"The class clown is driving me bonkers! A boy in my third-grade class loves to joke in the middle of math. Now the rest of the class is joining in. What should I do?" - Can You Help?

Instructor, August, 2003 by Diane Scalia, Mary Rose, Barbara Tessler, Adele Brodkin

Use a Reminder Prompt. For some children humor is a great social strength, but they need to learn how and when to use it. I had a child who was so highly energetic that he'd fall out of his seat. His antics would often get laughs from his classmates--attention he really enjoyed but that stole attention away from our goal of learning. When this student acted up in class, I would stand close to him and put my hand on his shoulder. I had to do this several times before he understood. Eventually, when this child saw me walking over he knew that he needed to calm down. My advice would be not to spend too much time getting caught up in debates; a few well-chosen words or gestures can make your position clear and save precious time for the lesson at hand.--Diane Scalia, Margate Elementary School, Margate, FL, Grade 2

Make Time For Laughter. Recent brain research has shown that some kids may actually need this sort of outlet in order to make it through academic lessons. Rather than punish this child, join in the laughter at appropriate times and give him a few seconds to take center stage. A little laughter can be a much-needed tension release for all of the children--and their teacher! Here's how to keep it within bounds: Do not tolerate inappropriate or hurtful humor. Afterwards, bring the focus back to the work at hand. Privately tell him that you appreciate his humor and that you will allow it occasionally. If he was doing it to "get to you," this approach will disarm him completely.--Mary Rose, Lake Sybelia Elementary, Maitland, FL, Grade 4

Hands-On Activities Help. Since I teach very young children, I often put those who may be disruptive in the front of the line, sit them close to me on the rug, or place them next to children who can model proper behavior. I had a child who was very impulsive and would tickle, trip, or even crash into things. I found that this child and many others who tend to be disruptive are active learners who become restless during quiet work time. I try to make sure they get enough time for hands-on activities, such as building wheels and axles with Legos, so that I can reasonably expect them to sit still for reading time or math lessons. Above all, though, I find most kids respond quickly when I acknowledge their positive behavior.--Barbara Tessler, Concord Road Elementary, Ardsley, NY, Grade K

Dr. Adele Brodkin says ...

These teachers' insights are so helpful! They demonstrate the fact that a prime motive behind disruptive behavior is a thinly-disguised plea for attention. And the secret of the teachers' success is their refusal to take the bait and succumb to attention-seeking power struggles. Instead, they provide wonderful outlets for appropriate attention such as active learning tasks, kudos for humor when expressed in the right place and at the right time, good role models, and caring limit setting. Then these teachers sit back and wait for appropriate behavior on which to heap praise. Now that we think about it, the answer is simple: There is no need to be rowdy or clown and otherwise disrupt if public success is so readily available just by doing "the right things." So we advise getting to know each child in order to discover acceptable ways for him or her to be noticed for just the right reasons.

Dr. Adele Brodkin is a child psychology expert who advises teachers and parents. She is the author of Fresh Approaches to Working With Problematic Behavior (Scholastic, 2001).