I've designed the rules of my classroom to create a learning environment that students have a learning environment supporting their education goals. The rules are not there to make me comfortable or make my job easy. So when a student is disruptive to the learning environment, I can point out that they are being disrespectful of the other students. Since I am not making it about being respectful to me, , but to other students, the student usually backs down. If it were to become about me, the students would feel much more comfortable escalating their argument with techniques we are so familiar with such as arguing the nuance wording of a rule or accusation ("I wasn't talking, I was only whispering." etc.)
The room rules have a real impact on the learning environment. They aren't petty controls applied to keep the students feeling subservient and controlled. If the rules are true and valid, they will have consequences both when followed and when broken. Its an excellent lesson to call attention to both the positive and negative adherence to the room rules.
Positive Reinforcement
Its easy to forget and take it for granted, but when students follow the room rules, they are learning and practicing a useful skill that will help them professionally. With this in mind, I take every opportunity to praise developing room skills, commenting that the behavior shown is the kind of behavior that bosses and coworkers appreciate.A nice example I had recently was when Andrea intervened in a developing distraction by leaning in and saying, "Shh, its hard to hear Mr. Giddings when you guys are talking." I didn't praise her for following the rules. I praised her for the consequence of following the rules, "Thank you Andrea. People enjoy working with others who will have their backs, and keep them from getting into situations that can become unprofessional."
Good behavior is not always overt or 100%. Max is a student who is very intelligent but has not been a good student, and certainly not a model of good behavior. He uses his cleverness to derail discussions. He's not averse to being a good student, he just doesn't have much practice at it.
He's not quite malicious, but it is a habit he has that goes too far. On one occasion, he was disrupting the class by poking holes in an example of a physics experiment. The other students rolled their eyes, seeing him starting another wave of disruptions. Fortunately, I recognized that there was some merit to his criticism, so I engaged him, derailing his derailment so it became a very constructive on-topic discussion. Other students who had been eye rolling saw his perspective on the criticism and got a better understanding of the topic. I praised him for his clever understanding and after that, although he still disrupted, he comments were more thoughtful and on-topic. It set him on a positive path that I have been able to leverage into much better engagement.
Redirecting Negative Behavior
When and how to respond when students do not follow the rules
Randy uses his cell phone habitually. He's not disruptive to other students, but he does certainly distract himself. I have found that even when I have him put his phone away into his bag, it very easily reappears shortly afterwards. I admit this is more of a detente than a solution, but I manage him in two ways. First, I lean toward him a bit more to keep him engaged, calling on his perspective for the discussion so he remains interested. Second, to keep from having numerous "conversations" encouraging him to put his phone down, I find that "painting" his hand with my laser pointer is very effective. It requires no words between us and is not a distraction to the other students who do not see the laser dot on his hand in the back row.
Always Special Cases
Finally, I find it always essential to be respectful of students myself, not always assuming they are up to malice. When I approach students about a disruption, I keep calm and cool and open to the (admittedly rare) chance that the disruption has some noble merit in it.For example, Phillip was turned around showing something to the student behind him. From my vantage point, it seemed like Phillip may have been showing something on his cell phone. I approached them and firs asked, "What is going on here?" with a open supportive tone. This approach lets the students admit to the disruption without putting them on the intimidated defensive. It happened that Phillip was clarifying a question for the other student that would have been a greater disruption if the student had had to ask me. Because I had not affected an angry face, I
was able to smile and praise Phillip for being a helpful fellow student.
