Action Research

2/20/2019

On a given day I have 24 six year olds, 15 boys and 9 girls. We have created a classroom community of routines and structures and for the most part we do well. On the other hand I have 5 very rumbustious, competitive advanced boys that are a constant distraction to the rest of the class because they race through their work to be be the first ones done and end up being a behavior issue.
These boys get bored easily with nothing for them to do so they find little secret places around the classroom to go hang out and talk, make up excuses to stand at their friends desk, talk to their elbow partner(most likely a struggling learner) and find toys, paper, clips and other random items to fidget with.
One of the issues I had was not wanting to move them ahead of the class by teaching them the next concept or just giving them random worksheet that have little to do with the topic we are working on.
Through my essential question, "Will adding more challenging rigor to my advanced student's assignments decrease their behavioral issues in the classroom?" I hope to change this competitive behavior by eliminating much of their down time.
These students will be doing the same work as the rest of the class it will just be modified so that they are taking more time to do extended work. An example would be for a writing assignment. I would produce a more complex sentence frame for them to follow and instead of providing 1 detail they would need to provide 3. Or when we do word work with sight words I would challenge them to write the words, backwards, with their opposite hand, in alphabetical order while the rest of the class is still practicing recognition.
I would like to see all my students engaged whether the work be difficult or easy and not witness poor behavior due to either one of these factors.

3 Comments

Roger Pence

2/21/2019 12:15:28 pm

Alexis,
I think your driving question has merit but wonder what data you already have that might lend themselves to answering the question at this time? What type of data ideally would you collect that would serve to show an increase or decrease in behavioral issues? Test scores are relatively simple to quantify, but how will measure behavioral issues or changes thereto?

Karling Skoglund

2/21/2019 04:59:33 pm

Alexis,

I feel your struggle. I too have some students who finish early and tend to distract others. I have had success moving one next to a more struggling learner so they can help them. I have an metaphor I introduced at the beginning of the year and revisit throughout the year. I talk about how in a swimming pool, some people are strong swimmers and some are struggling swimmers, and that any decent person would help another swim if they saw them struggling. The student who I have had success with is a student who wants to be a helper and I have cultivated a positive relationship and really given them a lot of motivation to help their partner. The other students I have not had much success with are different cases. They are not motivated by praise or want to be helpers, and they finish so quickly, many times not giving their best effort. I am still formulating a plan so we can mutually be successful.

Lisa Marie Smith

2/23/2019 06:54:15 pm

Alexis,

I also struggle with students completing assignments, projects, tasks, etc. before their peers. I have been fortunate to have access to a few online curricula that differentiates materials on three levels. An example would be level 1 from shorter reading passages, with symbols for non or low readers, shorter passages without symbols for middle readers to paragraph format for higher readers. The differentiated materials allow me to give more advanced students more rigorous and challenging work. I have found that the students thrive and their unwanted behaviors decrease. Additionally, I have stations throughout the classroom, with various "What Now?" activities, that promote ongoing practice on previously learned skills or promote other skills. These stations have helped the students to be more independent and allows them to get up and move around when they are "bored" or fidgeting without being disruptive to others who are still working.

Regards,

LIsa Marie

Always a learner

Action Research

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