Are you looking for strategies to help students who refuse to assume responsibility for their shortcomings? If so, keep reading.
1. Organize the student’s surroundings to lessen interference from peers
(e.g., remove the chance to blame others).
2. Teach the student problem-solving skills: (a) find the problem, (b) find goals and objectives, (c) create strategies, (d) create a plan of action, and (e) carry out the plan.
3. Give the student many chances for social and academic success.
4. Make the appropriate adjustments in their surroundings to prevent the student from experiencing stress, frustration, anger, etc.
5. Give the student positive feedback that indicates they are successful, competent, essential, valuable, etc.
6. Make sure that excuses are not accepted in place of meeting responsibility.
7. Make sure that all learning materials are appropriate and in excellent working order.
8. Be sure to assist the student when they indicate a need for help.
9. Give the student all the appropriate information prior to a learning experience to enable the likelihood of success.
10. Minimize stimuli in their surroundings that may contribute to the student’s failures or difficulties.
11. Give the student a quiet space to work. Use this strategy to reduce distracting stimuli, not as a form of punishment.
12. Provide tasks that will ensure initial success. As the student’s capacity, ability, and responsibility increase, slowly increase the level of difficulty of tasks.
13. Make sure that instructions and expectations are clearly stated.
14. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Repeated failure may result in the student blaming someone or something for their own failure.
15. Urge the student to begin tasks early to have time to deal with problems that may arise.
16. Give the student a schedule of daily activities to plan their time accordingly.
17. On occasions where the student blames others for their behavior, calmly present the student with the facts. Urge an open and honest line of communication. Do not make the student fearful of telling the truth even though you may not be happy about the behavior.
18. Assist the student in feeling comfortable coming to you for assistance with a problem by listening and helping with a solution to the problem.
19. Be firm, fair, and consistent with the student. Do not discipline for misbehavior one time and ignore misbehavior the next time.
20. The student must know that, regardless of the reason, it is necessary to take responsibility for not turning in tasks, losing pencils, etc.
21. Consider using a classroom management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
22. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
23. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.
24. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.
