Disruptive behavior becomes more common in classrooms

By René Hill (contact)

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008 | midnight

Rene Hill

Over the years I have taught in the Clark County School District, I have worked with some great kids. My students have ranged from the gifted to those with disabilities, and even those children deemed "difficult" have responded to the expectations that their behavior follow classroom guidelines.

In class, students are expected to show one another and myself respect. They are asked to raise their hands for questions and refrain from getting up and walking across the room while I or others are engaged in discussion or instruction. For the most part, students have respected these guidelines in past years.

In the past two years, discipline is becoming more difficult in the classroom. A marked lack of respect for the teacher, fellow students and the education process is growing within the walls of the middle and high school classroom.

The problem became apparent last year when I taught freshmen. I thought it was just that particular group of kids. They talked across the room during instruction, or certain individuals would decide to clean out their notebooks while a lecture was given.

I had students get up and walk across the classroom during readings or lectures to empty the contents of their binders or toss a pile of papers in the recycle bin. All of these behaviors are distracting to others and cause a loss of instructional time.

At the end of last year, I was glad to see my freshmen move on and hoped they would mature enough over the summer to display some manners and respect for their sophomore teachers.

This year I find myself with several classes of seventh graders, and they, too, are displaying the same disregard for the learning environment that those freshmen showed last year. I thought that it might be the demographics or some other factor unique to my school.

However, while in a discussion with the counselor, she mentioned that the Clark County School District counseling department sent out an e-mail to all the middle school counselors asking for help with the lack of basic social skills that is becoming endemic to the classrooms of Clark County. Middle schools, especially, within the district are experiencing higher rates of disruption and basic rudeness from students toward teachers and other students, and they are looking for some solutions.

As parents, you can help by discussing classroom behavior and etiquette with your child. If you receive a call from a teacher concerning behavior, please let your child know that you are not going to let them disrupt the class and that there are consequences at home to reinforce the school consequences.

Teachers are limited in the recourse we have in behavior problems and definitely need parental support in this issue.

All kids deserve a positive learning environment. Let your student know that you expect him or her to help contribute to the solution.

Rene Hill is a special education and former English teacher in the Clark County School District. She can be reached c/o The News, 2360 Corporate Circle, Third Floor, Henderson, NV 89074 or editor@hbcpub.com.