What do you do if your classroom team is unruly and uncooperative?

1 Identify the root causes

The first step to address a problem is to understand its causes. Why are some of your students behaving badly or refusing to cooperate? There could be many reasons, such as boredom, lack of motivation, personal issues, learning difficulties, peer pressure, or misunderstanding of the task. Try to observe and listen to your students, and ask them open-ended questions to find out what is bothering them. You may also want to consult with other teachers, counselors, or parents to get more insights and support.

2 Establish clear expectations and consequences

One of the most important factors for a successful classroom team is to have clear expectations and consequences. You need to communicate to your students what you expect from them in terms of behavior, participation, collaboration, and outcomes. You also need to explain what will happen if they do not meet these expectations, such as losing points, receiving warnings, or facing disciplinary actions. Make sure that your expectations and consequences are fair, consistent, and aligned with the school policies.

4 Use cooperative learning strategies

Cooperative learning is a teaching method that involves students working together in small groups to achieve a common goal. It can be very effective for improving your classroom team's skills, attitudes, and outcomes. Some of the benefits of cooperative learning are that it fosters positive interdependence, individual accountability, social skills, and peer feedback. You can use various cooperative learning strategies, such as jigsaw, think-pair-share, round robin, or numbered heads together, to engage your students in different types of tasks and activities.

5 Resolve conflicts and issues

Even with the best intentions and efforts, you may still encounter conflicts and issues within your classroom team. Some of the common sources of conflict are personality clashes, disagreements, misunderstandings, or competition. When this happens, you need to intervene and resolve the situation as soon as possible, before it escalates or affects the whole team. You can use different techniques, such as active listening, mediation, negotiation, or problem-solving, to help your students communicate, understand, and respect each other's perspectives and feelings.

6 Seek professional help if needed

Sometimes, you may face a situation that is beyond your control or expertise. For example, you may have a student who has a serious behavioral or emotional problem, or who poses a threat to themselves or others. In such cases, you should not hesitate to seek professional help from the school administration, counselors, psychologists, or social workers. They can provide you with advice, guidance, and resources to deal with the problem and support the student and the team.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?