We as teachers all have students who are chronic and severe behavioral problems in our classes. What makes you different from other teachers is how to choose to handle the student. Before reading and listening to the resources that were presented to me in my masters class this week, I handled these students badly and gave the student no chance to state their case. As stated in our readings I used my horsey-doggy brain (Laureate, 2008) as soon as the student exemplified the behavior. This behavior I am talking about is constantly trying to be center of attention. I have learned that there are other ways and better ways to handle this student’s behavior. First off this student in a 6th grader and just as every other 6th grader they are making that transition from being babied and having their hands held to an environment that is not so sheltered and they want to find their place in the school, which by the way no middle schoolers wants to be in the not so cool place.

This student is an “attention-seeking child, he is always wanting attention, is always trying to be funny and make the other students laugh” (Laureate, 2008). He thrives on making people laugh and doing anything and everything he can do to work my nerves for the 80 minutes I have him.
Instead of going automatically to my horsey-doggy brain I should try to use the “Escalations of Interventions” that were discussed by Dr. Wolfgang. I think the first thing I would do it try a knee-to-knee intervention with the child (2008). I would put him in front of me with no one else around because just as all other kids they feed off each other. I would casually and calmly discuss with him his actions and that there is a time and place for those actions and that when I am talking or explaining or someone else is talking that is not the time. It is ok to be funny but again there is a time and a place. I would start using the relationship-listening approach (Laureate 2008) mentioned by Dr. Wolfgang. I would discuss with the student using I messages: I would say something like this; I do not like it when you talk or try to be a class clown when I am talking or explaining rules to the game, if you continue doing this you are stopping other students from learning and understanding the rules and procedure, and this makes me upset and concerned because a student, you, or myself could get hurt if the rules are not followed or someone does not understand the procedures (2008), once I did this I would ask the student if he understood what his actions could lead to and what he can do to help me out and his classmates out in this area. If this did not work, I would use a second knee-to-knee intervention, and specifically ask the student to “stop” and ask him what are the rules when I am talking, how can you change the behavior, and we need to come to an agreement and make a contract on what you think will help change the behavior (2008). I would again document this discussion. I will make sure that the student and I have a specific plan (Jones & Jones 2007). If the action continued I would skip the time-out stage just because it is hard to have a time-out in PE, but I would contact the parents immediately and again document this (2008). I will also express my concern to the principal and get her assistance on the situation. I would conduct a conference with his parents and the principal (2008), expressing my concern for the actions of the boy and that I am worried about him harming himself or another student since he is preventing them from learning and understanding the rules of the game. By having documented all my tries and discussions with him and his parents I would have evidence that this is a chronic problem and is something that is going to take higher power than just myself.

I believe I could also get his classroom teachers, counselors and his other connections involved and see how he behaves in their classrooms. It may be that the student requires a team or staff as mentioned by Dr. Wolfgang (2008) to help out throughout the school day, since I only see him 80 minutes every other day. I believe that by using a behavior change plan will help me out greatly as well. I document every time the student performs the behavior, and how he exemplifies the behavior as well as document every time I personally try to alter the students’ behaviors (Jones and Jones 2007). This will give me plenty of back up and documentation that I have tried to do something about it, before turning to parents and administration and if it came to the severity clause I have a case to present on the child and his behavior.


Jones, V., & Jones, L. (2007). Comprehensive classroom management: Creating communities of
support and solving problems (Laureate Education, Inc., custom 8th Ed.). Boston: Allyn
& Bacon.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Interventions for severe and chronic behavior problems. Baltimore: Author