As a parent, it is hard to know what to do when you are being told your child is not behaving in class. However, without being there to witness, everything we do is after the fact. The relationship you have with the teacher will be your best chance at helping your child improve. You need to be on the same page and work as a team to help your child change their destructive behaviors. Take a look at some of the advice from those that have dealt with behavioral issues. You may find the perfect solution for your child.
Child Input
Instead of just talking to the teacher about your child, involve them in the conversation. They can hear about the issues that they are causing and be a part of finding the solution. There is no need to be doing things behind their back. Most children are aware they are acting out. It is not a surprise to them. Get them into the conversation and let them have a turn to speak. Letting them feel heard could help. Then, together as a team, you can all come up with a plan to improve.
Immediate Corrections
A question that you should be asking as a parent is if the teacher can give immediate corrections. Waiting until the end of the day to talk to them about all the little things they did throughout the day is not the best tactic. Children need to be corrected as soon as possible after exhibiting unwanted behavior. This could be as simple as moving their name on a behavior chart. There needs to be a consequence. It is also better if the results of the actions can deal with at school where the behaviors occurred.
Reward Positive Behavior
When they are working hard to behave, let them know that you noticed. While they should not always be rewarded for acting correctly, it could be beneficial in the early stages to acknowledge them. Talk to the teacher about the possibility of sending home a report of good and bad behaviors so that not everything you are speaking to them about is negative. If you see other children exhibiting good behaviors, praise them also, your child will notice. This is something teachers use. Students that are acting correctly are praised, showing the others a positive peer model to look to.
Transition Time
Transition time is not a luxury all classrooms have but is another idea you should discuss with your child’s teacher. Having time to switch tasks and a little notice can help give them a chance to switch over mentally. This also goes for the transition from school to home life. Give them a little time to decompress before expecting them to do tasks at home. We all like time to unwind and relax after work. We need to give children the same courtesy.
As a team, parents, teachers, and students can solve anything. However, correct behavior is not one size fits all. There is going to be trial and error.