Undermining the teacher’s authority: This is tricky as it speaks to "attitude." An ODD child might belittle the teacher or engage in a battle of the wills. This youngster would need to be privately told that his attitude was confrontational and asked how this might be resolved mutually. Be careful not to read most questions about content, interpretation, or assignments as a challenge of authority. Acting as it they are not, even when you suspect they are, can convey a sense of confidence and control. Sometimes merely assuring the youngster, while smiling, that you have indeed reflected on this issue at length and that he too will understand soon why the information or the assignment is valuable diffuses the situation. You may even want to encourage him to ask the question again at a later date if necessary.
Sleeping in class: Sleeping in class is usually considered rude. Most teachers believe it should not be tolerated and is best curbed up front by waking a sleeping youngster and asking her to step outside with you. Once there, faculty often tell youngsters that it’s best for the rest of the class if they return when they are awake enough to be an active participant. This occurs from time to time, and you obviously are the one to choose lenience or punitive action. If it’s one of your more regularly involved youngsters, perhaps give them an option of an extra credit research assignment they can bring to your next class period covering the subject matter they missed while they were sleeping. An alternative approach is to assume that the youngster does not feel well or has some other condition that results in sleepiness when still for long periods of time. You might simply choose to wake the youngster and ask them if they are feeling alright. To pull this off, you need to approach it with true concern for the youngster's health and well being. Most of the time, youngster's are so embarrassed that they don't let it happen again. In particularly long classes, break up the session with activities or paired conversations about a topic to ensure that youngsters stay engaged. ODD youngsters don't learn much from listening, so remember that the more they "experience" the learning process – the more you are really teaching.
Repeated Tardiness: There should be clear parameters set around this issue up front – either in your class rules or in the class decided norms. It might be best to discuss this with ODD youngsters individually. Some are habitually late because they are dependent on others for transportation to school.
"Spacing Out" or Sitting with Back to Teacher: If this is a repeated problem, youngsters need to know that their non-verbal behavior is perceived as disinterest. You might ask them after class if they need a more comfortable seat. Some youngsters are extremely shy and it might take quite a while before they open up enough to make sustained eye contact or face the teacher completely.
Disrespectful Behavior: The reality is that sometimes ODD youngsters just plain won’t like you. You will find yourself in a conversation with yourself about why they don’t like you and treat you with disrespect. Animosity will perpetuate itself, so remember your role and look for a way to positively invite the youngster to engage more deeply in the class. Perhaps offer them a special task based on a self-disclosed talent (e.g., an ODD child whose hobby is Origami might lead a lesson on the art of following instructions).
Gum, Food, Pagers, and Cell Phone Disruption: If decided upon by class, consequences for breaking this policy might range from the loss of participation points to the offender having to present on a topic of interest to the class. Some teachers allow cell phones to be on the vibrate setting as long as they are attended to at the break rather than used when it interrupts the class. Teachers need to abide by this rule as well and allow for at least one mistake per youngster as accidents do happen from oversight. The idea here is to prevent habitual disruption from gum popping and phones ringing.
Leaving class too frequently: Camps are divided as to whether or not youngsters should ask for permission to leave for bathroom breaks or wait for a break in the class. Some teachers don’t require their youngsters to limit their bathroom breaks or ask permission, however, this is contentious for some teachers when breaks are taken too frequently. You might privately ask the youngster if everything is OK so that they know that you are concerned by their behavior. Don’t assume disrespect – it might be a bladder infection or some other physical problem.
Monopolizing Discussions: This is common but manageable. Many ODD youngsters are excited and talkative, so it might be good to give them some time to settle in. However, if it’s evident right away that this is a trend, it’s best to ask them to stay after class. You might approach them initially by saying that you are pleased with the amount of enthusiasm they have for discussion but were hoping that they have suggestions for getting the other class members equally involved. The youngster will most likely get your drift with minimal humiliation.
Plagiarism or Lying: Depending upon the class and the youngster’s prior knowledge of what plagiarism entails, some teachers issue an automatic F for the first instance, then expulsion from the class on a second instance. Most schools have specific policies. Be sure to know you school’s policy before taking action. Plagiarism should be outlined in your class rules.
Refusal to Participate or Speak: We can’t force youngsters to speak in class nor participate in group projects. This can be addressed and become a win-win situation by either giving the youngster alternative options to verbal participation (unless it’s a speech class) or simply carefully coaxing some response out of them and praising whatever minimal effort you receive from them. Remember, some youngsters are terrified to be in a class setting –especially if there are round tables rather than desks – allowing for little anonymity.
