The possible antecedent of Alex’s behavior is due to the purpose of seeking an attention or to avoid classwork. If talking loudly happens in whole class discussion, it might be the action of seeking an attention. Making irrelevant comments might look ‘cool’ in middle school ages. Or the talking out is the form of the avoiding class work. He might have trouble understanding the concept and does not want the class to continue with the lesson, he shows such behavior to distract the class. The ‘flirting time’ might come from small group discussion where students are in their own group without teachers’ supervision.
The immediate consequence of him talking out loud is teacher reprimand. The teacher will ask Alex to wait for his turn or ask him not to talk about …show more content…
Emotionally safe classroom for Alex is a classroom with no fear of mistake. ‘Encourage participation, not perfection’ (Bernard, 2010). Ask students for their understanding frequently. Let Alex know that there is someone other than him who is having trouble understanding the concept. Encourage students to participate in answering the question. Invite students to answer in their best guesses. Then compliment on their answers even if they were not correct. Let them know it is okay to get it wrong but what is important is that they tried.
Monitor small group or partner sharing by circulating could create an emotionally safe environment (Alber, 2011). Visit students’ table during the discussion and participate in their conversation by giving directions or guidance to let them know that the teacher is here for you if you need any help. This time, also can be used as relationship building