Classroom Discipline Tips
What do you do with a hyperactive child?
All children have a built-in need for activity but in a hyperactive child the constant motion is often uncontrollable apart from intervention, possibly medication, and learning special management skills.
Generally the cause is physiological, related to damage to the central nervous system. Much of the child’s misbehavior is not done out of defiance but rather because symptomatic to his hyperactive state is restlessness, distractibility, and a short attention span.
Be patient and kind through God’s strength.
One of the best recourses a teacher can take to minimize disruption to the class is to recruit a helper specifically assigned to this child. The helper watches for pre-explosive signs and works toward deploying the problem by calmly talking with the child, distracting him from what is causing his anxiety, or removing him to a quiet environment where he can bring himself under control.
A hyperactive child often experiences failure due to his inability to concentrate. This, along with negative reactions of others toward him, can cause him to develop a poor self-image. Teachers can help the child by:
- guarding his dignity
- accepting him unconditionally
- helping other children to understand and accept him
- giving the child small, manageable tasks to do in which he can experience a little success.
Hold the child responsible for his behavior. Do not shower pity on him but yet be realistic in your expectations of him. Discuss your expectations with the child and devise a means whereby you will signal to him when his behavior is getting disruptive. Many times the child is unaware of his own condition. Also consider talking with his parents about ways they have successfully dealt with the child for some helpful hints.
For More In-Depth Help:
Books:
Internet Resources
- Marching To The Beat of A Different Drum Manual by Paul Warren (This manual accompanies the Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum DVD Curriculum or can be used as a personal reference or resource for group discussion.)
- Of Different Minds: Seeing Your ADHD Child Through the Eyes of God by Maren Angelotti
- Why A.D.H.D. Doesn't Mean Disaster by Walter L. Larimore, Diane Passno, Dennis Swanberg
- You & Your A.D.D. Child : How to Understand and Help Kids With Attention Deficit Disorder by Paul Warren & Jody Capehart (Christians giving their insights on ADD at home, in school and at church)
- ADHD of the Christian Kind (includes articles, Bible studies, child training resources, and more)
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Teaching Children with AD/HD
- This is ADD/ADHD (a visual explanation)
- What do you know about AD/HD?
More on Discipline:
Dealing with Discipline Problems
An Umbrella for Classroom Discipline
Read more tips. Or, go beyond by using the discipline workbook.
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