Essay Example on Managing Challenging Behaviors: Causes & Solutions

Introduction

Parents may find it difficult to manage challenging behaviors as they are always stressful. Some of these behaviors include being destructive and aggressive, stripping off, smearing of faeces, head banging, pulling of hair and skin picking. A range of risk factors lead to the challenging behaviors. One of the factors is pain or feeling unwell. When one feels pain, it may be hard to communicate with others. Due to the inability to communicate, head banging would be used to help cope with the pain or discomfort (Kurki et al. 77). Hormonal changes that occur during puberty can lead to aggression. Aggressive persons would engage in behaviors such as slapping others, hair pulling, screaming, and shouting. Depression and anxiety can also cause challenging behaviors. Depressed individuals can use hand biting to enable them cope with depressive feelings (Armstrong 997). Additionally, through sensory needs, one may explore how particular things smell and feel. Lack of understanding may deter an individual from determining what is edible or inedible, and establish the correct way of doing things.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

How I-Messages can be used to Convey Positive Feelings in the Classroom

In the classroom, I-messages can lead to positive feelings by providing feedback safely, avoiding putdowns and blames. One of the ways in which these messages can be used to provide positive feedback is by describing the behavior. In essence, behavior description will inform the student about the problem. An I-message tends to state the behavior and describe the feelings of the speaker. Through this, the message will promote a willingness for information exchange, finding a solution, as well as seeking a constructive change in a particular situation (Armstrong 998). Other ways of conveying the information include description of the feeling, tangible and specific effect the behavior has on the speaker. The messages will state the needs and positive feelings of the speaker like appreciation. In the classroom, the speaker should ensure that they use I-messages and facial expressions, which are consistent with the intensity of their feelings.

The Use of Positive Language and Negative Language in the Classroom

One way in which positive language can be used in the classroom is by asking students to use a softer voice to quiet them down. A friendly competition would make it easy to reach the desired level of noise. It would also be vital for the teacher or instructor to practice positive vocabularies, choose the words used wisely, and being honest and direct. Through these, students will understand the message conveyed. The vocabulary will enable students to reflect on the language. In contrast, negative language can be used in the classroom. The use of reflexive language of frustration and anger has adverse outcomes on the performance of students (Foster 1068). Students always hate it when a teacher openly expresses that they are disappointed in them. As such, the learners may not concentrate well in class work as they consider the teacher to be looking down upon them. Negative language would also be evident where a teacher compares a learner to their siblings or another person. The comparisons will most likely cause trouble regardless of whether they are positive or negative.

A Situation that took place in the Classroom

A classroom situation that occurred was when students were speaking out of turn as each of them demanded attention. In essence, it was evident when a teacher asked some question but the learners could not maintain order in giving their answers to the question. In such a case, both the instructor and fellow students felt the impact of the disruptive behavior. The level of concentration and focus decreased substantially as most students made a lot of noise. Ideally, disruptive behaviors even in environments that are organized and are rich in communication (Foster 1075). For the instructor to deal with the situation, navigating the upset and keeping the learners on track would be crucial. There would also be the need to engage students in setting classroom expectations so that they understand what the instructor requires of them.

What I learned from the Experience

From the experience, I have learned that teachers and instructors should ensure positive discipline in the classroom to boost the performance of their students. Concisely, it is vital to express feelings positively so that the learners can practice it and use it appropriately to promote the best academic outcomes. In this way, students will establish the difference between complaints and actually expressing their views. An instructor needs to focus on solutions to a particular problem and avoid restating the issue. By calming down before giving out particular points, it would be easy to communicate effectively, thereby facilitating proper understanding among the learners. It serves essential to listen to every opinion before making decisions on the most relevant one.

How the Knowledge acquired can help me deal with Challenging Behaviors

The knowledge obtained would be crucial in dealing with disruptive and challenging behaviors by looking for patterns and contributing factors. As such, it will be easy to identify whatever directly led up to the occurrence of those behaviors. Both the positives and negatives will also be determined (Kurki et al. 82). Precisely, it becomes efficient to recognize any warning signs of a given behavior and incorporate early intervention for handling the incident. Use of simple language and acknowledging the frustration of affected individuals will bring forth a sense of understanding of the problem. Risk minimization can be ensured by keeping the victims safe and allowing them to do what they feel like. However, they need to be guided to make their acts less harmful.

Works Cited

Armstrong, David. "Addressing the wicked problem of behaviour in schools." International Journal of Inclusive Education 22.9 (2018): 997-1013, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13603116.2017.1413732. Accessed 10 March 2020.

Foster, Colin. "Exploiting unexpected situations in the mathematics classroom." International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education 13.5 (2015): 1065-1088, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10763-014-9515-3. Accessed 10 March 2020.

Kurki, Kristiina, et al. "How teachers co-regulate children's emotions and behaviour in socio-emotionally challenging situations in day-care settings." International Journal of Educational Research 76 (2016): 76-88, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883035515304092. Accessed 10 March 2020.