Student’s cases in Classroom Management

There are many cases of the student in the class which is very influence in learning process and achievement of educational goals. Those are some issue and example of the solution :

1. Undermining the instructor’s authority
This is tricky as it speaks to "attitude." A student might belittle the instructor or engage in a battle of the wills. This student would need to be privately told that their attitude was confrontational and asked how this might be resolved mutually.
"Be careful not to read most questions about content, interpretation, or assignments as a challenge of authority. Acting as it they are not, even when you suspect they are, can convey a sense of confidence and control. Sometimes merely assuring the student, while smiling, that you have indeed reflected on this issue at length and that they too will understand soon why the information or the assignment is valuable diffuses the situation. You may even want to encourage them to ask the question again at a later date if necessary."

2. Leaving class too frequently
Camps are divided as to whether or not students should ask for permission to leave for bathroom breaks or wait for a break in the class. I don’t require my students to limit their bathroom breaks or ask permission, however, this is contentious for some faculty when breaks are taken too frequently. You might privately ask the student if everything is OK so that they know that you are concerned by their behavior. Don’t assume disrespect – it might be a bladder infection or some other physical problem.

3. "Spacing Out" or Sitting With Back to Instructor
If this is a repeated problem, students need to know that their non-verbal behavior is perceived as disinterest. You might ask them after class if they need a more comfortable seat. Some students are extremely shy and it might take half of the semester before they open up enough to make sustained eye contact or face the instructor completely. Remember also that sustained eye contact is a culturally dictated practice that might not be feasible for some students.

4. Gum, Food, Pagers, and Cell Phone Disruption
If decided upon by class, consequences for breaking this policy might range from the loss of participation points to the offender having to present on a topic of interest to the class. Some instructors allow pagers and cells to be on the vibrate setting as long as they are attended to at the break rather than used when it interrupts the class. Instructors need to abide by this rule as well and allow for at least one mistake per student as accidents do happen from oversight. The idea here is to prevent habitual disruption from gum popping and phones ringing.

5. Sleeping in class
Sleeping in class is usually considered rude. Most faculty believe it should not be tolerated and is best curbed up front by waking a sleeping student and asking them to step outside with you. Once there faculty often tell students that it’s best for the rest of the class if they return when they are awake enough to be an active participant. This occurs from time to time and you obviously are the one to choose lenience or punitive action. If it’s one of your more regularly involved students, perhaps give them an option of an extra credit research assignment they can bring to your next class period covering the subject matter they missed while they were sleeping.
An alternative approach is to assume that the student does not feel well, was up most of the night with a sick child, or has some other condition that results in sleepiness when still for long periods of time. You might simply choose to wake the student and ask them if they are feeling alright. To pull this off you need to approach it with true concern for the student's health and well being. Most of the time, student's are so embarrased and so appreciative of your genuine concern that they don't let it happen again.
Encourage students to actively participate, take notes (explain that this is helpful to their learning as it stimulates memory in the brain) and in particularly long classes break up the session with activities or paired conversations about a topic to ensure that students stay engaged. Students don't learn much from listening, so remember that the more they "experience" the learning process the more you are really teaching.

6. Refusal to Participate or Speak
We cannot force students to speak in class nor participate in group projects. This can be addressed and become a win-win situation by either giving the student alternative options to verbal participation (unless it’s a speech class) or simply carefully coaxing some response out of them and praising whatever minimal effort you receive from them. Remember, some students are terrified to be in a class setting –especially if there are round tables rather than desks – allowing for little anonymity.

7. Plagiarism or Lying
Depending upon the class and the student’s prior knowledge of what plagiarism entails, some faculty issue an automatic F for the first instance, then expulsion from the class with a report to the department chair and division dean on a second instance. Most colleges have specific policies. Be sure to know you college policy before taking action.

Plagiarism should be outlined in your syllabus with a reference for students to the college catalog for more information.

8. Too Much Chit Chat
Give 2-minute chat times for groups or before class begins let them know that you have material to be covered and that their talking isn’t helping you achieve your goals for the class. Know too that some students occasionally translate a word or phrase to a tablemate who might not have as strong an understanding of English, be patient and observant when curbing this behavior.

9. Disrespectful Behavior
The reality is that sometimes students just plain won’t like you. You will find yourself in a conversation with yourself about why they don’t like you and treat you with disrespect. Animosity will perpetuate itself so remember your role and look for a way to positively invite the student to engage more deeply in the class. Perhaps offer them a special task based on a self-disclosed talent; for instance, a student whose hobby is Origami (Japanese paper folding) might lead a lesson on the art of following instructions.

Those are the theory can be recommended for problem solving :
1. Theory of Behaviorism
Much of the movement that is seen in education today stems from the desire to be scientific according to Newton. Behavior Modification by Skinner is one of molding all children to conform by use of standard punishments and rewards. Prediction is an important part of Skinner's work. Behavior Modification techniques suggest that specific rewards and punishments will yield predictable results in the behavior of children. Behaviorism suggests a system that will modify children to comply with prescribed norms. Compliance with these prescribed norms restricts student autonomy. As would be expected in the Newtonian paradigm, the theory is to predict results by detailing correct initial conditions and equations that prescribe action upon those initial conditions. In the case of Skinner behaviorism, the initial conditions are individuals and the equations are those behavioristic techniques set out to modify the individuals.

2. Assertive Discipline
The discipline system known as Assertive Discipline was developed by Lee and Marlene Canter in 1976. In the first 12 years of distribution “Lee and Marlene Canter claim to have trained some 300,000 teachers in workshops in 48 states -- including half of the teachers in Oregon and California” (Crockenberg, 1982, p. 59). By 1989, some 500,000 teachers had been trained in Assertive Discipline. (Render, Padilla, and Krank, 1989) No other discipline system has made such claims of distribution and acceptance.
Assertive Discipline teaches students to accept the consequences of their actions. It has “as its basic premise the reinforcement of appropriate behavior” (Render, Padilla, and Krank, 1989, p. 609). “Responsibility is exactly what Assertive Discipline is all about” (Canter, 1988, p. 24). Practitioners of Assertive Discipline are taught that they must learn to be assertive in taking control of the class. A system of rewards and punishments are devised by the teacher to let students know when they have acted correctly or incorrectly. Increasingly unpleasant penalties are incurred by students who continue to make improper choices. Canter expresses concern about teachers who “spend too much time punishing children. . . . This is the key to Assertive Discipline, positives and lots of praise” (Canter, 1988, p. 24).

3. Transactional analysis
Transactional analysis studies the interactions of behavior between teachers and students. (Harris, 1967) Harris suggests three stages of development called ego-states. These ego-states are called Child, Parent, and Adult. In order for teachers to be successful in transactional analysis, they need to remain in the Adult ego-state and be able to recognize the ego-state of students around them. Teachers can then recognize the games that students may play in a Child ego-state and teach students to behave in an Adult ego-state.
The strengths of this approach are that students are encouraged to monitor their own communication and behavior. The disadvantages of this system is that it may be too difficult for students and cause them to psychoanalyze each other. (Edwards, 1993)

4. Theory X and Theory Y
Theory X and Theory Y is an example of non-Newtonian thinking. McGregor (1967) is not talking about two different types of people, but two different ways in which people can be viewed. Theory X is Newtonian, Theory Y is post-Newtonian. Theory X suggests that people will the do the minimum possible amount of work necessary to accomplish a task. Theory X suggests that enticement is required through deterministic techniques to get people to do what the enticer wants them to do.

Theory Y suggests that all people want to succeed, but there are obstacles in their path which inhibit their progress. If these obstacles are removed, then they can succeed as well as anyone else. McGregor (1967) states, “Strictly speaking, the answer to the question mangers so often ask of behavioral scientists-How do you motivate people?--is: You don't. Man is by nature motivated” (p. 10). This approach suggests a holistic approach to solutions. Theory Y suggests that the process is more important than the deterministic motivations that come from behaviorism. Theory Y promotes autonomy, while Theory X simply pushes people to prescribed goals.