The Student Room Group

What do you think should be done about disruptive students in lessons?

Scroll to see replies

Original post by midpikyrozziy
I think the majority of people on TSR, and let's face it, those you know in real life, would disagree with you here.


If you say so.

You want to apply to Cambridge, you (correct me if I'm wrong) attend a private school, you've always found academia easier than your colleagues, you are relatively carefree, and you think you haven't led a pampered life? Even ignoring the millions of people in poverty around the world and just focusing on this country, the chances are you're far better off than most others. I know I am, and I'd hazard a guess that I'm poorer than you.


PMed you.

True, but a lot of these kids don't want the results, and haven't been given any reason to. And imagine you were in a postgraduate quantum astrophysics class. Chances are you won't understand anything that people are talking about. Even if you work your arse off, you'll still be at a far lower level than everyone else in the class. This is quite a demoralising mindset, and it's easy to see how it leads to misbehaviour.


You're telling me that a 15 year old is incapable of writing a few paragraphs? Even with already 10 years of compulsory education?

To teachers and members of the class that show them no respect?


Excuse me? You should be the one to show respect. You don't get the respect of others. You earn it.

Because it's the teachers job to show them that education for the sake of education is important.


Yes, but if they are not willing to work...?

Because it's their job. Because it will better society in the future. That's like saying 'why the hell should people who work in prisons help the prisoners have a second chance?' We all make mistakes, and are all victims of circumstance. You've got to help those less fortunate.


Schools can only help so much. A degree of self-help is necessary tbh.
Original post by BigDanny
I think execution is probably the best idea. Something slow and painful...

But on a serious note, in lower school and GCSE you have students who don't really want to be there but do not have a choice because of the law. Sometimes there are students who are actually trying but get distracted easily and become disruptive. People like that should be encouraged to learn, not left behind. Also, some children have ADHD and should not get left behind because of a medical condition.

However, once you get to sixth form there is no law forcing you to be here and people who don't want to learn should just get out. Young adults being disruptive and lowering the quality of everyone else's education. 90% of students have grown up by 6th form but the 10% who haven't should be excluded or expelled.


Unfortunately this is being changed.
Original post by daisydaffodil
It depends on the individual child. Some have diagnosed or probable disorders, difficulites or disabilities that interfere with their learning - for example dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, aspergers, ADHD... Depending on the extent of these difficulties; they should be in a special school - and I speak from having a sister with severe autism - she was often labelled as lazy, bad and disruptive; and was excluded dozens of times. She was put in a special school in 2008 and has never had any serious problems school-wise since then.


You're saying that an overwhelming *majority* of children have those disorders? Bull****.

Some are from diffuclt home backgrounds - they might have abusive parents, they might be bullied by siblings. They might be young carers, or simply ignored at home - behaving disruptively can be a way of conveying: "Please notice me - I am being ignored, I'm trying to cope with difficult emotions, I need help and I do not know how to express it". Sometimes the parents cant or wont work with the school and that can have a massive effect on how the child progresses through school.


Then they should ask for help. How would the school and others ever know?

Again, doesn't give them the right to harm other people's education. Look at countries where children experience EVEN WORSE than people in here - they respect their education.

Sometimes it can be a money thing, cultural thing where education's simply not seen as important - so you need to adress the issues in wider society, show children (and parents, wider community) exactly why education is important and what you can do with it.


Excuse me? It's bloody obvious why education is important. If you can't see the benefits of an education, then tough.

All children learn differently and you have to tailor your lessons towards them as best you can - if not, one child will always not learn so effectively. That's where vocational teaching (i.e. letting them do courses in metalwork, hairdressing) comes into it, school trips, work experience.


Right, you're expecting overworked teachers to tailor their lessons to 12 different types of learning and what not? Every child can listen...

At the end of the day, if you've got an effective school that works well with the parents, and children, challenging behaviour (because no child is inherently bad) shouldn't be too much of an issue.


Good luck with that!

Exclusion rarely works - it merely excludes the child further from society and you're setting them up for a lifetime of problems.


Excuse me? The school is not to blame, the child is. In fact, it is currently VERY HARD to permanently exclude a pupil.

Better to expel one and it is detrimental to one person's future; than to let that kid stay in school and hinder the education of many.

Trust me, before a pupil can even be suggested for expulsion, they have many, MANY chances.
Reply 63
This happens in my school, minus the force, obviously. Of course, it ends up wasting lots of time as the person in question nearly shouts that they shouldn't be made leave.. They always do eventually though. And then get a detention :tongue:

To be quite honest, this only continued up to our GCSE-equivalent (umm.. I'm not sure.. Third year of secondary, so like.. year 9? :s-smilie:). Once you get to the last two years, people generally realise they need to learn, and so shut up. But occasionally there's one or two people who just don't get it yet, and so generally the teacher will say something like 'if you don't want to be here, you can go. You wont get a detention or anything like that, but just leave if you're going to distract others'. Works quite well, to be honest.

_Kar.
Reply 64
Original post by BigDanny

Original post by BigDanny
However, once you get to sixth form there is no law forcing you to be here and people who don't want to learn should just get out. Young adults being disruptive and lowering the quality of everyone else's education. 90% of students have grown up by 6th form but the 10% who haven't should be excluded or expelled.


The leaving age of school is being increased to 18.
Which is silly because it's obvious by 15/16 that some people want to just go get a job.
Original post by im so academic
PMed you.

Fair enough, edited the original.

Original post by im so academic
You're telling me that a 15 year old is incapable of writing a few paragraphs? Even with already 10 years of compulsory education?

Writing paragraphs is meaningless if you don't understand what you're writing, and can't recall it for an exam.

Original post by im so academic
Excuse me? You should be the one to show respect. You don't get the respect of others. You earn it.

And how have the teachers earned the respect of the pupils?

Original post by im so academic
Yes, but if they are not willing to work...?

Then keep trying to break through. Worst case scenario you won't make a difference, and you'll both move on with your lives. But you've got to try.

Original post by im so academic
Schools can only help so much. A degree of self-help is necessary tbh.

True, but that doesn't mean schools shouldn't help as much as they can.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by midpikyrozziy
Writing paragraphs is meaningless if you don't understand what you're writing, and can't recall it for an exam.


You can't understand what you're writing if you're not bothered to put in the effort.

And how have the teachers earned the respect of the pupils?


They set the standards down.

Then keep trying to break through. Worst case scenario you won't make a difference, and you'll both move on with your lives. But you've got to try.


Sometimes trying is futile.

True, but that doesn't mean schools shouldn't help as much as they can.


Trust me, they DO help out as much as they can - they can't do any more.
I think the golden rule is, if something's not working you have to take a different approach.

Ignoring a disruptive kid (while tempting) - either by sending them out/excluding them or by just letting them do what they want in the classroom - isn't really solving the problem.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by im so academic
Then they should ask for help. How would the school and others ever know?

they might not know the need help. when i was disruptive, i didnt know i needed help, i just couldnt be arsed, but my year head sat down and spoke to me and found stuff out about my friends, and my home life... and then gave me help. and thanks to that help i changed, i wouldnt have known by the end of year 11 i would have been seeing a connexions councellor nearly every week for 4 years, id have had a mentor, id have been on report to help me, id have been seeing my deputy year head every week to offload... back in year 8.

Original post by im so academic
Excuse me? The school is not to blame, the child is. In fact, it is currently VERY HARD to permanently exclude a pupil.

the child is not to blame AT ALL. my god if youd have said that to me back in the day, youd have got a punch... how was it my fault i had family problems. how was it my fault i had friendship issues?

Original post by im so academic
Better to expel one and it is detrimental to one person's future; than to let that kid stay in school and hinder the education of many.
no its not better to expel anyone. if id have been expelled, id probably have been kicked out of my house, no job, no future. how is this better than society?? these type of kids need to be worked WITH not pushed away.

Original post by im so academic
Trust me, before a pupil can even be suggested for expulsion, they have many, MANY chances.
have you ever been told your gonna be excluded? have you been sat in a room with 4 teachers, and inclusions manager and a parent? have you ever been sat down with your friends and been told "you WILL be expelled for this"? i got told in year 9. and the next thing i knew year 11 came along, i had no prior warning and everyone was discussing MY future, i didnt have a say in what i wanted. but luckily i had a teacher that belived in me.
Reply 69
Send them out so that the people who want to learn can. Its up to them if they want to fail their exams.
Original post by im so academic

Excuse me? You should be the one to show respect. You don't get the respect of others. You earn it.


Ironic..
Original post by rugbyladosc
Did I say that not understanding gives you the right to mess about?

Don't think I did.....

I just think that a child will be failed by the system if you give them **** teacher or expelling them. It is better to nurture the kid and find out why they mess about as there might be underlying issues like problems at home or simple show gloating that could be sorted out. If you think they should simply be kicked out you have no respect for society as a whole and you're selfishly only bothered about your own interests. I know some really kind teachers that help students become more productive and less distracted in lessons.


While this is in nice in principle, in practice this kind of attention to try and rehabilitate bad students almost always comes at the expense of encouraging good students. I'm sure plenty of people on this site have felt the mind-numbing tedium of having to go over basic Maths techniques because your class makes no real effort to grasp it and are only taking Maths out of obligation. An education system that fails to provide for the brightest means that our calibre of scientists and overall research can fall. For example, the excellent research that our universities produce is underpinned by researchers coming from abroad. I'm fairly sure a big reason for this is that British students are put through universal, one-size-fits-all government targets and told to get "5 A*-C GCSEs" rather than aim for excellence. Whereas in places like India and China, excellence is promoted and rewarded.

The majority of the population will go onto to do menial or clerical jobs. What's the point in spending years trying to inspire these people in their education, when it is much easier and much more profitable to inspire bright minds?

It's easy to make lots of excuses for someone's negative behaviour- after a while you need to just say that individuals have to take responsibility. It is inevitable that most students will find school boring. They will simply have to learn to deal with it, beause quite frankly most of life is intensely boring.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by PonchoKid
they might not know the need help. when i was disruptive, i didnt know i needed help, i just couldnt be arsed, but my year head sat down and spoke to me and found stuff out about my friends, and my home life... and then gave me help. and thanks to that help i changed, i wouldnt have known by the end of year 11 i would have been seeing a connexions councellor nearly every week for 4 years, id have had a mentor, id have been on report to help me, id have been seeing my deputy year head every week to offload... back in year 8.


What if the teachers regularly check if you need help, but you say you don't, even though you do?

What if they're willing to help, but you're not able to?

the child is not to blame AT ALL. my god if youd have said that to me back in the day, youd have got a punch... how was it my fault i had family problems. how was it my fault i had friendship issues?


Excuse me?! It is their fault. Who misbehaves? Oh, the child. I'm personally disgusted by your answer. Do NOT blame your misbehaviour on family problems.

There are kids all over the world who experience even worse **** than "friendship issues", and they bloody respect their education.

no its not better to expel anyone. if id have been expelled, id probably have been kicked out of my house, no job, no future. how is this better than society?? these type of kids need to be worked WITH not pushed away.


But if those kids aren't willing to be worked with, and not willing to co-operate, then yes, ****ing expel them. Children these days are given too many chances.

have you ever been told your gonna be excluded? have you been sat in a room with 4 teachers, and inclusions manager and a parent? have you ever been sat down with your friends and been told "you WILL be expelled for this"? i got told in year 9. and the next thing i knew year 11 came along, i had no prior warning and everyone was discussing MY future, i didnt have a say in what i wanted. but luckily i had a teacher that belived in me.


You don't get excluded for no reason.

Act like a little ****, receive the consequences.

How difficult is it to button it and work?
Reply 73
I think that Britain should bring back the use of grammar schools and secondary moderns.

At the age of 11 they take a test which determines which school they are going to go to. If someone wants to learn, they will work hard revising for the test and consequently go to a grammar school where they will learn with other people who want to be there.
If they don't care about their education, they go to a secondary modern school where they will learn practical skills which will help them to get a job in the future and hopefully interest them such as plumbing and child care.

This would keep the kids who want to learn, learning without distruption and the distruptive kids together learning about something that interests them.

Everybodys happy this way! :biggrin:
No not at all. But I really doubt anyone's education is severely compromised by a few people in class having a chat. Of course the teacher/lecturer should be able to remove them from the class, but from the college? That's way too harsh. I'm never disrupted by a relaxed, chatty environment-it softens the atmosphere, and can be calming. People need to learn that in the real word, we can't just get rid of what we don't agree with, or what we don't like, people will always be a pain in the arse...
Reply 75
Original post by reptileface
Slap around the face with a dead rat - see who carries on talking after that.


Out of rep for today - but legendary idea!! :colone:
Reply 76
Corporal punishment. hmm, ok maybe not. Why dont you separate the one's that make trouble just because they can rather than because they don't understand. once they're out the rest should quieten down.
Reply 77
I think it completely depends on how disruptive or naughty the child is. In my school they had someone "on call" and teachers would call them to come and take someone out of their lesson if they were being disruptive. This would lead to going on report and/or detention. This would work for some pupils but for the small minority of "hardcore baddies" lol they would just not go with the on call person, walk out of school, not attend detention and not bother following the rules of going on report. These people would always end up expelled for some time. But this is what they want. If a child doesn't like school then telling them "you can not come for two weeks" then they will love it. The only downside is if you have parents that actually care and will punish you, but a lot of these kinds of people have parents who couldn't care less.

What worked well in my experience was if one pupil was disrupting the lesson then the whole class would be punished (for example have to stay in for break) until that one pupil behaves. I know that this isn't fair on the class and I hated it when at school but it did work because everyone in the class would be so annoyed at that one pupil. The class was never really even punished because the naughty child would comply almost straight away.

For older pupils (yr 10 or 11) I think saying "just go if you want" works surprisingly well. A lot just won't bother and behave instead.

I remember being put into a sixth form class. That is horrible, so works. I remember all the class looking at me like I was scum lol so if a teacher threatened to do it again I would just behave.

Also having a good teacher does really help. A lot of my really naughty class mates would truant from nearly all of school but would attend for one teacher. I had a teacher like this. If I missed her lesson she would call my parents straight away rather than passing it on to the head of year and she would track me down in school and ask me why. She helped me a lot in class and she really did take personal circumstances into consideration. She never just out right punished you.
Reply 78
Original post by SophiaKeuning
No not at all. But I really doubt anyone's education is severely compromised by a few people in class having a chat. Of course the teacher/lecturer should be able to remove them from the class, but from the college? That's way too harsh. I'm never disrupted by a relaxed, chatty environment-it softens the atmosphere, and can be calming. People need to learn that in the real word, we can't just get rid of what we don't agree with, or what we don't like, people will always be a pain in the arse...


I think this is a very good point, however we need to clarify between people chatting and people being disruptive. Those people are having a detrimental effect on the learning of others and should be made to face the consequences, something like keeping them in isolation or making them clean the school after hours.
Beat them! Beat them with anything, sticks, TVs or smaller children! :mob:

Quick Reply

Latest