Behavior that challenges educators

When first considering this problem, an educator might think of those relatively still rare occasions when a learner throws a chair or turns tables over or hits the teacher. However, as research has revealed, the behaviors that cause educators most concern are:

■ answering back;

■ using offensive language;

■ continuous talking;

■ constant interruptions;

■ refusal to start work independently;

■ preventing others from working.

This research was completed for a DfEE survey (1989) and it found that both primary and secondary educators agreed on this list of particularly irritating behaviors shown above. In fact, 70 per cent cited answering back and the use of offensive language as the worst problems. These behaviors can occur very frequently and cause continuous disruption to the learning context. If this is achieved, then further behaviors can occur involving other learners who experience disrupted lessons and raised levels of anxiety, and a bigger problem can begin to emerge. At the same time these behaviors can engender in the educator feelings of failure, stress, anger and great anxiety. It is clear from this illustration that if such a situation arises then both learners and adults will begin to feel the learning environment is insecure and unsafe, and the teaching–learning process will be interrupted.

Discussion

Discuss how you would try to solve such a difficult development. Use the questions below to help you think carefully about all the issues involved:

■ Would you tackle these problems by dealing with the behaviors of a few of the learners or not?

■ Can you see any links between learning and behavior?

■ Who would need to be involved in supporting the changes needed?

■ Would you need to consider training or extra support/monitoring for the educator? If so, why?

Hopefully this exercise will have enabled you to see clearly the interwoven nature of learning and behavior and why it can make matters far worse if attempts are made to solve behavior difficulties without considering the learning environment. To become independent learners, young people have to know and understand what behaviors they need to master to be efficient learners. If this is not demonstrated to them in their educational settings, the path to life-long learning immediately, it is feared, becomes far more difficult and uninviting.