Naughty classmates are distracting my Year 3 child, what should I do?
Too many disruptive personalities in a primary school class can have a negative impact on quieter children. Sometimes parents need to step in to make sure teachers are aware of the problem
My Year 3 son has become quite reluctant to go to school. He is very quiet and studious, but a lot of boys in his class are boisterous and disruptive. I get the impression from him and other parents that the class teacher can’t really control them. He often has to sit next to naughty children who mess around and distract him. What should I do?
Every primary class has students with a wide range of abilities who demonstrate different behaviour patterns. Although schools often put a great deal of effort into trying to get a good balance within each class, and carefully consider varying academic abilities, personalities, gender and behavioural issues, classes still end up having different dynamics. Just one or two badly behaved or disruptive pupils can have a negative impact on the learning culture in any classroom.
Will having a substitute teacher affect my child’s development?
Certain mixes of children just do not work; some wind each other up and even have a negative effect on children who are normally well behaved. Others are simply boisterous and disruptive, which can be upsetting for quieter children such as your son.
A productive, secure and calm atmosphere is vital for a productive learning environment. Educational research shows that if students are anxious or uncomfortable in class, their ability to learn effectively decreases. Therefore, the situation you describe may well affect your son’s concentration, motivation and general happiness at school.
I recommend you tell your son’s teacher how he is feeling so they can check in with him regularly and use strategies to help him feel more positive about school. Teachers sometimes use good role models like your son as seating partners with less disciplined pupils, so make sure that he too has options to sit with compatible seating partners for different activities so he is not constantly distracted. Wearing earphones to aid concentration or having opportunities to work in quieter areas of the school can also help.
Despite [teachers] having strategies in place, the behaviour of some pupils can remain challenging, even for experienced teachers
