I know many of you have had to deal with an arrogant student at some point. Some of them are very hard to handle and can make teaching a lot more difficult. So, I have compiled this blog post about how to deal with the worst types of students. Whether it is their attitude, what they say in class, or how they act when you give grades, these tips will help you get through your day without feeling frustrated and angry all the time.
Characteristics of Arrogant Students?
I have seen many students in my teaching career so far. I have noticed some characteristics of the “arrogant” student type. I feel it is important to share these, because both new and experienced teachers may be able to benefit from them.
Ten Characteristics of Arrogant Students are:
1) They think everyone else is wrong.
2) They think they know more than everyone else.
3) They behave as if they are the teacher’s pet, and they do whatever they want.
4) They feel that nothing is their responsibility, and everything is the teacher’s fault.
5) They will blame others for mistakes in schoolwork.
6) They will make comments in class to make themselves look smart.
7) They compete with the teacher and other students in the classroom.
8) No matter how much you talk to them or explain an assignment, they still do not get it.
9) If they are told to read something, they act like you are ruining their life.
10) They will not do anything that they believe is below them, even if it would be helpful to others.
What Causes Arrogance in Students?
Teachers must deal with students every day, sometimes for a majority of their waking hours. The teachers must encourage the students and support them in any way they can. Unfortunately, this is not always easy when a student comes into class with an attitude that has been developing over time. There are several reasons why a student may be arrogant towards his or her teacher.
Possible Causes of Arrogance in Students:
1. Poor Attitude
Arrogant students usually have a poor attitude that they refuse to change, no matter how hard the teachers try to help them improve it.
2. Low Self Esteem
Teachers can help build a child’s self-esteem, but when they fail to achieve this goal, it can result in an arrogant student.
3. Bad Home Environment
Some students come from homes where they are not encouraged and pressured by their parents. This can lead them to feel superior over other people, especially teachers, who they see as not doing their job properly.
4. Lack of Respect
Teachers usually require students to show them respect during class time, but some students act arrogantly by showing no respect at all.
5. No Interest in Learning
Some students are disinterested in learning, and this also sometimes results in them acting arrogantly towards their teachers.
6. Being Spoiled
Some students feel that they can do or say whatever they want because of how much money their family has, and this causes them to be arrogant towards the people around them.
7. Inexperience
If a new teacher is trying to teach a class of arrogant students, they may have a hard time as the students will feel that they know more than the teacher and therefore do not want to accept their advice.
8. Over Confidence
When some students think that they know everything there is to know about a particular subject or that they are better than everyone else, they can start acting arrogantly towards their teachers.
9. Lack of Empathy
Some students think that nothing is ever their fault, and this can lead them to act arrogantly towards the teachers who punish them for misbehaving.
10. Low Expectations
When students have no idea of what they can achieve, it is hard for them to have high expectations, and this can result in them being less respectful towards teachers.
There are several things that can cause a student to be arrogant, and the best way to deal with this is to start by working with the student, rather than against them. If a teacher can help build up a student’s self-esteem, they are already halfway towards solving the problem.
Check out more of our articles here.
Why You Should Not Spare Arrogant Behavior?
It’s helpful to understand why students behave arrogantly, how it can lead them to feel frustrated and disengaged in school, and what teachers can do to help.
These negative effects of students’ arrogant behavior on classroom management are:
1. Behavioral control becomes difficult in the classroom as other students may begin to behave arrogantly towards others including the teacher.
2. Student motivation is decreased. That is the arrogant student may lose interest and motivation to concentrate or learn hard in class. Arrogant behavior towards other students can make them lose their motivation to study hard.
3. Student performance is hampered. This behavior affects the performance of the student in question and that of his or her colleagues. Other students may feel not good enough hence losing interest and motivation.
4. Teacher workload increases. Arrogant behavior breeds more behavior problems in students thereby increasing the workload of the teacher.
5. Teacher-student relationship is hindered by arrogant behavior. It may cause distrust and dislike towards the student thereby affecting the relationship between the student and the teacher negatively.
6. The general school atmosphere suffers because of arrogant student behavior, which can lead to additional problems for other students and teachers in the building or district.
7. Some students resort to cheating or other misconduct as a way to overcome the obstacles they face when working with arrogant students.
8. Teachers may lose their temper and express anger toward these students, thus escalating the situation into a power struggle that is unnecessary.
9. The student-student relationship in the classroom may become adversarial. That is, it can breed jealousy and other inappropriate behaviors among the students.
10. The overall learning climate of the school is negatively impacted by arrogant behavior.
How To Deal or Manage Arrogant Students?
This is a very common issue among teachers, as most of us have been in this situation at some point or another. In today’s world, the lines between what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior are blurred. Kids, especially those from wealthy backgrounds, don’t seem to know how to behave sometimes. Here are 20 simple guidelines you can use to help deal with or manage students who are acting arrogant in your classroom.
1. Don’t get into a power struggle with your student, let them do their assignments, and you do yours.
2. Don’t be so lenient on the student’s work, don’t cater to every one of their needs or requests. You can be nice, but not too nice.
3. Don’t get mad or offended when they call you names and swear at you, it is just a tactic to get under your skin.
4. Make sure there is a level of respect between you and the student before they walk into the classroom, no matter how difficult that might be.
5. If you notice any warning signs, observe them closely. Pay particular attention to their body language.
6. Don’t make fun of other teachers in front of the student, it will make you seem weak. Stay calm no matter what they say or do, and don’t take anything they say personally or as a threat.
7. If they are being racist, sexist, or homophobic with their comments or behavior, you can put a stop to it in a respectful way.
8. Don’t forget to consult your school’s counselor to help if the behavior gets out of hand.
9. Don’t be afraid of the student and never show them that you’re scared when they are acting out in class. Keep calm even if they are aggressive because this will make them feel less powerful.
10. Don’t try to intimidate the student into doing what you want, it will work against both of you. Show them that you’re calm and in control.
11. Don’t get upset or annoyed if they always come late to class because their parents probably made a habit out of dropping them off late from school as well.
12. Don’t try to befriend the student, trust me, this will only make them think you’re easy prey.
13. Don’t try to correct their behavior right away when they are in class because it will cause tension between you and the student, give them time to come around by themselves, or else it’ll take longer for them to learn that their behavior is not acceptable.
14. Don’t be too hard on them or take things too seriously, they will think you’re a mean person and that you don’t like them if their assignment is late just once in a while because of traffic or something else.
15. Don’t let other students gang up on the student and try to intimidate them into doing the work you assign; they will love it.
16. If all else fails, be patient with your student and trust that they can change on their own if you’ve given them enough time to come around.
17. Don’t act beyond the limits of your school’s rules and that of the education ministry.
18. Don’t let other students copy from the student, it shows that you don’t know how to manage your class well enough.
19. Don’t try to get a good grade for the student just because they’re making a scene or being mean, this will only set a bad precedent in your class and will lead to future problems.
20. If it gets too rough, send the student outside and let them cool off, and think about their actions before returning to class.
Final Thoughts
The guidelines listed in this article can help you deal with or manage students who are acting arrogant. Remember to stay calm, pay attention to their body language, don’t get into a power struggle with them, and never show that you’re scared of them. You should also be aware of any warning signs so that you can correct the behavior before it escalates too much. If all else fails, remember to remain patient with your student because they will learn eventually if given enough time without being punished for mistakes here and there.
