UdayGupta13
Uday Gupta
From a perspective of learning, behaviour is the expression of the differences between our concepts and our world. When the concepts students hold match the classroom-learning environment, they are in their own comfort zone, and they typically feel comfortable. When
there is a mismatch, they feel discomfort. When feeling discomfort, most students attempt to change the classroomlearning environment until it matches their concept, rather than grow their concept until it matches the classroom. They use behaviour to achieve this. Teachers then perceive that the class may move out of control and attempt to manage the student’s behaviour rather than manage the student’s learning. Because most behaviour management focuses on punishment or containment rather than growing healthy concepts, little change is noted and the whole scenario is acted out on a regular basis. The use of punitive behaviour management indicates our frustration that we are unable to engage young minds in the curriculum of schools. For students, behaviour is often their
only means of expressing their frustration that school is not meeting their needs. Student behaviour management is merely a local reaction to wider events in a child’s life. Apart from hitting kids, little else has changed in our approach to those who do not comply with adult instructions in school settings. We use some absurd practices: isolation, suspension, impositions, withdrawal of kindness and approval, despairing reports and the ultimate; removal from the school community. These practices are meant to indicate our frustration and our commitment to reasonable social norms, and to inspire young people to change
their anti-learning behaviour. In reality, they hurt. They hurt kids, teachers, families and communities. We place on our youngest citizens the heaviest threats and burdens. We use the very practices we educate against in our classrooms and wider societies. Rather than helping, we inadvertently contribute to the creation of damaged goods. Kids in trouble care not for our punishments, coercions and attempts at rehabilitation and continue to act out their life’s frustrations within the audience of their peers in classrooms. Some reach ‘hero’ a status for their actions in taking down adults.
there is a mismatch, they feel discomfort. When feeling discomfort, most students attempt to change the classroomlearning environment until it matches their concept, rather than grow their concept until it matches the classroom. They use behaviour to achieve this. Teachers then perceive that the class may move out of control and attempt to manage the student’s behaviour rather than manage the student’s learning. Because most behaviour management focuses on punishment or containment rather than growing healthy concepts, little change is noted and the whole scenario is acted out on a regular basis. The use of punitive behaviour management indicates our frustration that we are unable to engage young minds in the curriculum of schools. For students, behaviour is often their
only means of expressing their frustration that school is not meeting their needs. Student behaviour management is merely a local reaction to wider events in a child’s life. Apart from hitting kids, little else has changed in our approach to those who do not comply with adult instructions in school settings. We use some absurd practices: isolation, suspension, impositions, withdrawal of kindness and approval, despairing reports and the ultimate; removal from the school community. These practices are meant to indicate our frustration and our commitment to reasonable social norms, and to inspire young people to change
their anti-learning behaviour. In reality, they hurt. They hurt kids, teachers, families and communities. We place on our youngest citizens the heaviest threats and burdens. We use the very practices we educate against in our classrooms and wider societies. Rather than helping, we inadvertently contribute to the creation of damaged goods. Kids in trouble care not for our punishments, coercions and attempts at rehabilitation and continue to act out their life’s frustrations within the audience of their peers in classrooms. Some reach ‘hero’ a status for their actions in taking down adults.
