1: Somehow, Some way, form a Relationship. The vast majority of teachers care deeply for and about their students. Yet by middle school less than half of all students believe they would be missed by their teacher(s) if they didn’t come to school. Perhaps we need to be more demonstrative in showing the caring that is in our hearts. Make it a top goal to be a cheerleader for your students, particularly those students whose actions make others want to turn away from them. Recognize them when objectionable behaviors are not happening. 2: Make Learning Complelimg; Emphasize Utility Over Compliance. A frequent complaint by students when we are teaching subject matter content is “When are we going to ever use this?” Many students fail to see the relevance between our content and their lives. When they don’t, they may become bored and uninterested. Students who have learned to value school because they see the connection between a good education and success in life can tolerate boring classrooms. Otherwise, they don’t. Motivation and discipline problems are often the result. Make it a goal to begin each class with something that grabs their attention and then try to connect it to the lesson you are teaching: a great story; an existential question; a joke; an experiment; an interesting photo. If you cannot find a way to make the lesson relevant, at least connect with your students for a few seconds every day around something you know they find interesting (Hint: Music, Sports, Video Games, and Money are virtually always of interest to kids). Show your knowledge and/or ignorance (i.e. Mara, I caught a little bit of Lil Wayne the other day who I know you listen to, and to be honest, I couldn’t understand his message. Help an old guy like me understand what I’m missing?) Rarely will a student refuse to engage when you capture their attention and interest. 3: Cultivate Responsibility on a Student-by-Student Basis. Kids are not born responsible. It is a skill they need to learn. The best ways to promote responsibility are with involvement, ownership, and choices with limits (i.e. You can answer any five that best shows you understand the main causes of the civil war; or you can create a song with clean lyrics that includes the main causes). Get your students involved in making decisions about as many things as you can. Try to avoid immediately giving them your solutions or consequences and instead ask questions leading them to think on their own. Find ways to give your students choices they can handle, celebrate with them when their choices work out and hold them accountable when they make mistakes. For example, “Jose, it looks like you thought you could get by without doing any work. The results of your test show that the strategy didn’t work out. So let’s look at what you can do to get the practice we both know you need to be more successful. I have a few ideas (don’t share them right away) but I bet you do as well (encourage students to first come up with their own solutions and then try to help them anticipate what the consequences of their choice might be). What do you think?” 4. Build Momentum. Nobody starts school expecting to fail. Yet failure is probably the number one in-school factor that causes students to become disaffected, uninterested, unmotivated and disruptive. Challenge your students to get better every day in your subject than they were yesterday. For example, “You got the first three correct and that is good. I am proud of you. But let’s see if you can do it two days in a row. Good luck.” Create and modify assignments, quizzes, tests and behavioral expectations based upon this premise. Build an “APPP” for success. These are the keys: Appear, Prepare, Plan and Practice. Get your kids to understand that “getting better than you were yesterday” is the daily standard of success. Great teachers make it between hard and impossible for their students to fail. They convey an attitude of success: “Don’t ever expect me to give up on you and never give up on yourself.” Praise them when they do well, with your focus being on the effort and the strategy they used. For example, “Carter, you did well because you kept at it and tried three different ways to solve the problem.” Stay away from praise for factors over which they really have no control (i.e. “See, you did well because you are so smart!”). Do the same for yourself! (i.e. “I got through to Laurie because I took the time to focus on her interests.”) 5. Make Sure they Feel Intellectually, Creatively, Emotionally, and Physically ‘Safe.’ Be very clear about the details you expect your students to follow for a safe and smooth functioning classroom. Among other things that may be specific to your subject, these should include how to enter the classroom, where to find the assignment, what to do if a pencil breaks, how to get permission for a drink or the bathroom, how to walk through the halls, line up and take turns. It is important that these procedures be both explained and practiced. When you notice a procedure being followed well, point this out. Reinforcement always helps. Perhaps the most important procedure that relates specifically to ‘difficult’ students behavior is to let all your students know that it will be rare for you to stop class to handle somebody’s misbehavior for two reasons: 1. You have no interest in either embarrassing the student or yourself. 2. You will not sacrifice instructional time to handle misbehavior. Let your students know that virtually always you will see the student after class or during a more private moment and it will be then that you will either give a consequence or otherwise figure out a solution with the student. Tell your students, “If and when somebody breaks a rule, it may look as if I am ignoring what they did. I don’t ignore bad behavior but I am not always going to stop class to deal with it because that would waste too much time and possibly be embarrassing. So understand that if you break a rule, there are consequences, but most of the time those will be given after class or when it won’t take away from everybody’s learning.” When something happens that demands a response but you want to postpone taking action say something like, “I know you all just heard (saw) what Ethan did and most of you are probably wondering what I am going to do about it. Later on, Ethan and I will figure this out but right now we are on page 15.” Then get back to instruction. 6: Teach Them New Ways to Have Fun. The more you enjoy doing what you do, the more students will want to be around you. Enthusiasm is contagious, so be animated when you teach and have fun with your students and the curriculum. Laugh with them!

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The 7 Rules Of Handling Difficult Students Rule #1: Don't question. It's normal for teachers to force explanations from difficult students as a form of accountability. ... Rule #2: Don't argue. ... Rule #4: Don't give false praise. ... Rule #5: Don't hold a grudge. ... Rule #6: Don't lose your cool. ... Rule #7: Don't ignore misbehavior. ... It's About Relationships.

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