Dealing with Disgusting Child Behavior

100 pushups, sit ups, jumping jacks and running lots of laps in my son's taekwondo class seems to settle them down.
When they are sweating and out of breath they don't have the energy for acting up no matter who farts.

Kids do this. It's one of those things. Continue teaching and talk to them after class. Tell the parents if their child disrupts class that you will be sitting them out. That this behavior is keeping the other kids from learning.

This is what dance teachers and gym coaches have done for years. If the kids aren't participating in class and taking away teaching time they sit out or leave.

Parents still pay, it's their kids that's taking their money and not doing anything with it.

farts are funny!
Maybe you should laugh along with them and then say, "ok girls. Back on task." and keep teaching.
I laugh with my kids about farts and then we go on our day.
When you said "disgusting child behavior" I was expecting DISGUSTING, not passing gas.
L.

Typical kid behavior - looking for attention, looking to see if they can rattle you. This is the true challenge of teaching anything - it's not the material, it's the classroom management.

I wouldn't send them all to the restroom together - that creates "party time" and rewards them with more unstructured time. I'd send the perpetrator to the rest room with instructions to come back when she feels better. Then she does not sit with her other friends - you have to split up that entire group.

What are the rewards in your class? What are they trying to achieve? Is there a performance of any sort? Is there any part of the class in which the good students can serve as a leader? For example, if an aerobics routine is underway and you, as coach, need to go assist class members with their form or technique, is there a student who can function temporarily as the routine's leader, the kid in front for everyone to follow? Make that the goal of every kid in the class. There may be other "honors" as well - helping to design a routine, suggesting a move or two, etc. Turn that into a contest that a) gets everyone participating and investing in the class and b) something that the burners get left out of. Are there other jobs for responsible kids, such as taking attendance or anything else fun? In my adult gym class, quite a few people help out the instructor, from turning out the lights for relaxing stretch time at the end of class to counting the attendees to setting up and dismantling equipment (steps, hand weights, etc.).

If all else fails, you can send the ringleader to the gym office or the lobby to be watched by someone at the front desk. Just say that she's going there until her stomach settles. But make it a full 5 minutes with nothing fun to do. No "helping at the front desk" - just sitting there.

The important thing is to take control - you may be seen as "the mother" and not "the teacher". Make sure your own daughter doesn't get extra attention because they may be competing with that.

If necessary, take the perpetrators aside and speak to them about being role models. If your kids range from 6 to 8, you want the 8 year olds to be the exemplars of good behavior for the 6 year olds. So get them to rise up to a higher level. Let them know you are counting on them to show the 6 year olds how to behave. Focus less on the fact that their behavior is "disgusting" and more that it is disruptive. Tell them the class isn't going to get disrupted again - if it means they sit in the lobby or on the side of the room (in separate corners), then that's what's going to happen.

Another thing that CAN work (but you have to be careful that you don't put down your own authority) is to have them explain to the gym director why they don't want to be in the class or why they don't think they should act their age. They can also spend time sitting in the corner with a clipboard, pencil and paper, and write a note to their parents explaining why they don't want the money to be spent on them anymore. That way, THEY are telling their own parents, and you aren't.

The main thing is, YOU aren't letting down their parents unless you allow these immature kids to continue to take away from the other kids who DO want to participate. The point is, the well-behaved kids get all the attention, and the burping kids do not. But it's important to split them up because otherwise you are outnumbered!

Finally - have some other rewards - if they all get done what they are supposed to, they get something. Most classrooms have some version of the "caught being good" bucket - when they buckle down, you put a sticker on a chart or a pom pom in a glass jar, and when it gets to the goal (full line of stickers, full jar, whatever), they get brownies or a pizza party or something else. Gel bracelets are cheap, for example, and kids like them. Find out what other things they want to work for - getting them to suggest a reward (one you or the gym can afford) and then have them work to get there. When the other kids pressure the farting kids to shape up, or when the small groups of non-farters get the reward, it's a strong motivator.

Teacher supply websites have all kinds of incentive charts/stickers for very modest fees. You wouldn't believe the junk the kids worked for in my music classes - silly erasers and bracelets and plastic airplanes. The first and second grade teachers also had a chart like a stoplight - green, yellow, red circles. There was a clothespin with each child's name written on it in a black sharpie, and these were all clipped on the side of the poster at the green light. At the first reprimand, warning, the child has to go over and move her clip up to the yellow light. At the second one (or a particularly grievous offense), the clip goes to the red light. At the end of the day, all the green light kids get 2 stickers (or whatever you are awarding), the yellow lighters get 1, and the red lighters get nothing. I put the sticker chart up and handed out the stickers as the kids lined up in front of the chart - so they physically put the stickers up but I doled them out. If you have a big group, then have 2 equivalent charts so you don't have a bottleneck. If someone did something particularly awesome, they got a sticker right then and there, plus whatever there was being done at the end of the class.

If a kid gets to the red light and still acts up, they are removed from the class and sent to the director, and a note goes home.

I'm wondering if one of your problems MAY be that the club is too competitive, and some of these kids are being pushed into it by their parents. Maybe they just don't want to be part of a competitive group and they don't feel they have the ability, so they disrupt and distract to take away from the pressure? That needs to be addressed on another level, but it's not with you and the kids, but with the parents.

M.,

It's the age. They love this stuff-- not all kids do, of course, but I think the best way to go about this is to just acknowledge "hey, I know you kids think it's funny AND we're here to get some work done". Let them laugh for a minute and don't let their moment of humor get you down. They aren't laughing to be disobedient-- they DO think passing gas and burping is silly. Instead, you can say "okay girls, whenever you are ready, we only have ten minutes"... if they laugh for most of that ten minutes," too bad, sorry, we didn't stay on task and didn't get to practice this. Maybe next time." If a parent complained, you can just tell the parent "well, this group got a bit silly and didn't seem interested in learning today, so you may want to talk to your child about how they choose to use their time here."

My inclination is not to let this get to you, not to make it a power struggle, put it back on the kids. If you feel that this is getting out of hand, talk to the parents and ask them to help their kids. As a parent, if my child was goofing around during an activity to the point he wasn't learning, I would want to know, because that means that he's also keeping the other kids from learning. Make it more as 'matter of fact-- you come to class to learn' and don't threaten to talk to the parents-- if you feel it's a problem with the girls, just do it. You shouldn't have to warn the girls umpteen times at this age, either. Like I said, if I were the parent, I'd *want* to know if this was ongoing. If not, just let the moment pass and try to move them along.

Ok, stop and think back to this age and tell me you didn't laugh at this kind of thing. I know it's annoying as an adult and as a teacher, but kids do this. They laugh at farting and burping. Heck, adults do this in the right circumstances.

Just say, "ok girls, take a minute to get the giggles out so we can get back to our routine." Then wait and move on. Heck, you could have a giggle timer and set it so they "have" to giggle for a minute. It'll get boring.

They're kids. Even if they're girls, they're still kids. If you can relax about it, you can probably deal with it faster. I like nervy girls answer.

I thought from the title that kids were trashing the place, or mouthing off or worse.

What are your expectations for these girls? Are your expectations really age-appropriate? As others have posted: This is very typical behavior and to be expected. You want them to be serious, but do your classes have any leeway for fun as well? If they did, you might not have the issue with the girls making their own fun with the farts and giggling. You want to "just get back to teaching" but you do indeed have to deal with behavior as well, with this age group. How serious are you expecting them to be? Do you have ways for them to blow off steam during class, as part of the class's structure? Are you as a teacher flexible enough to consider that maybe you need to change up the way you teach this age group to keep their attention better and make things more enjoyable?

My daughter is older, 13, and does extensive ballet which is a very serious pursuit but her teachers know when to let the kids blow off a little steam or have five minutes to move around goofily. Then the kids find it much easier to return to being focused and serious. Do you think you need to reconsider the way you're teaching, and how you're reacting when your students get silly?

A for consequences: Ditto B

Talk to the parents!!!! Or send a note. If they think this is hilarious they are not going to stop.

"Hi, Parents, Just a heads up, the potty humor in my class has become such an unstoppable and distracting force, I'm going to have to start implementing consequences since appeals for it to stop have only caused it to escalate. Thank you for your cooperation in helping me assure my class is a positive and valuable learning experience for all."

If I got a note like this you better BELIEVE I would make sure my daughter was not participating in this and I would want to hear about it if she was.

i think sending them to the restroom, patiently and with a smile, each and every time, is a great response. that way their clowning is interrupted, and THEY are the ones missing out, not you or the rest of the class.
if the parents are bummed that their extra fees are being spent in the restroom instead of in aerobics, you can direct them to have a talk with their kids.
i don't think this kind of behavior should be ignored- clearly it's disruptive and mildly offensive (kids love this sort of thing, 'disgust' is a bit heavy-handed)- but you don't want to inflate its importance by focusing madly on it.
khairete
S.

I wouldn't worry too much its the age they are at and gross behavior is the norm for this sort of thing. I coach synchronized swimming to the same age group of girls. There's often times in the pool where one of the girls farts and they all start laughing at the bubbles it makes or when they start burping contests from inhaling the chlorine.

We where at a comp in Toronto last year, the 8-10 synchro swim team were sitting around their instructor preparing for a routine when one of them ripped a wet fart out of nowhere and the whole group started giggling. The instructor just laughed it with the girls and gave them a good minute or so to calm down, go to the potty and be ready for the routine.

I think we forget sometimes as well that children have less control at this age from about 5-10 years old over their body functions and sometimes farts or burps just happen. Last week was another good example where in a practice routine our flyer girl Abbie accidentily farted in her base girls faces and I simply stopped practice to let the girls laugh it off and get a drink before returning to work.

momwithcamera also makes a very good point, maybe you should ask the girls to go potty before class starts and let them be more ready. Just a thought!

They better learn now that unacceptable behavior of any kind during a sporting event earns them additional "exercise".

My daughter's softball team has to run laps if they act up. This type of consequence will repeat itself throughout their lives as athletes and across many types of sports. The natural consequence for missing verbal instruction is having to do extra physical work. If you don't get it in your brain, your body will have to make up for it!

PS- I totally disagree about contacting the parents. If there is one or two kids consistently interrupting then at their age you could go the parent route. Since it's most of the group you need to show them you can handle it yourself. A 10 minute bathroom brake is a reward not discipline.

so they are between 6 and 8 years old? That is totally normal behavior! my 6 and 9 year old still crack up with any type of bathroom talk.

Yup...potty humor and 6 year olds. In all honesty, even I giggle from time to time. Heck, "duty" get me every time! I'm 34!

We use the count down from 10 method. 10 second to have a good giggle the first time then back to work. Second time, the "passer" is sent to the restroom alone. Any more times and you might even think about a 30 second "time out" for the gigglers if they can't wrap it up in 10. If there seems to be a lead "passer" then she get's the time out.

Might also talk to the parents about the girls getting off task (no need to mention why), but that you were wondering if you could "charge" the girls themselves. If they get allowances, this might curb the funny business.

Might want to give then 2 mins of silly time before and after class. Give them a chance to get the "sillies" out and as a reward for staying on task after class.

The other ladies are right - farts ARE funny. I do think that your title is really misleading - I expected something far different from what you actually said.

You got a terrific answer from Diane B. Really read that and use her ideas. I especially like the idea of having them write a note to their parents.

Perhaps they should have had their potty break before class. Try hanging out before class and ask them to go potty before entering the class. Once they get to farting and laughing, it is kind of hard to stop.

The other day we were at the table eating and I had to take a call from the older daughter and my younger one belched (beyond burp). Of course her and her dad began roaring in laughter. When I hung up, I got after her for burping and told her to never do that again while I was on the phone or at the table. Just as she said okay, my dog ripped the loudest fart. SMH!

My thoughts were, god I need to change that dogs diet, so perhaps the girls need learn about gassy foods.

Talk to both the parents and kids. Tell them that any kind of behavior that is inappropriate and distracting will get the kid kicked out of class - no refunds - tell the kids that this is their only warning. And then stick to your guns.

Don't argue with the kids about it. You're the teacher, you make the call.