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Preparation:
First familiarize yourself with the starting assumptions
of assessment of human functioning.
- Behavior is typically a function of multiple variables.
- The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior…
but not always.
- The assessor should always operate under the principle
that ideas about the behavior are hypotheses, not conclusions,
and should be open to modification with more information.
- The assessor should examine all areas of the evaluation,
for each student. And don’t stop at the first tenable
idea but instead examine the entire list.
- Students are separate individuals from us with their own
needs, values, and objectives. Their choosing to engage in
a behavior disparate from what we require is not a personal
insult. Distinguish between your personal needs for what the
student should do and what the student is going to do.
- Realize that you don’t have to be the direct intervention
agent in all cases. In the instance of suicidal or physical
threats, for example, call in the campus mental health services
or the Dean of Student Affairs. Recognize that you can consult
with colleagues or your department head for advice. Use calmer
heads to your advantage.
As mentioned above, problem behavior can be the result
of multiple variables. Following is a partial list of possible
causes of disruptive classroom behaviors:
- Physical discomfort from illness, fatigue, drugs, alcohol,
vision and hearing problems, etc.
- Environment (relates to physical discomfort) seating, lighting,
room temperature, irritating machine noises, overcrowding
in a classroom,
- Emotional crises involving loss, coming of age and greater
responsibility, building identity, loneliness/attention seeking,
learning they can defy authority, etc.
- Culture: encountering persons with divergent viewpoints,
including the teacher, from the family of origin. Socio-economic
backgrounds that teach a different set of problem solving
and language messages (Dews & Law, 1995)
- Task confusion/difficulty. As a task becomes too difficult
for the learner’s level, frustration may spin off in
indirect aggressive acts as persons try to feel “in
control.” Or the task effort may not match the level
the student is willing to expend.
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