Pupils misbehaving is not always about bad attitudes.Many times pupils misbehavior in the classroom happens because of boredom epecially lower grades.When pupils are bored in the class their brains begin to wonder and start thinking, “I wonder what would happen  if I . . . “ Then the little disruptions begin.The little disruptions pile up and turn into large disruptions.This scenario can go on and on until everything is  out of control.What can we do about this kind of behavior?

                Keeping pupils involved and engaged in activities is the very best solution.When pupils are excited about  their learning,they are motivated to pay attention in class.You get excited because your pupils are actually paying attention.The pupils sense your excitement and get even more motivated to stay in your class.The positive effects continue to pile up.However,it isn`t always easy to keep pupils involved and engaged.

                Here are some tips and ideas to help you along.Paper/pencil worksheets are not engaging activities. Do they keep pupils busy?Yes.Are they motivated?No.Reading the textbooks aloud and then answering questions at the end of the section is not engaging activity.Does it take up the whole class period?Yes.Is it motivating and exciting to pupils?No.While these activities deceptively look like they keep pupils involved and engaged,in reality they do not.In fact,you can generally meet the same goals and objectives with different activities.

                Activities that involve and engage pupils are ones where they are manipulating the information physically and mentally.Pupils need to  be moving around,working in groups,and discovering information for themselves.Reading along,taking notes,listening to a lecture,or copying vocabulary words are all passive learning activities.Instead you want to get pupils actively thinking and moving.How can you accomplish this?You need to start thinking “out of thebox”

                Do you have a lot o worksheets in your classroom?How may your pupils gain the same information in a more engaging manner?Break pupils into groups and give each group different questions from the worksheets.The group must answer their questions,create a half-poster that illustrates the answers and then present the information to the class.Pupils could use graphic organizers such as a web,Venn Diagram or T-chart to present the information.Your pupils might want to create a rhyme,poem or a song to help other pupils remember the information.

                Do you have chronological information that pupils must remember?Type out information and cut it up into strips.Give each pair or group of pupils an envelope with the strips.Have them e work together to put the events in order.This could also work with the steps of a math problem or science experiment.Let pupils paste the strips onto construction paper.

                Have pupils retell a section of the textbook as a short children`s story.Tell it from the point of view of one of the elements or participants.Use aroundrobin story.Break students into groups each group is assigned a section in the chapter.One pupil starts writing the retelling.After a minute or two pass the paper to the next pupils who continues the story.Keep rotating the paper around the group until the entire section is retold in a story.Set a timer to help everyone stay on track.

                Create mobiles that represent information.Pupils read story on a section in the textbook,have them draw pictures that illustrate the concept or events and hang it on a mobile.Make a class paper chain of inormation.Each pupil writes  one fact on a strip and then folds it in a circle while you staple it.The next pupil reads their fact and then attaches their strip to the chain.Continue through the entire class.

                Give pupils “clues” to look for items in the classroom that relate to your topic of study.Put pupils on a “scavenger hunt” Once they find the item,they must explain why it is on the scavenger hunt.Let pupils go on a road trip.Place different stop signs around the classroom with an activity or reading passage.Pupils must “travel” to each place and complete the activity.Give each pupil a “passport” that must be stamped “stop” on their trip.

                Let pupils make artifacts from a culture they are studying a speech as a famous historical person or a character from a story they read.Give pupils the opportunity to act out 5 t 3 or 10 divided by 5.Create centers for pupils to visit and complete an activity that meets one of your learning objectives.

                These kinds of activities get pupils moving  both physically and mentally.Before you know it,you will hear complaints like,”Is it time to go already?” and “I`m not finished,” from your pupils,but those kinds of complaints are music to the ears.It is not easy to create these activities and plan the details.You have to provide structure and you have to constantly monitor and guide pupils as they work.You won`t have perfect products in the beginning and will have to stress the importance of turning in work that reflects “personal best” it takes time and takes effort.But when you start hearing those complaints,you`ll know that it was well worth doing.

By: Helen L. Paule | Teacher II | Bayan-Bayanan Elementary School | Dinalupihan, Bataan