temptation v. consequence

i often wonder about the thought process of my students when it comes to temptation v. consequence. each of them has seen many times how i react to certain behaviors and when they receive consequences, they still seem surprised, upset, angry, etc..

in trying to figure this out, i have to think about what the temptation is. there are only 10 kids in the class, so it is very easy to have all 20 eyes on you at once. perhaps the temptation is as simple as attention. so cliche, yet very true.

mayhaps the temptation lies in them thinking they will get away with it. for as much as i see and know what's going on, there is still a good amount i don't see or know about. the risk of getting caught must be worth it to them to try and get away with it.

the temptation could also be caused by the opportunity for consequence. just being held accountable for their actions makes some students feel better, feel like someone is still in control and helping their lives. many consequences involve being removed from the group and isolated. for some students, this is a welcome break from the usual noise of the classroom. others, not so much.

also, i can't forget the sheer impulsiveness of talking and acting out. sometimes, especially with add and adhd students, they don't think before they act. there is no thought process involved. if they feel like talking, they talk, and then realize there will be a consequence after, not before.

i also try and speak to the students 1 on1 to try and figure out why their day seems to be going roughly. this may play a role in the behavior and be part of the temptation as well.

when trying to figure out logical consequences, i also have to try and maintain a good balance of where the breaking point occurs, the point at which i am going to start enforcing consequences.

this is very different for each student. some students may seem to "get away" with more and others get in trouble for "everything".

this balance is something i would like to work on in order to maintain a positive atmosphere that each student is going to feel like they are being treated fairly, while still making sure those that need to be kept in check, are.

one huge pet peeve. teachers in classes/faculty meetings/lounge, basically anywhere. they never stop talking. they act worse than their students. someone is in front of them and they won't stop blabbing. the very same annoying behavior they will scream and yell at their students for, the same disrespect and disruptiveness they loathe, they are a huge part of. makes me angry to see.

many teachers seem crabby and pissed off all the time. no fun. when i was younger, i promised myself that i would never forget what it was like to be young. what it was like to think the most important thing in the whole world was who you had a crush on and when were you going to get to talk to your friends. remembering that i thought about this definitely helps my patience and ability to handle certain situations.

remember, you were once a kid. it's not easy, no matter how trivial and silly it seems now.