Debate
Should teachers have the authority to remove disruptive students from their classes permanently?

YES
TRACEY JONES SAXON is in her fourth year teaching sixth grade at Walker Upper Elementary School in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is vice president of the Charlottesville Education Association.r second year as computer reading lab facilitator at Alamo Elementary School, Galveston, Texas. Before that, she taught kindergarten for 16 years. She is treasurer of the Galveston Education Association.

I have always been amazed at how people--teachers, parents, and administrators alike-sometimes get tunnel vision when it comes to disruptive students. In our constant efforts to make sure that every child has the "right to learn," the rights of some children get trampled by disruptive children. Disruptive students steal time. They steal patience. They steal the fun a lot of the time.

I had a parent say to me, "Why did you send my child out of your class? Sitting in the hall won't teach him anything! He has the right to learn, and if you don't let him stay in your class, I'll go to Central Office."

What about the other 20 kids in the room who were interrupted as I gave him three warnings and moved his seat? They have rights, too.

That parent never asked what the student was doing that made me give him a new seat and three warnings. The child's disruption was not the issue to the parent, but it was the major issue to me and my other students. Every time I stopped to deal with this one student, 20 kids lost their train of thought. Some children in that class had to really struggle to focus on their work. They were trying to stay with me, trying to participate, but they lost time and focus.

As teachers, our job is to help prepare our students for the real world-you have to follow rules. If you disrupt a movie in a theater, they don't give you three warnings and ask you to move your seat-they throw you out! If you do it enough times, you can be banned from returning. Kids need to know that. We need to help them, but we must also let the other members of our class "enjoy the movie," so to speak. Classroom environments should have clear rules and expectations for everyone.

The decision to remove a child permanently should not rest on any one person. But the teacher should have the final say because he or she knows firsthand what the "disruptive child" can do to the learning of the other children.

Some disruptive students may have special problems, and they should receive special education services for those problems. But special education should not be a dumping ground for disruptive students!

I am talking about the child who refuses to stop talking, who bothers other kids, picks at things that don't belong to him or her, shows a general indifference to the
educational process, and-this is the key-makes the choice not to follow classroom rules.

My father, a former teacher and administrator, gave me the best teaching advice: "Do what is best for your class. Always put the kids first."

I believe I am doing just that every time I make the decision to remove a disruptive child from my class.
A disruptive student's right to learn ends when it interferes with his classmates' right to learn.

Cast your vote

NO
NOEL RICHARDSON is the student services coordinator at Ilima Intermediate School in Ewa Beach, Hawaii and a member of the NEA's IDEA cadre, which helps state and local Associa-tions. He has worked in special education for six years.

Our monumental task as educators goes beyond teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic. We need to instill in children the social skills that will enable them to be productive in society. This can be the most frustrating task for new and seasoned teachers alike. We have many disruptive students. But much as we may want to send them on their merry way to the office, that will not teach them the essential social skills.

Sometimes the consequences we impose only make things worse. If the child's goal is to get out of class, sending him or her to the office only reinforces the behaviors you don't want. The child has associated acting out with getting out.

You may feel you have tried everything, but have you really? Are you doing this by yourself or are you receiving help from other teachers? Disruptive behavior is the result of a need. Find out what it is and try to meet that need. Ask other teachers whether the student acts the same way in their classrooms. If not, find out what is different.

In one case, we found by observing the classroom that the teacher was yelling at the disruptive student. He did not realize this, and after some simple suggestions, the classroom was fine.

It is not always so easy. By no means should you tackle the problem on your own.

Yes, if the behavior is totally out of control and the team has exhausted all possible interventions, then perhaps it's time to look at another less restrictive environment. But that should be a team decision. Usually, removing the child is not necessary.

In our school, three years ago, we started to use "student support teams" for all students with special needs, even those who have not been formally referred under IDEA. In the team, we talk about the reasons for the disruptive behavior. We bring in whatever help is needed.

Teachers come out of these sessions saying, "I learned an intervention that makes sense." They come back after trying the new approach saying, "This part is okay but I need more help in that area." And we work on it more.

We have cut the number of students referred under IDEA by three-quarters.

There was once a handsome little kindergarten student who gave his teacher a hard time. He would pester other students, disrupt the class, and basically frazzle the teacher to her wit's end. Then she found out the boy's mother had taught him all the skills he would need up to first grade. He was bored. So the teacher gave the student harder work. This simple modification kept him focused. He went on to fly helicopters in the U.S. Marines. Later, he became a teacher of special needs students. How do I know? The little boy was me!

Don't give up on disruptive kids. You never know which of them will go on to become teachers!

Cast your vote

Cast Your Vote Should teachers have the authority to remove disruptive students from their classes permanently? Yes Tracey Jones Saxon says yes No Noel Richardson takes the opposing view After you cast your vote, you will see the results. You may only vote once. Votes will be collected January 25.