Should Teachers Have the Authority to Remove Disruptive Student?

Teacher should have the authority to remove disruptive students from the classroom because the learning environment may have the potential to become disrupted and not effective. Having a disruptive student present in the classroom can hinder the learning environment for other students.” Disruptive student behavior is detrimental to the academic community because it interferes with the learning process for other students, inhibits the ability of instructors to teach most effectively, diverts university energy and resources away from the educational mission, and may indicate a significant level of personal problems or distress on the part of the disrupter.

” (Gerald Amada (personal communication, February 1, 1999). Unfortunately these situations can be severe enough that it could be very distracting and definitely takes away from the other students learning experience. In certain situations the disruptive student may need to be removed permanently.

When the teacher feels as though the student may need to be removed permanently all parties involved should come together. It should involve the parents, the guidance counselor, the dean and possibly even the principle.

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The student should be treated fairly and gently as to not cause any damage to the student. When deciding something so permanent all aspects of the student’s situation should be taken into consideration. Implementing a reward incentive may help to deter negative behavior. The students will be made aware of what is expected of them to receive such incentives and will also be warned of the consequences if they decide to not follow the instructions. When rewarding students that have followed the rules make sure to encourage the students who did not by letting them know that they have a clean slate the following week.

By using some positive reinforcement it will help to keep the child motivated towards trying to do better next time.

Positive reinforcement is beneficial to all of the parties involved. As a teacher being prepared for all situations will help to minimize your stress. The reward chart will help you to explain to the students were they fell short and can improve. Having this visible at all times will also serve as a reminder to a student who may have been tempted to not follow the rules. In situations where this option does not work you should have a plan of action for the next step towards curving the disruptive behavior. Depending on the behavior sometimes removing the student from a group setting and having them work separately can be an option. Teachers should keep in mind that the removal of a disruptive student can just be temporary. Maybe another teacher will have better luck with the student. This option can be explored by having the student on a trial basis sit in another classroom. Sometimes a change of environment can change the disruptive behavior. Before this option is explored it is important that the parents of the student are on board with the decision and kept informed of the progress.

Teachers should definitely have the power to remove disruptive students temporarily if all else fails. In situations where there is testing going on a disruptive student should be removed immediately if they refuse to follow the instructions. Having a disruptive student present during testing can cause the other students to be distracted and not able to focus on the task presented to them. Having that type of disruption can also affect the teacher as well. Having to stop and constantly redirect the child distract the teacher from assisting students who may need help. Teachers who are not granted the authority to remove a disruptive child at their discretion may feel as though their opinion is not respected. Teachers that do have this authority must make sure that they use it properly. All attempts must be made to correct the disruptive behavior before a child is permanently removed from the classroom. In these situations the teacher must make sure to stay calm and level headed.

When a teacher gets frustrated they must remember to step away before they lash out in a way that maybe inappropriate. This is a very important part of a plan of action in the classroom. Some may say that teachers should not have the authority to remove students temporarily from the classrooms. This opinion has some good points to but may not be the best option. It is perceived that a teacher’s job is to be able to control their students behavior at all times. Some people may view that the inability to do so determines how well of a teacher you are. This is not a fair expectation of a teacher. The primary job of a teacher is to educate the students not to raise them. Some behavioral issues are due to lack of good parenting and structure and it is unrealistic to expect the teacher to be able to correct the issues all of the time.

Some behavioral issues can be changed with structure and consequences. Other behavioral issues may need more intense work which not all teachers are capable of dealing with. A teacher that removes a student may also be criticized for thinking that they believe they have the ability to control who deserves to be educated and who doesn’t. Most of the time this will not be the case because a teacher wants to educate. It will be a teacher who really has the best interest for her students in mind but the perception of some parents may be different. Having a disruptive student in the class can also serve as a learning tool for the other students. It can help the students to learn how to deal with distractions in a situation where concentration is needed. Sometimes being exposed to situations at an early age and in a controlled environment can show students that not everyone is the same or even acts the same. This isn’t to say that I agree with them. As a 5 year or 7 years old it may be a little too early to worry about throwing students into problem situations as a way of teaching.

Life will be full of these situations and I truly believe that there is no hurry for them to be exposed to such situations. With some students it may even cause more damage than teaching a lesson. I don’t believe that keeping a disruptive student in the classroom is a good idea due to the distraction it causes the students and the added stress on the teacher. The reason teachers should have the ability to remove students from their classrooms permanently may always be a touchy subject. My option of this is stated above but my option is probably all but a fraction of what many other options may be like. Teachers who support the option of removing students permanently may believe that without this option their classrooms environments may suffer. For some it may be just the quick fix solution but they just don’t want to deal with the child. Although some may say that removing students reinforces anti-social behavior which can be carried with the child years after.

A dozen different perceptions and yet which one is the right one? In some situations there are medical reasons as to why the student is being disruptive. I knew of a child in my daughters’ class who started to present disruptive behavior in the classroom. The teacher first separated the child from his section and had him to try working alone. It worked for a little while and then the disruptive behavior began again. The student’s behavior was so disruptive that he was not even able to walk in the line to the cafeteria or bathroom if he was not at the front of the line. The behavior got to be so disruptive that the teacher actually moved his desk into the hall way right outside the door. Some may view this as extreme but the disruptions became so frequent that even my daughter began complaining about them when she got home from school. I believe that the teacher exhausted all of her options and eventually the student was removed from the classroom.

I am friends with the young child’s mother and after several tests it was determined that the child had Asperger’s syndrome. It was discovered that he needed specialized instruction and was placed in a school that deals with the condition and all of the behaviors related. A lot of times children are disruptive due to those types of things. Having a teacher who is patient and willing to try and figure out what is the problem is very important.” It is important to differentiate between disruptive classroom behavior (that which directly interferes with the ability of the instructor to teach or the ability of other students to benefit from the classroom experience) from behavior that is merely rude or uncivil.

While the latter may become disruptive when it is repetitive or persistent, it usually is best addressed by example and influence.”(Gerald Amada (personal communication, February 1, 1999) Sometimes as a teacher you have to be able to pick up on things that may not necessarily be a behavioral issue but a cry for help. Being a teacher does hold many responsibilities and various hats. That is why it is important that the parents are also used as a method of dealing with the child and determining what is the best route to take. Sometimes you may discover that the parents may be the problem and in that situation the teacher must make the decision as to whether they can deal with the situation or if it is over their heads. Severe consequences may not be what is best for every student.

For some a parent teacher conference may be all that is needed. As I’ve stated before teacher’s are paid to teach but there may be times where a student is just acting out and sitting them down and asking them what is wrong may help to solve the problem. There may be hundreds of different ways to solve disruptive behavior. The hardest conflict to deal with will be figuring out the right one. Remembering to handle children with patience and delicacy will be two of the most important elements to remember throughout your teaching career.

References
1. Amada, G. (2010). Coping with Misconduct in the College Classroom”,. Retrieved February 4, 2010, from Fullerton.edu: http://www.fullerton.edu/deanofstudents/judicial/New%20Content/Faculty%20Resources/Disruptive%20Classroom%20Behavior.pdf 2. Center for Teaching,Learning & Technology. (2010). Dealing with Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom. Retrieved February 4, 2010, from Illinois State University: http://www.teachtech.ilstu.edu/additional/tips/disBehav.php 3. School., N. W. (2009). WHAT IF A CHILD IS BEING DISRUPTIVE ... Retrieved February 3, 2010, from New Whittington: http://www.newwhittington.derbyshire.sch.uk/parents_disruptive.htm