Reluctant, Resistant but not Unteachable

Krogness, Mary Mercer. Just Teach Me; Mrs. K: Talking, Reading, and Writing with Resistant Adolescent Learners. Portsmouth, NH: Neinemann, 1995.

Anyone who’s spent any time in a classroom knows that students with behavioral disorders are a heterogeneous group who exhibit a wide range of classroom behaviors from disobedient to aggressive to painfully shy. Knowing how veteran teachers handle these situations, as well as established school policy for response, should be among our concerns as novice teachers. Author Mercer Krogness cautions that students who are chronically unruly need to be dealt with promptly and consistently, involving their parents, and when necessary, the appropriate school administrator (22). She advices that many kids with behavior problems have deep self-esteem and confidence problems. Many of these students are very bright and have the capability of performing well in class if managed with positive methods.

Krogness champions the community approach to classroom management and provides the following helpful tips in her book:

• Establish a classroom community, beginning with the first class, even if it takes longer than expected and you don’t delve into your subject for a couple days.
• Survey student interests
• Find out areas of student expertise and tap into those talents with classroom activities, assigned jobs, etc.
• Do many large-group activities to build relationships.
• Read to the class aloud and choose material that offers discussion on important feelings and emotions.
• Do oral activities together and invite kids to speak during every class.
• Listen to kids’ point of view.
• Ensure that all students have a voice and encourage them to extend and practice using that voice in free writes, class debates and creative activities.
• Establish class rules together and stick to them, but don’t overreact to minor infractions.
• Pick your battles.
• Establish your classroom as a safe place, no cheap shots.
• Keep a sense of humor and be flexible. Things will rarely go as planned.
• Take the lead from the students and notice the importance they attach to friends, family and activities. Build assignments that focus there.
• Be certain content is useful, relevant and clear.
• Do as much in-class work as possible, modeling the approaches and expected level of response.
• Let students choose from a variety of activities within a certain skill area.
• Model processes that students will need to accomplish an activity.
• Vary class activities as often as possible. Keep kids busy.
• Use texts that speak to adolescent experience. Let students choose some of their own reading and structure diverse ways for them to respond.
• Plan for pairs and small group work, especially in the afternoons or right after lunch.
• Provide immediate and clear feedback.
• Teach self-management skills (ex: notebooks, journals, records for writing workshop, etc.)

Many of these approaches are geared toward a holistic classroom, but they’re also good research-based approaches. Krogness reports that resistant students act more positively toward teachers who give them time to explore personal interests, teachers who read aloud to them, teachers who really listen and implement student ideas in the classroom, and teachers who vary classroom activities and teaching approaches (5-7). Students who fail to follow classroom rules are often students who struggle with establishing social relationships and recognizing this linkage can help teachers solve many behavioral problems. Reinforcing the idea of a classroom community can help misbehaving kids join the class and move forward—these students are “teachable” if we establish a community,