Carol Ann Tomlinson

One to Grow On

Rising to the Challenge oj Challenging Behavior

An engaging,

carefully

planned lesson

can disarm

a kid who

comes to class

with negative

expectations.

Carol Ann Tomlinson

(cat3y@virginia.edu)is William Clay ParrishJr. Professor and Chair

of Educational Lead

ership, Foundation,and Policy at the CurrySchool of Education,

University of Virginiain Charlottesville. She

is the author, with

Marcia B. Imbeau, of

Leading and Managinga Differentiated

Classroom (ASCD,

2010).

We don't get to decide whether we havechallenging students in our classes,but we can certainly decide how we

respond to them. Althoughmaking that choicewisely isn't guaranteed to eliminate problems, itdramatically reduces them. More important, itpositions a teacher to make a positive differencein the lives of those students who most need

mentors, advocates, and champions.Here are some insights that I've found helpful

in dealing with students who test me.Teach well! An engaging, carefully planned

lesson that offers all students an opportunityto contribute—and to

succeed—can disarm a

kid who comes to class

with negative expectations.Further, such lessons garnerthe attention of the majorityof the class and make it

less likely that a belligerentstudent will get an audience.Curriculum and instruction

that are relevant to stu

dents, complement theirintelligence, and fit theircurrent level of proficiencycan replace frustration withparticipation.

Show respect forevery student. Actionsandwords that emanate from respect are more likelyto be productive than those that stem fromanger, frustration, or fear.

Find the student's redeeming characteristics. Allhuman beings have them. Seeing the positivesaccomplishes at least two things. First, it helpsteachers begin to like those students whosebehaviors initially seem distasteful. Second, itgives teachers a store of positive messages todeliver to students whose world may feel largelynegative.

Try to find out what's behind the negativebehavior. Students generally act out in theclassroom because something in their world is

88 Educational Leadership / October 2012

out of balance. Alex loudly refused to completeclasswork. Turns out his parents were divorcing,and he concluded that if he created enoughchaos at school, they'd have to get together todiscuss his difficulties—and reconcile. Johnbullied other kids, liberally used expletives inschool, and set fires outside of school. It washis way of expressing rage and pain from abuse.Damon alienated his classmates in a score of

ways because he felt it was safer to alienatethem than to endure more rejection. Angelplayed the class clown because she knew noother way to get attention.

Understanding what'sbehind destructive behavior

doesn't result in an instant

cure, but it does helpteachers work toward

solving problems ratherthan merely addressingsymptoms.

Don't take itpersonally.Ms. Campbell tried persistently to establish a positiverelationship with Andre,who regularly cut classesand berated her. His sense

of humor suggested a clevermind. One clay she overheard something funnyAndre said and remarked, "You make me laugh,Andre. I like it when you're here." Withoutmissing a beat, he responded, "Yeah, well, Ihate your guts!" Keeping cool, she answered,"It takes a while for me to grow on people, butyou'll learn to appreciate me."

"What he says isn't about me," Ms. Campbellreflected later. "It's about a bad life. I'll never

reach him if I let him push me away."Be a "warm demander."1 These teachers are

half pit bull and half Mother Teresa. Theirstudents are keenly aware that their teachercares for them and has their best interests at

heart—and also that he or she won't acceptnegative behaviors. In the classrooms of warm

©GREGMABLEY

differently than we do. We forget—really, we ignore—the fact that thisbehavior is an affront to others as well as

to the political process. And in schools,comments that demean others rever

berate through the halls and can havea pernicious impact on a staff's moraleand on the ability to communicate andcollaborate.

Appreciating political diversity beginswith looking inward. Might this be anissue for you? Have you been careless inyour political comments? What aboutyour staff? Has political diversity beendiscussed at a faculty meeting or byyour school's diversity committee?

Progressalways begins with identifying the problem, so ask others howthey feel about the political discourse atyour school. Consider bringing the issueup a faculty meeting. My hunch is that

your faculty will agree that respect forpolitical diversity is an issue that needssome attention, just as my faculty did.These conversations began at my schoolafter a teacher correctlynoted that wewere not valuing diversity of politicalthought. Her comment caught everyoneoff-guard, including me, but the morewe talked, the more we saw that she

was right. Subsequently, we've discussedrespecting political diversity at facultymeetings, and I've mentioned it in bothstaff bulletins and letters to parents.

If you make politicaldiscussionsatopic for a faculty meeting, divide thegroup by counting offso that those whogenerally sit together—and who perhapsalready agree—won't automatically bepart of the same discussion. Then, haveteachers talk among themselves in thesesmaller groups and see what results.

Ask them to reflect on and share their

thoughts about whether this is an issue atyour school and, if so, what they mightdo to help create a climateof respect.A meeting like this gives the faculty anopportunity to practice the kind of dialogue that we want our students to learn.Such practice will no doubt come inhandy when students start repeating therhetoric they hear on TV

The value of political diversity is tooimportant an issue to ignore, particularly now. So when you hear heated talkin the faculty room, how will yourespond? ES

'Debevec, N. (2012, June 10). Politicalidentity deeply divisive. United PressInternational. Retrieved from www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/06/10/Politics-2012-Political-ideniity-deeply-divisive/UPI-12271339318920

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demanders, challenging students findthe affirmation and structure that are

typically missing in their lives.Help the student learn to act on his or

her own behalf. At 14, Brianwas the kidall the other students hated to have in

theirgroup. He overwhelmed groupmembers with loud, overeager attention.Whenhis peersbecame snappishwithhim, he would lose his temper, oftenhurling materials on the floor or turningover desks. On occasion, he even

poundedhis head on the floor.I talked privatelywith Brian about

how it felt to him when a group settingwent bad. He hated it and understood

that his loss of control alienated his

peers.

Weworked together all year on threesteps to help him succeed in a group.First, he practiced being more reservedin his talk and actions. Second, he

learned to recognize the early signs ofpeerproblems and to walkaway fromthe group to a safe place in the roomwhen he detected those signs. Third,he understood that I would also keepan eye out for impending difficultyand would give him a signal when heneeded to go somewhere else in theroom for a bit. In the course of the year,Brianprogressed from dismantlinggroup taskswithin a matter of minutes,to beingable to work with a group formost of a class period.

Ross Greene of Harvard Medical

School reminds us that teachers often

say of challengingkids, "He could dobetter if he just would."2 More often thannot, Greene suggests, we have it backwards. Challenging students would dobetter if they could. Working with themfroma perspective of respect, empathy,and a desire to help them learn the skillsnecessary for success is both more productive and more redemptive than apunitive approach. And it's realteaching. Si

'Bondy, E., & Ross, D. (2008). Theteacher as warm demander. Educational

Leadership, 66(1), 54-58.:Greene, R. (2008). Lost at school: Win

our kids with behavioral challenges are fallingthrough the cracks andhowwecan help them.New York: Scribner.

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ASCD / WWW.ASCD.ORG 89

Tell Me AboutWhatYou Learned from a Challenging Student

The Power of PerceptionA girl in my 1st grade class was always introuble, and she quickly learned how to pushmy buttons. I resigned myself to a long year withher. Midway through the year, though, I cameacross the placement cards the kindergartenteachers had used when assembling the 1st gradeclasses. Her card described what a hard worker

and sweet girl she was. I was shocked. I talkedto her kindergarten teacher, who was equallyshocked by the different child I described.

1began to see this student the way herkindergarten teacher saw her. In almost no time,our relationship changed, and she was a delight.Soon after that, her family moved, and sheswitched schools. The special education teacherwith whom I worked said, "That's too bad; she

was just getting it." I knew better. I was the onewho was just getting it.

—Jennifer Orr, teacher,

Annandale Terrace Elementary School,Annandale, Virginia

Different Circumstances,

Different Student

One of my 6th grade students had severeattention problems. He was at least three gradesbehind in reading, and he caused trouble inevery class. One day we went on a field tripto the zoo, and this student was in my group.At one point, 1lost sight of him. As I lookedaround frantically, I noticed he was just ahead ofus, concentrating intently on reading the signsin front of one of the exhibits. He was so well

behaved that day. This incident reminded methat when students are engaged and interested,they have a huge capacityfor learning and focus.I wish I could have taken him on a trip like thatevery day of the year.

—Sarah Shah, reading specialist,Achievement Preparatory Academy,

Washington, D.C.

90 Educational Leadership / October 2012

Find Out the Real StorySeveral years ago, I worked in a high-povertyschool district. We struggled to impress on students the importance of school attendance. As aresult, the district adopted a tough "no-excuses"policy on truancy.

One 10th grade student missed schoolevery Monday and refused to provide areason. Concluding that she simply liked longweekends, we initiated disciplinary proceedings.After talking with her further, however, wefound out the reason for her absences. Each

Monday, she would wait for the family's publicassistance check to arrive in the mail, cash the

check, and go to the grocery store to buy foodfor her family. If she didn't do this, one of herparents would cash the check and use the moneyfor drugs, leaving nothing for food. Rather thanbeing irresponsible, this student was helping herfamily survive.

My experience with this student taught meto listen more than talk, ask the right questions, and approach students who might beconsidered "difficult" with kindness and respect.It's amazing what they can teach you if you givethem the chance.

—Scoff Herrmann, superintendent,Bannockburn School District 106,

Bannockburn, Illinois

Respecting Engagement"Mahina, we need you to come over and joinus, please." It's early October, and we're gettingtogether to do a shared write, an edition of FirstGrade News. Mahina, sitting not too far from us,does not look up; she continues cutting out herfabric. This behavior is actually a step forward—she has spent much of the first couple of monthsof school crying, huddled under a table, ortrying to escape into the hallways to wander thebuilding. Everyone in the school knows whoshe is and helps us keep an eye on her. Today,though, she is totally engaged in her poster.Spread out in front of her are scissors, glue,

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