Do you remember the class clown? How they were always acting out, causing a disruption in your class? It was always the same kids in the same class.
They never took any interest in the topics or discussions during that “one” class, but they were perfectly fine in another.
The class clown strikes again!
This class is soooo painful. I can’t believe they still let this old broad still teach. She’s so old and boring! Her voice is nothing but a monotoned drone. It’s gonna’ put me to sleep!
You stare out the window and let your mind wander – drowning out the teachers voice more and more, until it becomes a low mumble that fades into the background.
Why is this class dragging on FOREVER? How many more minutes until my misery ends? What the hell?? Did the clock just tick backwards??
To your amusement, a funny thought pops into your head. Wanting to spread the happiness and laughter, you write a note and pass it to your friends. They scoff and pass it to the person next to them, who passes it to the person behind them, and so on.
At this point, the entire class is nearly in tears, trying (and failing) to stifle their laughter, when the teacher finally notices. She freezes mid sentence, realizing she’s lost their attention. Silence fills the air.
Then she spots it: The Note. She marches over to the unfortunate soul who happened to have it and rips it from his hands.
Her face distorts even more than normal as she reads it. “Who wrote this?” she demands. “Someone needs to tell me, NOW!”
The whole class avoids eye contact while you stare at the scuffs on the floor.
“Well, based on the handwriting and the color of ink, there’s only one person it could be.”
You look down at your desk in horror, realizing your red pen is front and center. A quick glance back at your teacher – she’s GLARING you, not even blinking.
She’s not looking at you, she’s looking through you – into the depths of your soul.
Crap…my mom’s gonna FREAK!
The three leading causes of acting out.
The above scenario is an example that most might have experienced while in school, but the root cause remains the same and happens in everyday situations: workplace, daycare, even at home, friend groups, etc.
The fact of the matter is people act out in situations like this because of one (or all) of these three reasons:
- They are uninterested in whatever topic is being taught and are bored.
- Whatever subject or task that they’re supposed to be learning, is extremely uninteresting to them. They simply do not care and are not going to pretend to care.
- The way the subject/task is being taught lacks engagement.
- Maybe they do enjoy the topic, but the way it’s being taught is not in a way that’s enjoyable. Better results are achieved when there is continuous engagement throughout entire the learning process.
- They have higher intelligence than their peers and are lacking a challenge.
- Those who have a higher level of comprehension and understanding in comparison to their peers require a higher level of learning. By teaching/training everyone at the same level, it leaves them unchallenged and bored. In other words, they aren’t learning anything new.
When you have one, or all three of the above, what’s the result? Acting out, getting into trouble, and doing things that they know they aren’t supposed to do. Ever hear the saying, “Idle hands are the devil’s play things?” It’s a warning; a caution against the trouble that results from being lazy or non-productive. When someone has too much free time, they’re going to look for something to do – even if it’s frowned upon.
The best way to prevent acting out.
So, how do we fix these problems? How can we do our part to make sure our employees/students/kids are engaged?
It starts with having a conversation, actively listening to understand how they feel and why. Figure out which of the three are causing them to act out.
Are they interested in it?
Do they need a way to be more engaged?
Do they need to be challenged more?
Once you’ve figured out the problem, it’s already half way solved. Next comes a plan.
How can you make it more interesting?
What can be done to make it more engaging?
Are there ways to make it more challenging?
Last step is execution of the plan, one thing at a time. Follow up to review progress and celebrate their achievements.
Might as well make it enjoyable!
Even though we HAVE to do things in life (even if we don’t want to) doesn’t mean they have to be boring. Make it fun! I know, it sounds easier than it probably is, but it’s worth it in the long run, especially for your mental and emotional well being!
What are your thoughts on the matter?