1. MANAGING DISRUPTIVE CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR
PREVENTION STRATEGIES, EARLY INTERVENTION, AND EMERGENCY MEASURES
Dr. Frank Babcock
Dean of Student Services
Dale Mabry Campus
August 2004

2. CATEGORIES OF STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR
DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR
REBELLIOUS
EMOTIONAL
INTIMIDATING OR AGGRESSIVE
BEHAVIOR TOWARD THE PROFESSOR
CLASSROOM BULLIES
ABERRANT OR IMMATURE BEHAVIOR

3. STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS ARRIVING LATE
EATING OR DRINKING
TALKING ON CELL PHONES
BRINGING CHILDREN TO CLASS

4. STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS CONDUCTING SIDE CONVERSATIONS
OFFENSIVE COMMENTS TO INSTRUCTOR
OR OTHER STUDENTS
MAKING IMPUDENT REMARKS
CONSISTENTLY DISAGREEING

5. STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR INTIMIDATING OR AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS
TOWARD THE PROFESSOR
DEFIANT POSTURING
OBSCENE GESTURES
HOSTILE ARGUING
CHALLENGING
MENACING PHYSICAL POSTURING
INTIMIDATING STATEMENTS TOWARD THE
INSTRUCTOR

6. STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR CLASSROOM BULLIES HIJACKING THE CLASS RUDE
INSULTING
UNCIVIL
IRRITATING BEHAVIOR TOWARDS CLASSMATES
INTERFERING WITH TEACHING AND LEARNING

7. STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR ABERRANT OR IMMATURE BEHAVIOR
ACTING IN A BIZARRE MANNER
ACTING SPACED OUT
UNDER CHEMICAL INFLUENCE
ENGAGING IN EXHIBITIONISM
EMOTIONAL RESPONSES
MAKING IRRATIONAL, INAPPROPRIATE, UNRELATED STATEMENTS

8. POSSIBLE CAUSES STUDENTS OFTEN ENTER COLLEGE
WITH A “CONSUMER MENTALITY”
PURCHASING A COMMODITY
DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY
DEMAND COURSES BE TAUGHT ON
THEIR TERMS
STUDENTS BELIEVE THAT THEIR
BEHAVIOR HAS NO BEARING ON
THEIR FUTURE SUCCESS

9. POSSIBLE CAUSES STUDENTS BRING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL BEHAVIOR TO COLLEGE
STUDENTS HAVE NEVER BEEN CONFRONTED BY THEIR INSTRUCTORS FOR INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
STUDENTS RESORT TO INTIMIDATION TO RELIEVE STRESS

10. POSSIBLE CAUSES UNDERPREPARED STUDENTS
STUDENTS HAVE BLURRED PERCEPTIONS OF BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND COLLEGE FACULTY/STAFF
MANY FACULTY AVOID EXPLICIT RULES TO AVOID LOOKING TOO RIGID

11. POSSIBLE CAUSES
COLLEGE EDUCATION HAS BECOME A MEANS TO AN END IN IT SELF
HIGH TECH WORLD MAY RESULT IN STUDENTS WITH MORE LIMITED SOCIAL SKILLS

12. THE MILLENNIAL FACTOR
STUDENTS ENTER COLLEGE WITH MORE EXPOSURE TO ADULT WORLD THAN PREVIOUS GENERATION
STUDENTS RECEIVE EXPOSURE TO VAST LEVEL OF INFORMATIONAL ACTIVITY
STUDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY
MORE STUDENTS ARE WORKING PART TIME

13. THE MILLENNIAL FACTOR
STUDENTS ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF TECHNOLOGY PROFICIENCY
STUDENTS HAVE AMBITIOUS CAREER ASPIRATIONS BUT UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS
STUDENTS AWARE OF THE RULES BUT SEEK TO FIND WAYS AROUND THEM “CHEATING IS OK IF YOU DO NOT GET CAUGHT”

14. PREVENTION STRATEGIES
PROVIDE A CLEAR SET OF RULES
PHONES AND BEEPERS OFF
NO LEAVING CLASS FOR CALLS
NO BATHROOM BREAKS
NO SIDE CONVERSATIONS
NO SLEEPING

15. PREVENTION STRATEGIES
QUESTIONS TO BE DIRECTED TOWARD THE INSTRUCTOR
NO READING UNRELATED MATERIALS
TAKE ATTENDANCE AND LEARN STUDENT NAMES
NO USE OF LAPTOPS EXCEPT FOR COURSE WORK
PROVIDE RULES BOTH VERBALLY AND IN WRITING

16. PREVENTION STRATEGIES
SERVE AS A ROLE MODEL FOR THE CONDUCT YOU EXPECT FROM YOUR STUDENTS
START CLASS ON TIME
END CLASS ON TIME

17. EARLY INTERVENTION DO NOT DEAL WITH STUDENTS WHEN YOU ARE EMOTIONAL
DO NOT DEAL WITH STUDENTS WHEN THEY ARE EMOTIONAL

18. EARLY INTERVENTION INTERVENE EARLY PRACTICE GOOD COMMUNICATION
SPEAK WITH STUDENT IN PRIVATE AFTER CLASS TO DISCONTINUE DISRUPTIONS
BE SPECIFIC ABOUT CONCERNS

19. EARLY INTERVENTION INTERVENE EARLY
FOCUS ON HOW BEHAVIORS AFFECT YOU AND OTHER STUDENTS
PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS OR DIRECTIVES
CONSIDER A DIFFERENT SEAT

20. BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS
RAMBLING
REFOCUS ATTENTION BY RESTATING RELEVANT POINTS
RE-DIRECT QUESTIONS TO THE CLASS
ASK HOW TOPIC RELATES TO THE CURRENT TOPIC
“Would you summarize your main point please?”

21. BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION
SHYNESS OR SILENCE
CHANGE TEACHING STRATEGIES FROM GROUP DISCUSSIONS TO WRITTEN EXERCISES
PROVIDE STRONG REINFORCEMENT FOR ANY CONTRIBUTION
INVOLVE DIRECTLY BY ASKING A QUESTION
MAKE EYE CONTACT

22. BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION
TALKATIVENESS
ACKNOWLEDGE COMMENTS MADE
GIVE LIMITED TIME TO EXPRESS VIEWPOINTS AND THEN MOVE ON
MAKE CONTACT WITH ANOTHER PERSON
PROVIDE ATTENTION AFTER CLASS OR DURING BREAKS
“THAT’S AN INTERESTING POINT. LET’S SEE WHAT OTHERS THINK!”

23. BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION
SHARPSHOOTING
ADMIT THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER AND REDIRECT THE QUESTION TO THE GROUP OR THE PERSON ASKING
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A JOINT LEARNING EXPERIENCE
IGNORE THE BEHAVIOR

24. BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION
HECKLING/ARGUING
REDIRECT QUESTION TO GROUP OR SUPPORTIVE INDVIDUALS
RECOGNIZE PARTICIPANT’S FEELINGS AND MOVE ON
ACKNOWLEDGE POSITIVE POINTS
“IT LOOKS LIKE WE DISAGREE”

25. BEHAVIOR INTERVENTON OVERT HOSTILITY REMAIN CALM AND POLITE
KEEP YOUR TEMPER IN CHECK
DON’T DISAGREE, BUT BUILD ON OR AROUND WHAT IS SAID
MOVE CLOSER TO THE PERSON, MAINTAINING EYE CONTACT
TALK TO HIM/HER PRIVATELY
IGNORE BEHAVIOR
ASK HIM/HER TO LEAVE

26. Student Code of Conduct and Classroom Behavior

27. STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
PROHIBITED CONDUCT
CAUSING PHYSICAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL HARM
INTERFERING WITH NORMAL COLLEGE ACTIVITIES
VERBAL OR PHYSICAL DISRUPTION OF TEACHING
INTERFERING WITH THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

28. STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
PROHIBITED CONDUCT
FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE DIRECTION OF COLLEGE OFFICALS
ALL FORMS OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
LEWD, INDECENT, OR OBSCENE CONDUCT, FACE TO FACE USE OF FIGHTING WORDS, AND/OR PROFANE EXPRESSIONS

29. NEXT STEPS
YOU MAY REDIRECT DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS TO THE DEAN OF STUDENTS’ OFFICE
INFORM STUDENT HE/SHE CANNOT RETURN TO CLASS WITHOUT A LETTER FROM THE DEAN
PROMPTLY INFORM THE DEAN OF THE ISSUES, SO THAT DEAN IS PREPARED TO SPEAK WITH STUDENT

30. CRISIS MANAGEMENT CALL SECURITY FOR ASSISTANCE 253-7911
SECURITY WILL COME TO ESCORT STUDENT FROM CLASS
STUDENTS ARE ALWAYS BROUGHT TO THE DEAN OF STUDENTS’ OFFICE
COMMUNICATE WITH DEAN OF STUDENT SERVICES ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
DEAN OF STUDENT SERVICES WILL COMMUNICATE WITH THE FACULTY REGARDING RETURN TO CLASS

31. QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS? ? ? ? ? ?
QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ? ? ? ? ?