more set in their ways the difficult person becomes. So give it up. Someone said the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same things that never work.
At the same time, teachers cannot allow anarchy in their classrooms. Here is one approach to the dilemma. "Fighting" difficult students only makes them more difficult, so turn their behavior to a productive purpose.
Follow me please to the parent blog School Crossing to find out how.
Announcement: As some of you know, I have a soon-to-be-released report surveying the research of calculators in schools. Technology fans might be surprised at the research consensus. I will also be releasing an email-based course for substitute teachers with many useful tips for coping with the challenge of being on someone else's turf. The information is also valuable for administrators who wish to orient substitute teachers to their schools.
Both reports are free until Dec 31, 2009 to those who send me an email using the Subscribe link on School Crossing. Starting in January, there will be a charge for both the report and the email course.