There is a compulsion among teachers to react too quickly to misbehavior.
As soon as it shows up on their radar, they’re on it in a flash, making judgments and decisions before fully understanding what it is.
Teachers with this compulsion tend to take misbehavior personally. It offends and annoys them so much that they feel like they must attack it aggressively.
But rushing toward the first suspicion of misbehavior or calling out in an attempt to interrupt it is like trying to stop milk as it’s being spilled. Once a rule has been broken, it’s broken.
And there is nothing you can do to reverse it.
Yes, it’s important to be timely and to address misbehavior in the moments after it occurs. But being in a hurry, or trying to stop misbehavior in midstream, is a costly mistake.
Here’s why:
1. It’s stressful.
It’s tough to keep your cool when you’re rushing to handle misbehavior. The stress and tension of thinking and moving fast on your feet can cause you to raise your voice or say something you’ll regret.
It can also cause stress and nervous tension among the rest of your students, disrupting learning, instigating excitability, and increasing the chances that they too will begin misbehaving.
2. It encourages confrontation.
Dealing with misbehavior too quickly risks inciting students who are already in a heightened state, which all but guarantees an argumentative response.
Add to it your snap accusations, strong rebukes, or even calls to stop, and you’ll be throwing anger and resentment into the contentious mix.
3. It blinds you to the facts.
Effective classroom management demands that you get the facts first before responding to misbehavior. Teachers who are quick to react often get it wrong, causing students to distrust them intensely.
Proximity is also important. If you move in too close, you’ll miss something. It’s best to keep your distance, observe quietly, and take it all in—your mind an indifferent camera recording the action.
4. It causes you to lose control.
A too soon response gives your students an opportunity to goad you into a confrontation or disrupt your pleasant mood—like a puppet on the end of a string. Difficult students are especially adept at this.
Taking your time before speaking or moving toward the misbehavior, on the other hand, allows you to stay in control, no matter how disruptive the student or severe the misbehavior.
Empower Yourself
By merely responding methodically to misbehavior, you’ll empower yourself to keep your composure, maintain control of your class, and make the right decisions with grace, clarity, and conviction.
Your students will respect you for it.
Your colleagues will admire you because of it.
And you’ll be a happier, more effective teacher.
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I had an experience like this just last week! My students temporarily forgot themselves and went running and screaming down the hall. My knee jerk reaction was to get upset and yell for them to stop, but I thought better of it and just stood there and silently watched and waited until they stopped. Then I simply instructed them to turn around and come back correctly. They immediately obeyed and turned right back into my little angels. No yelling, no stress. Being calm is so powerful!
Hi,
I just found your site today and wanted to let you know how much I love it. I work as a therapist in schools with especially difficult children and I really appreciate your take on behaviors. I tell teachers and parents all the time to not react immediately as well. Your tip, “Dealing with misbehavior too quickly risks inciting students who are already in a heightened state, which all but guarantees an argumentative response” is so true.
Glad you found the site! I hope you become a regular reader.
:)Michael
Michael,
I read your book this summer and I have been studying your messages and the teacher comments carefully. I appreciate your simple, common sense ideas and want very much to implement them this year. My problem is that I have always had difficulty being able to correctly spot the offending student when it comes to social talking to other students. Of course, when you look at them, they stop talking. So now a rule has been broken and they think they have gotten away with something. Then later, other students cry fowl when I am certain who talked and give a consequence. I really feel that many times I just unnecessarily doubt myself and my timing, but I want to be sure.
BTW – this is embarrassing because this is my 10th year of teaching. Please advise.
Hi Alice,
Keep it simple. If you see a rule being broken, enforce a consequence. If you let it go, then you send confusing signals and cause resentment.
Michael