The 4 Simple Reasons Most Teachers Are Terrible at Correcting Their Students (and How to Fix Them)

Karl C. Pupé FRSA #4 Thursday 19th September 2024

5-minute read

I have been teaching for a long time.

No matter how nice you are, your students eventually step out of line. And you will have to correct them.

Unfortunately, this is part of the territory.

Over the years, I have learned that most educators fail at correcting their students because what they were taught in their ITT courses wasn’t robust enough for 21st-century teaching.

To be honest, it took me quite a while to learn this lesson too.

Here are some other reasons I've learned teachers fail to correct their students — and what you can do to fix them.

Reason #1: You’re emotionally dysregulated

I know it’s easier said than done. But if you are going ape in your classroom, don’t be surprised when your students go bananas.

You are the emotional bellwether of your group. Whether you like it or not, you are the 'emotional template' that sets the tone of your interactions.

Student see. Student do.

You say more with your body and tone than your mouth.

Try this instead: add 2 – 5 seconds to your reaction times.

When the manure hits the fan, fight every urge to shout or growl or [insert negative reaction here.] Take a deep breath and slow down. That will help your nervous system stay regulated and easy, like a Sunday morning.

Reason #2: You use the wrong tone

Your tone is the way that you deliver a message. It’s the emotion that you put behind your words.

According to research, your actual words only account for 7% of your communication with others, whereas your tone and body language account for 38% and 55%, respectively.

That’s why you must get the way that you talk right.

Here’s a tone that you definitely should NOT use. The aggressive tone.

Used by most teachers in the 80s/90s.

It’s brash and uncompromising. The recipient will receive it like a punch in the nose.

“Sit down!”

“Be quiet!”

“Stop talking!”

This tone causes upset and risks your kicking off in your classroom.

Try this instead: The playful, accommodating tone.

This voice is a bearer of truths delivered gently. It promotes collaboration. This should be your go-to voice in classrooms. You can still be assertive yet light in your speech.

Think the late Sir Sean Connery’s James Bond or Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man. These fictional characters faced world-ending danger all the time yet:

· They commanded the room with their calm, confident nature

· Kept an even playful tone even in moments of tension

· Had a great sense of humour and were not afraid to laugh at themselves.

If you can do this, you have won half the battle.

Reason #3: You want to punish your students rather than discipline them

Unless you are a sociopath, corrections don’t feel good to give. Many people get hung up on correcting because they consider corrections a punishment rather than discipline.

Let me explain:

The Oxford Dictionary describes ‘punishment’ as

1. The infliction or imposition of a penalty as retribution for an offence.

The word ‘punishment’ comes from the latin word ‘punire’ which means ‘penalty.’

And we all hate penalties like Harry Kane vs France in the World Cup semi-final.

OK. Let’s look at the word ‘discipline’. Several definitions are pretty interesting.

• The controlled behaviour resulting from training.

• Activity that provides mental or physical training.

• [count noun] A system of rules of conduct.

The word ‘discipline’ comes from the Latin word ‘discipulus’, which means ‘learner.’

Although subtle, these differences change the paradigm.

When we sanction our young people, it shouldn’t come from a place of malice or revenge but from a place of control, fairness and justice.

Ultimately, the aim of the sanction is to help make the young person a better version of themselves, not destroy them.

Try this instead: Use coaching to change future outcomes.

After the sanction has been served, have a debrief. Walk them through all the events leading up to the issue and ask them what they would do differently.

Get them to develop 2-3 positive ideas they can do if the issue arises again. That way, you are being proactive rather than reactive.

Reason #4: You end flashpoint situations poorly

Some teachers like to ‘end’ sanctions like they are Mortal Kombat characters and ‘finish’ off their students. They will say something menacing like:

· Get out of my sight!

· If you cross me again, you will find out!

· This is your final warning, or else...

Apart from sounding like you are a mobster from Goodfellas, it doesn’t create a healthy student-teacher relationship going forward.

Try this instead: End the flashpoint on a positive note

No I’m not nuts. If your student has calmed down, is remorseful and has acknowledged what they did, that’s progress. This strategy:

• Creates space for the student to learn from their mistakes

• Stops resentment towards you that spills over into future sessions

• Shows goodwill and the opportunity to build that classroom relationship

If you do this strategy, 90% of your students will pay you in kind.

Most people do not bother. If you do this, you will show that you are different from the other adults and gain your students' trust. This strategy has rarely failed me, even with the most challenging pupils.

TLDR:

· Add 2 – 3 seconds to your reaction time

· Use a playful tone in moments of tension

· After the sanction is served, coach them how to make better decisions

· Always try to end the flashpoint on a positive note

By the way, it would be even better if you stopped the poor behaviour BEFORE

it reached the correction phase.

As always, I have your back!

I have recorded a 40-minute webinar called ‘The Low-Level Disruption Toolkit.’ This video gives you my three favourite techniques for halting low-level disruption in my classrooms.

As a subscriber, it’s my gift to you for joining TOTR crew. Click the link below when you are ready to give it a watch 😎

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The next TOTR edition comes out on Thusrday 3rd October!

See you then!

Karl

©2024 by The Action Hero Teacher.

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