Education is full of labels, sorry to say: you have your brains, athletes, popular kids, nobodies, even the pipsqueaks (the ones that get picked on). You’d notice that nearly all of these ‘labels’ actually are capable of never causing disruptions or problems in class and getting decent grades. All save one: the troublemaker. For both parents and teachers, that ‘label’ is always an issue on many different levels.
But here’s the thing: it’s a ‘label.’ Getting to the root of the problem, when we’re talking about labels, recognize that a kid is simply a kid. There isn’t a label until it develops, specifically from the school authorities themselves. This is, however, not to say that teachers begin the troublemaker and are the reason for them doing wrong; but it is the very beginning of a cycle that is very difficult to end. Once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker.
You have to understand one important aspect of teaching and education. When you’re dealing with a child who has misbehaved–whether it’s something as simple as running in the hall or something as serious as vandelizing property, you have to drop the label! The same goes for parents, too. It’s how it all begins. A child will see himself or herself based on how you see the child; so be careful.
The key to handling a child having difficulties in listening is literally for parents and teachers to work together. That’s not to mean a need to stay informed on both sides. No, the deal is to really be involved on a collaborative level. This means teachers need to stop ragging on parents about how they’re not spending enough time or working hard enough with their child, and parents need to stop their criticism of teachers not focusing more of their attention on their children.
It’s about working together.