How do you deal with an oppositional or defiant student?
By emilyn
@emilyn (49)
Philippines
November 28, 2007 9:29am CST
I know most teachers encounters boys or even some girls who are oppositional and defiant. They are our headaches in the class. The kind of students who bully their classmates, don't want to listen, and resist advises from teachers.
So, i would like to ask my fellow teachers, what will you do if you are in trouble with these kind of students? How will you control/manage them? Please do share your experiences.
2 responses
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
28 Nov 07
See if you can find something that they are good at and then enlist their help, be it sports or reading.
If they are good in sports, they can help some of the other kids, they can act as a referee. See if you can find one area that you can bound with and then build from their. Then maybe they will trust you a little and you can help them with their real problems.
@emilyn (49)
• Philippines
29 Nov 07
You are right Debs! When i encounter students like these before, i studied their profile. Also, the reverse psychology i used was to chose them as leaders. Although, at first they were hesitants and turn down my appointment/assignment. But, when i told them, its their groupmates who chose them, they accepted the task. Surprisingly, these boys were good in drawing and singing.
@islandrose (686)
• Philippines
28 Nov 07
I have students like those you mentioned. What I did was to study their individual cases and I found out that they have problems at home especially on relationship of their parents. Because of anger, these students react so negatively but after I investigated them, they mellowed their negative reactions.
As I understand, they wanted someone who can understand them, a person whom they can confide their confusions and problems in their homes.
@emilyn (49)
• Philippines
28 Nov 07
Thanks for the response!
Its true that most students who possess this attitudes has family problems... e.g. broken homes, unwed mother, illigitimate, feeling outcasted. So some, wants to seek attention by bullying classmates or resisting to teachers advises. Well, the role of the teacher comes in. So, reverse psychology must be use to these kind of students.
