Yuma educator gives advice on misbehavior

Disruptive behavior in the classroom from special needs children often are not because of their disabilities, but can be owing to specific practices of the teacher who could be promoting or exacerbating problems says an expert.

Fernando Armendariz a former Yuma teacher and principal is now providing consultations for families with children who are autistic, have attention deficit disorder or other learning disabilities.

Armendariz screened a power point presentation for Yuma County teachers at the Mary Post School auditorium to illustrate some alternatives to better channel inappropriate behavior into more positive outcomes on Wednesday afternoon. A second presentation in the evening was given to parents for home application of his strategies.

Armendariz said all behavior has a reason, and by performing functional assessments he is able to determine why children may misbehave and guide teachers to workable interventions that can solve the disfunction.  

For some children there can be several contributing factors, Armendariz noted. Classroom disruptions can be a result of a lack of a social life, play skills, no classroom responsibilities or opportunities for decision making. But by allowing a child to take some measure of control over their own behavior and requiring daily tasks, teachers can maintain order.  

"For 95 percent of misbehavior it is small, not big problems. Most disruptions are not finishing assignments, not putting things away. If you confront them right away they're much easier to deal with because procrastinating will make the problem snowball and become difficult to adjust."   

Armendariz cautioned teachers to not get mad but instead educate and therefore get even. He advised teachers to never let go of the control they have in the classroom because when a teacher yells they have no control. Instead problems needed to be dealt with patience and good humor.

The most effective technique to keep order in the classroom is to identify the task the child most likes in the curriculum and allow them access to that activity as a reward for performing other assigned tasks. He called this, attracting them by response. Rather than beg or nag students to perform, teachers need to rig the environment so students have a choice to decide how they will complete their assignments.

Advantages of providing affirmative support for conforming behavior will foster greater independence in students, require minimal intervention from adults, decrease power struggles, promotes assumed responsibility and significantly increases the quality and quantity of classroom work, he said.

Tristan Vargas is a Fourth Avenue Junior High School language arts teacher who instructs sixth through eighth-grade students with learning disabilities. Vargas said she thought the presentation was great.

"A lot of time we overlook the kids who are doing their work and focus too much on the ones who are acting out. I liked how he said to work through problems rather than react with something such as detention."

Kitsi Tams is Yuma Elementary School District 1 director of Exceptional Student Services who helped organize the presentation. She said that special education administrators must constantly determine what type of training best meets the needs of special educators in the county. She also praised Armendariz for his "solid approach with children."

"He practices what he preaches. With this training we hope the teachers will learn from his presentations a way of applying his practices and procedures in the classroom."

William Roller can be reached at wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.