Children refusing to follow simple instructions
Discussion
This thread is partly influenced after watching Supernanny tonight and also by the circumstance I find myself in at work.
What is it with children totally refusing to follow a simple instruction like "go and wash"? (Supernanny tonight)
Obviously the parents didn't help the situation however in my work (education) I have the same problem. With certain children you say a simple instruction like "sit in your own seat" and they just cannot follow the instruction. They will try to dispute that you have the right to tell them to sit down. What is with that?
Obviously schools have strategies in place to work with these children but why is it so hard to get some of them to follow a simple instruction?
I guess my questions to other PHers are ...
1) What would you do if your child refused to do as asked at home?
2) What would you like to do with a child disrupting a school class due to not following an instruction when asked?
3) What would you do if your child's education was being disrupted by a few in class?
You may tell I've had a few difficult weeks trying to teach children who just will not follow simple instructions. Thing is I've not experienced this in 15 odd years and it is hard work! It may be me going wrong, perhaps time for a change, I dunno.
Over to you ...
What is it with children totally refusing to follow a simple instruction like "go and wash"? (Supernanny tonight)
Obviously the parents didn't help the situation however in my work (education) I have the same problem. With certain children you say a simple instruction like "sit in your own seat" and they just cannot follow the instruction. They will try to dispute that you have the right to tell them to sit down. What is with that?
Obviously schools have strategies in place to work with these children but why is it so hard to get some of them to follow a simple instruction?
I guess my questions to other PHers are ...
1) What would you do if your child refused to do as asked at home?
2) What would you like to do with a child disrupting a school class due to not following an instruction when asked?
3) What would you do if your child's education was being disrupted by a few in class?
You may tell I've had a few difficult weeks trying to teach children who just will not follow simple instructions. Thing is I've not experienced this in 15 odd years and it is hard work! It may be me going wrong, perhaps time for a change, I dunno.
Over to you ...
Catz said:
2) What would you like to do with a child disrupting a school class due to not following an instruction when asked?
Things have changed now but when I went to school, not that long ago (83-90) class troublemakers would be dealt with using humiliation, mainly.Standing on your desk, on one leg.
Holding a penny to the wall, with your nose.
Crucifix position with a volume of the OED in each hand
Or simply having a board rubber hurled at your head
I'd largely support such action for kids disrupting my daughters class. Trouble is, some parents would see this as an opportunity to make money and THAT is the problem, right there.
I don't have any kids thankfully, but the best techniques I've seen involve not pandering or getting into any kind of discussion about it. Being disrespectful and disobedient always meets with a consequence, usually being sent to bed early or not being bought that toy. When in a room of adults, ALL the adults are in charge of bedtime. That way if the kids start harrassing any adult they get sent to bed. Even if its two o'clock in the afternoon.
Our 7YO Daughter is a fairly average kid and prob has picked up a few bad habits from me 
.
She gets asked to do something, if she doesn't do it she gets told to do it, if she doesn't she gets TOLD to do it.
It rarely gets to stage 3 thanks to the tone taken at stage 2 and we very rarly resort to smacking but quite often she is accused of disrupting her class in school due to disobediance as the teachers can't take the same approach....
.She gets asked to do something, if she doesn't do it she gets told to do it, if she doesn't she gets TOLD to do it.
It rarely gets to stage 3 thanks to the tone taken at stage 2 and we very rarly resort to smacking but quite often she is accused of disrupting her class in school due to disobediance as the teachers can't take the same approach....
It's a really good question. I do a bit of wider opportunities music with classes of kids learning musical instruments. It sounds like chaos but generally it works really well.
However, there's one school that I go in and it's just absolute bedlam. Been doing it just over a year now and have managed to get about the first term taught. They don't have any kind if discipline or respect for authority instilled in them. If they don't feel like obeying an instruction they just won't. You can't hold their attention for more than a few seconds. You can be talking directly to them and they will wander off or start talking to somebody else!! You end up questioning your methods and your effectiveness as a teacher quite a lot.
These are Year 4/5 kids, so not mouthy teenagers, but well on the way. There are some decent kids in amongst them but they are being failed utterly, being held back by the disruptive ones. It's very sad.
I'm afraid I would put the blame squarely at the parents' doors. Respect for authority / discipline has to be taught, and by the time they are at school it's too late in some ways.
Dealing with it by way of embarrassment is pretty archaic these days - but more likely you would have trouble getting them to do the punishment. I really could not be a full time teacher.
I'd be interested to hear any strategies anybody has on dealing with situations like this.
However, there's one school that I go in and it's just absolute bedlam. Been doing it just over a year now and have managed to get about the first term taught. They don't have any kind if discipline or respect for authority instilled in them. If they don't feel like obeying an instruction they just won't. You can't hold their attention for more than a few seconds. You can be talking directly to them and they will wander off or start talking to somebody else!! You end up questioning your methods and your effectiveness as a teacher quite a lot.
These are Year 4/5 kids, so not mouthy teenagers, but well on the way. There are some decent kids in amongst them but they are being failed utterly, being held back by the disruptive ones. It's very sad.
I'm afraid I would put the blame squarely at the parents' doors. Respect for authority / discipline has to be taught, and by the time they are at school it's too late in some ways.
Dealing with it by way of embarrassment is pretty archaic these days - but more likely you would have trouble getting them to do the punishment. I really could not be a full time teacher.
I'd be interested to hear any strategies anybody has on dealing with situations like this.
outlaw biker said:
I suppose in teaching the best power you have at your disposal is the group rejection fear. If one kid misbehaves everyone gets punishment/loss of priveledges. No kid wants to risk being outcast and incur the wrath of the class as a result of their behaviour.
But that only works on some kids. There are others who really don't give a toss what their teacher, fellow pupils, or even parents think 
Plotloss said:
Catz said:
2) What would you like to do with a child disrupting a school class due to not following an instruction when asked?
Things have changed now but when I went to school, not that long ago (83-90) class troublemakers would be dealt with using humiliation, mainly.Standing on your desk, on one leg.
Holding a penny to the wall, with your nose.
Crucifix position with a volume of the OED in each hand
Or simply having a board rubber hurled at your head
I'd largely support such action for kids disrupting my daughters class. Trouble is, some parents would see this as an opportunity to make money and THAT is the problem, right there.
king teacher, watch me" as he reversed. Well, you could have heard a penny drop 
I even got an apology from the head in the end for having to do it NiceCupOfTea said:
You end up questioning your methods and your effectiveness as a teacher quite a lot.
Glad it's not just me. 
NiceCupOf Tea said:
I'd be interested to hear any strategies anybody has on dealing with situations like this.
So would I. I'm really so close to just moving on. (Don't know to what exactly.) But I just cannot put up with it any more!I want to teach not crowd control.
I work in Adult Ed now and find adults are much worse than children in the "doing as instructed" scenario.
Techniques in a class can depend on a number of things; age of children, their social positioning, and the respect you have from the children. Adults are pretty much the same but tend not to follow instruction for different reasons than children.
Techniques in a class can depend on a number of things; age of children, their social positioning, and the respect you have from the children. Adults are pretty much the same but tend not to follow instruction for different reasons than children.
kit80 said:
I work in Adult Ed now and find adults are much worse than children in the "doing as instructed" scenario.
Techniques in a class can depend on a number of things; age of children, their social positioning, and the respect you have from the children. Adults are pretty much the same but tend not to follow instruction for different reasons than children.
Send 'em to bed early.Techniques in a class can depend on a number of things; age of children, their social positioning, and the respect you have from the children. Adults are pretty much the same but tend not to follow instruction for different reasons than children.
Where do I sign up?
outlaw biker said:
I suppose in teaching the best power you have at your disposal is the group rejection fear. If one kid misbehaves everyone gets punishment/loss of priveledges. No kid wants to risk being outcast and incur the wrath of the class as a result of their behaviour.
Teacher: 
Right class, because Johhny was a lazy toerag today, you're ALL standing on one leg for an hour. 
Class (altogether):
Feck off ya daft barsteward!
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