Children of all ages can exhibit behavior problems in school, but parents and teachers can help modify a student’s behavior with various techniques.
Behavior
Behavior Problems in School
Children of all ages can exhibit behavior problems in school, but parents and teachers can help modify a student’s behavior with various techniques.
What are the different types of behavior problems in school? Here we hope to break it all down for you!
Education resources
What do I do about my child’s behavior problems in school?
It’s not uncommon for children to get into trouble at school, and every parent may get a phone call from their child’s teacher or a note home once in a while. When bad behavior becomes commonplace, it’s important to determine why your child is behaving badly and what can be done to help.
Establish regular communication with the teacher
Parents often feel embarrassed when their child is regularly in trouble at school, but shying away from the problem isn’t the answer. If your child exhibits bad behavior just once, monitoring the situation and ensuring there is no repeat of the undesirable conduct should be effective.
When bad behavior occurs more often, however, parents should endeavor to maintain regular communication with their child’s teacher. This may be a daily phone call via notes, using the child’s homework diary or planner.
Ask your child’s teacher how they prefer to communicate with parents, as they’ll likely regularly liaise with more than just one set of caregivers. In addition to this, ask for regular or daily reports of your child’s behavior. When good behavior is reported, ensure your child is praised or rewarded so that they recognize what they’ve done well and strive to repeat the good behavior.
Reward good behavior
When children misbehave, negative consequences should follow, but positive consequences should also come after good behavior. Rewarding your child doesn’t mean buying them toys or giving them sugary sweets. Good behavior can be rewarded with simple things, such as extra time on the computer.
When your child exhibits good behavior for longer periods, please allow them to store their rewards for bigger, weekly rewards. If they get five good daily report cards, you may reward them with a trip to your local play center or having friends over, for example.
Problem-solve with your child
Regular bad behavior is certainly a problem, but there are various ways to tackle it. Involving your child in problem-solving can be the quickest and most effective way to determine what’s causing them to act out.
What are a few reasons for bad behavior in school?
Medical issues
If children can’t hear well or are struggling to see what the teacher is doing, they may exhibit bad behavior. Younger children may not realize that their sight or hearing is different from anyone else’s, so they may not report it to instructors or parents. Instead, they may become bored in class and act out or routinely get into trouble for not completing work. If your child says they’re bored in class, make sure you ask the way. A simple sight or hearing test can confirm whether your child needs medical assistance and, when needed, can revolutionize a child’s behavior.
Comprehension difficulties
All children learn at different speeds, but some students may have issues with particular areas of learning. For example, pupils with dyslexia may not be diagnosed until they are older, which can lead to frustration in class. Ask your child’s teacher if their work is of an average standard, and look for any signs of comprehension difficulties if you think this might be causing your child to act out.
Finding the work too easy
When children are bored, they can be easily distracted, leading to bad behavior in class. However, if your child finds the work they’re given too easy, it might be hard for them to stay focused. If they routinely finish tasks before other pupils or complete work without giving it much thought, they may need extra work or lessons for gifted children to challenge them and keep them on track.
Bullying
Unfortunately, bullying can occur in any school and any grade. Parents often assume they will know if their child is being bullied, but this isn’t always the case. Ask your child’s teacher if there have been any changes to their friendship group, and always encourage your child to tell you what’s happening at school and what prompted their good or bad behavior.
Resolving persistent bad behavior may take some time, but it can be done. Although it’s important to get to the root cause of the unwanted behavior, children may not feel able to disclose their true thoughts and feelings straight away. If you ask your child to explain why they behaved badly, don’t press them if they don’t give you an answer immediately. Make sure they know they can tell you anything and regularly check in with them to allow them to do so.
In the meantime, staying in regular contact with your child’s teacher and rewarding good behavior helps encourage students to practice good behavior in school. By working with their child’s instructors, parents can ensure that their child is modeling good behavior and that they’re happy in school.
