There is no doubt that parents play a crucial role in their child's behavior, but does this mean that teachers are off the hook when it comes to students behavior in the classroom? 

Let me first make sure I emphasize that there are many wonderful teachers that are great with their students and don't get the credit they deserve.  I do not want this to have the tone that I am blaming teachers or criticizing teachers.  My goal is to present a different way of looking at a pervasive issue that all of us working with children have to deal with when teaching children.  My concern is not as much with the individual teachers as it is with the underlying misconception that student behavior cannot be changed or managed properly unless the parents are involved too. 

I empathize with teachers who are working with children that do not have parental involvement in the home or even worse have parents promoting inappropriate behavior.  I understand the frustration of having to deal with this issue from both a personal and professional position.  I have a blended family and I have to deal with this issue with my own children and I work with children in their homes and in the classroom, so I am well aware of the issues that arise when parental involvement, or lack thereof, is interfering with educational and behavioral goals.  What I have learned over the years is that the child does not benefit from focusing on what other people are or are not doing.  When we spend so much time focusing on what others "should" be doing, we take away from focusing on our own behavior and our contribution to the child's life.  You can't change what's going on in the child's environment outside of your classroom, but you can change the child's experiences while he is in your classroom.  Each child is going to enter your classroom with different backgrounds and there really isn't much you can do as a teacher to change what happens outside of your classroom.  You can, however, change the environment you provide to them while they are in your classroom. 

There are many reasons why children may not be getting the support they need from home:  financial strain, single-parent homes, conflict in the home, cultural differences, medical conditions, mental health issues, etc.  The list could go on and on, so I think it is important for those of us who work with children to remember that it is not the child's fault and the parent's may not be capable of providing the support needed.  The best we can do, is provide the consistency and support needed while the child is in our care.  By doing so, their behavior will improve, even if it is only while they are in our care. 

Tips to Improving Child Behavior in the Classroom:

• Children of all ages (even high school) learn best with immediate consequences.  If the child is behaving well or misbehaving, it is best to provide immediate feedback.
• Children learn better with reinforcement.  Sometimes this seems especially difficult with a child who misbehaves a lot, but it really will change behavior if you focus on what the child is doing right instead of focusing on what he is doing wrong.
  
• Keep it simple and easy.  Children who are not getting support from home are very likely to have experienced a lot of failure.  Imagine how it must feel to be so far away from the rest of the class. If you are teaching reading and the child still doesn't recognize letters correctly, what reason does he have to try? Give him a reason. Start small.  Find little accomplishments to reward.
• Change your attitude.  You have taken on the task of managing several children at the same time for several hours each day.  This is not easy.  Do not expect it to be easy.  Do not expect children to behave like adults.  They are children that require adult supervision for a reason.  That reason is because they are not capable of behaving appropriately an entire day without adult guidance.  Expect that part of your day will be spent managing behavior.  Have a plan in place to manage behavior that focuses on reinforcing good behavior.  
  
• Don't give up.  If your behavior management plan is not working for some of your children, then it needs to be adjusted to meet them where they are at.  If a child continues to misbehave, then you can make some adjustments to your plan by changing the criteria to earn reinforcement (make it easier) or you may need to provide reinforcement more often.  Remember, keep it simple and easy to earn reinforcement, especially with children who misbehave often.
  

Heidi Eilers, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Family Coach/Behavior Analyst
www.positivebehavioralsolutions.com