Joey was in the fourth grade. Instead of doing his math homework, he bothered the student who sat in front of him or was shooting spitballs to a girl across the room. Instead of working on his spelling, he got out of his seat and talked to others. He constantly teased other students during class and it seemed like every ten minutes he had to be told to sit down and be quiet.
Do you have a student like Joey in your class? One that disrupts class, is always talking, and never does his assignments? His misbehavior disrupts the whole class and makes it difficult for you to teach. If so, do what Joey’s teacher did. Enlist the help of Joey’s mother.
The teacher talked to Joey’s mother and found that he liked to draw. So the teacher, along with the mother’s support and help, drew up a plan on a way to encourage Joey to develop proper behavior during school.
Joey’s mother bought an artist sketch book, artist’s chalk and colored pencils, and some how-to-draw books. She got a special case to put them in and gave them to the teacher.
The teacher privately took Joey aside and explained the type of behavior that she expected from the students and the appropriate way to behave in class. She told Joey that when he behaved correctly and when he finished his spelling assignment (or whatever assignment he had) he could go to the cupboard, get out the special box, and draw. Of course he couldn’t dash through the assignment and do a slipshod job. He had to give his best effort to his school work. Then, he was rewarded by having time to draw.
Joey was delighted. His behavior immediately changed for the better. Sometimes he still misbehaved, but his overall behavior drastically improved.