Teaching Strategies When Teens Challenge Authority
It is not an easy job to educate teenagers. Young people at this age typically go through periods during which they challenge authority, and this behavior is terribly frustrating to parents and teachers alike. Teens sometimes oppose authority in order to develop their own sense of self, but this behavior is highly disruptive in a classroom. Teenagers who grow up in an argumentative home or within an environment lacking boundaries are likely to challenge authority. Traumatic events in the life of teenagers lead to suppressed anger and a challenging attitude, but there are numerous strategies that teachers can use to curb challenging behavior.
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Channel Negative Behavior
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Create opportunities for teenagers to channel their aggressive and challenging energy into socially acceptable activities, such as hobbies, participation in sports and involvement in various clubs activities. Assign writing or reading projects to these teenagers that deal with and explain challenging behavior. Teenagers should show in their assignments how they would go about changing challenging behavior. Teachers also should involve teenagers in classroom discussions on the correct ways to handle conflict situations. Always praise these students when they cooperate with their teachers and other adults.
Provide Exemplary Models
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Teachers and parents should always act in ways that are beyond reproach. Teenage students are quick to pick up on the ways adults act toward each other and toward younger people. Teachers can offer opportunities for teenage students to act out role-play activities that teach them about socially acceptable communication behavior. Problem teenage students can be counseled privately, and these teenagers should be encouraged to respect their parents, teachers and adults in general, provided the adult's request is socially acceptable.
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Emphasize Acceptable Communications
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Clearly indicate the reasons for authority and why teenage students must respect both their teachers and their parents. You also can show videos that highlight respect for adults and hold discussions about the video content after each screening. It is best not to ever make idle and sarcastic threats when dealing with teenage students.
Respect Your Students
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Teachers should not make unrealistic requests without giving their teenage students explanations as to why the request has been made. Teenage students also must not be given an ultimatum that presents them with a boundary they might be tempted to cross. Teachers should listen to their teenage students and not assume that they know how the teenager is going to react. Teachers should ideally show their students that although they are in charge, they respect their student and expect to be respected in return.
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