Educators have a huge obligation
to provide a safe learning environment for students in the classroom. This can
be a very difficult task when highly volatile students are placed in general
education settings without the proper academic support in place. Students come
from different backgrounds and each classroom dynamic is affected by the emotional
state of each child. The majority of students in classrooms across the country
are traditional learners who understand and follow classroom procedures, meeting
the behavioral expectations established by the teacher, but a growing rate of
students who display “high rates of disruptive and aggressive behavior”
(Gunter, 2014) are also present.
Exceptional
students who have emotional disabilities are not always identified by their
academic institutions. Under Federal guidelines outlined by the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students who are identified to qualify
for Special Education services are protected under the law, but in many cases
many students who have emotional disabilities are not properly assessed and end
up struggling in school because they do not have an Individualized Education Plan
(IEP). Oftentimes these students become frustrated
when they are presented with course work that is above their cognitive
capability level. As a result the frustration builds up and can cause the
student to act out.
Exceptional
students who have a difficult time dealing with their emotions are classified
under IDEA as Emotionally Disabled, this might also include students who are
unable to control their behavior. Phillip Gunter is the author of an
educational journal article entitled: Effects
of Challenging Behaviors of Students with EBD on Teacher Instructional Behavior.
In this article, Gunter shares insight
on the importance of positive teacher interactions with students who have adverse
reactions to traditional consequences. He also suggests how to effectively deal
with students who are unable to self-regulate their emotions and their behavior
without escalating the situation. This is very important because research
documented in the article implies that negative behaviors actually tend to increase
when teachers take strictly punitive approaches when dealing with “problem”
students. These situations tend to escalate overtime and can even lead to
violent outbursts displayed by the student with EBD. The following expert from
the article contains data related to Gunter’s analysis which states:
The results of
the research, thus far, indicate that interactions between teachers and
students who display aggressive behavior are seldom positive. In fact, in the
latest study, we found that negative interactions--i.e., interactions involving
disruptive, aggressive, negative verbal/gestural, or negative consequences but
no positive behaviors--between teachers and students occurred 22% of the time
spent in the classroom. In contrast, positive interactions--i.e., interactions
involving praise or positive consequences and no negative behaviors--occurred
only 3% of the time. When the sequence of negative interactions was broken
down, negative interactions were typically started by the students engaging in
a disruptive act, which was followed by the teacher telling the students to do
an academic task or "talking" to the students. Negative interactions
often ended in students engaging in additional disruptive behaviors. However,
students seldom received positive consequences such as praise or positive
physical contact, even when they engaged in appropriate behavior such as
complying with teacher requests. These results led us to hypothesize that many
of the students' undesirable behaviors might serve the function of escape or
avoidance from aversive stimuli in the classroom, that in fact, many students'
socially inappropriate actions may be taken in order to terminate events in the
educational environment that the students find unpleasant.
In order for students who have EBD to fully engage in the
learning process, it is crucial that teachers are aware of the interactions,
dynamics, and relationships that are established which promote student successes.
Some major topics brought up in the article include: 1) making sure that
students are presented with well planned activities, assessments, and curriculum
materials that are not “too difficult nor too easy” for the student; (2) implementing
classroom management strategies that focus on the “use of positive
reinforcement” as a means of motivation; (3) “increasing positive interactions
between teachers and students” by ensuring that positive praise and
encouragement from the teacher includes everyone in the class; and (4) making
sure that lessons are relevant, well thought out, and presented in a way that
promotes student engagement. The author includes the following sentiments: “Although
these guidelines are incorporated in teacher training programs, it appears that
they are often not used by teachers in classrooms.” (Gunter, 2014)
Gunter goes on to state that
teacher reactions to class disruptions and adverse behaviors are not the
primary initiating factors causing students' “inappropriate or aggressive
behaviors.” It is noted that “home conditions, gang membership, drug/alcohol
abuse, and other disrupting environmental and personal events increase the
probability of emotional and behavioral disorders among students.“
(Gunter, 2014) These external forces are “beyond
the control of teachers,” but in order for students to gain a positive outlook
on their academic progress and achievement, it is critical that classroom
teachers remain neutral and maintain an appropriate level of rigor, respect,
and responsibility to every individual student in the class. When these steps
are taken a child is less likely to display undesired behaviors and emotions in
the classroom.
Gunter , P. (2014). Effects of
challenging behaviors of students with EBD on teacher instructional
behavior. Preventing School Failure, Vol. 38(Issue 3.), Retrieved
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