I was chatting with an exasperated teacher called Claire recently who has every right to feel fed up. Claire’s home room class is boisterous, diverse and unpredictable.
Thankfully, Claire is also very open to reflection and feedback, so she wasn’t alarmed when I challenged her bemoaning of one student, “I mean, bloody hell, all he has to do is sit there next to Cynthia for a few minutes without pulling her hair or swearing at her. Is that too much to ask?”
The truth is that this particular student is a long way behind the eight-ball of life. It’s also true that students of his age should be able to endure a couple of minutes resisting the urge harass Cynthia.
But he currently can’t.
And so, my advice was to make the expectation something he’s more likely to achieve – something they can both get a win from. We agreed that sitting with a student that it’s currently easier to leave alone was a better move. A win in that environment and then another might just lead us to the possibility of reintroducing Cynthia.
Don’t allow the expectations you have more broadly for a cohort of students become the expectations for the most challenging.
Every kid and every teacher deserves the thrill of a win. Those challenging students need it more than you’d imagine.
Cynthia will appreciate the respite too.
Keep fighting that good fight,
P.S. There’s still time to register for my webinar on The Truth About Student Behaviour on Tuesday 3 September 2024 at 4.00pm AEST. Sign up here.
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