How to Behave In Class

Co-authored by César de León, M.Ed.

Last Updated: March 19, 2024 Approved

Some students find themselves constantly in trouble at school. There are so many ways to become distracted, and you are hardly alone! If you have trouble paying attention, sitting still, and are getting constantly called out by your teacher, you can still learn to follow the rules and channel your energy into becoming a better student.

Tips for Good Behavior in School

Raise your hand if you wish to speak or ask a question.
Listen to your teacher’s instructions and follow them carefully.
Be quiet and respectful when your teacher or another student is speaking.
Take notes on topics you may struggle to remember or understand.
Sit by classmates who won’t encourage you to make noise or get in trouble.
Participate in class activities to motivate yourself to enjoy the material.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Learning the Rules

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1
Follow the expectations. Learning requires behavior that lets you fully participate in the lesson, and allow other students to do work as well. A good student is prepared, active, safe, interacting, and helping.^{[1]
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Expert Source

César de León, M.Ed.
Educational Leadership Consultant

Expert Interview. 11 November 2020.} In the first few days of school the expectations are generally made quite clear either verbally, in a syllabus, or written in an agreement. In general, the expectations are:
- Listen to your teacher and follow instructions. If you want to behave better in class, the first place to look for help is your teacher.^{[2]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  César de León, M.Ed.
  Educational Leadership Consultant
  
  Expert Interview. 11 November 2020.} Always do what the teacher tells you during class time. Listen closely to your teacher's instructions, when they tell you to be quiet, to start or stop working, to line up, or do anything else. If you listen the first time, you likely will not have to ask later.
- Be quiet. Typically, any time after class has started, it is time to be quiet. Save the things you want to say to your friends for later. If you have a question about an assignment, raise your hand when appropriate to ask, write it down to yourself and ask the teacher later.
- Avoid sitting with friends that get you in trouble. One of the common ways a student gets loud and disruptive is talking with friends. Sit up front to avoid the temptation to chat during class if you can. There's plenty of time to socialize at recess and lunch and after school. It’s also good to avoid bullies and "fr-enemies" other people who can tempt you into misbehavior. (You can talk to your teacher about this, and maybe pretend that you "have to" sit where you do, to take social pressure off of you.)
- Be on time. You need to be in the building when school starts, and you need to be in your seat when class starts. If you're struggling to make it to class on time, looking into time organization skills, material organization skills, and figuring out how much time you really need for transitions.
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Raise your hand if you want to speak. If you have a question, or you have something you want to say, don't just shout it out or direct it at your neighbors. Raise your hand, wait to be called on, and then speak when you've been given permission.
- Have something specific and brief to say, so you're not wasting class time rambling. The most appropriate time to raise your hand and speak is when you have a question that other students might have, as well. "What pages are we supposed to read for tomorrow?" and "How do you find the lowest common denominator?" are both appropriate questions.
- Inappropriate questions include things that are particular only to you, or things that are off-topic. "Why did I get a D?" or "What do you think of LeBron James, Miss Johnson?" are probably both inappropriate (albeit maybe interesting or funny) questions for class. If you want to talk to your teacher about these things, write down your question, and wait until after class.
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Work during work time. If you're given class time to do homework, make sure you utilize that time doing homework, not as free time. That means work on the assignment that you're supposed to work on.
- Don't work on homework for other classes during work time, unless you've been given permission. If you're given time to work on a group project, don't withdraw from the group and sit working on your math homework. You're wasting work time, and the time of others.
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Talk to your teacher. Just letting your teacher know you are trying will go a long, long way! He or she can help come up with a way to improve together.^{[3]
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Expert Source

César de León, M.Ed.
Educational Leadership Consultant

Expert Interview. 11 November 2020.} Teachers can help modify the class, such as making clear prompts to what you are supposed to do, or avoiding embarrassing situations which may make you act out.
- If you've got a reputation as a trouble-maker, many teachers will be impressed if you're sincere about wanting to be better in class. Making the effort to talk to your teacher is a good first step in changing the way your teacher looks at you.
- Get to know your teacher! Your teacher is a person--not just a teacher! He or she has interests, feelings, and opinions. Getting to know your teacher as an individual may make it easier to listen and respond to him or her. Also, your teacher may get to know you as a person, too! This rapport can make working together a lot easier.
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Talk to your parents or guardian. Admitting you have an issue does not mean you are a bad person; you recognize you have a problem. And there are many reasons a student may have behavioral issues. Parents can do a lot in working with the school to get the help you need. It may be as simple as working with your teacher, to testing for Attention Deficit Disorder, to perhaps looking into a charter school.
- Charter schools, challenge programs, and other kinds of alternatives may be a better fit for you, if you're struggling with your behavior. Talk to your parents about the possibility of switching schools. If your parents are unwilling to listen, talk to a guidance counselor at your current school about the possibilities.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Staying on Task

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Use your imagination and decide to like the topics. If you have trouble paying attention and staying on task, changing your attitude can help a lot. Instead of rolling your eyes and groaning every time you have to learn history, work on your handwriting, or do math problems, try to use your imagination to make the tasks cooler and more fun. It might sound stupid, but pretending your schoolwork is fun can actually make it fun.
- Don’t “do your math,” pretend to be a rocket scientist learning to plot the paths of rockets, or an astronaut trying to plot your course home from the planet Zebulon 4. Pretend that you're Albert Einstein, cracking the secrets of nuclear energy.
- Don't "practice handwriting," pretend that you're translating secret messages from a mysterious government agency, or that you're learning to speak Klingon.
- Don't "do your reading," imagine that you're a famous author preparing to give a lecture in front of a crowd of adoring fans, or that you're a supercomputer uploading information into its positronic net.
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Take notes. One great way to keep yourself focused on the class topics and the lesson is to take notes. Even if you'll be provided with a review, or you don't eventually need the information for the test, if you struggle to pay attention, focus on writing down the important things the teacher says. Don't worry about writing it word for word, just try to come up with a list or an outline of the important things that happen in class. This will help you stay focused and you'll have something to refer to later.^{[4]
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Expert Source

César de León, M.Ed.
Educational Leadership Consultant

Expert Interview. 11 November 2020.}
- Taking notes can also help you improve your handwriting, which can help your grades improve and your relationship with your teacher a lot better. No one wants to read chicken-scratches.
- Don't worry about listening to the whole lesson at once, just focus on catching the next important thing the teacher says. Go one step at a time.
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Be prepared for class. You can't stay focused if you don't have all the necessary supplies ready, and you're in your seat on time.^{[5]
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Expert Source

César de León, M.Ed.
Educational Leadership Consultant

Expert Interview. 11 November 2020.} There's nothing worse for your classroom reputation than forgetting your math textbook, or having to ask for a pencil or a piece of paper that you forgot to bring. For each class, it's usually important to have:
- The textbook or books for the specific class
- A pencil, ink pen, or other writing utensil
- Enough loose paper or notebook paper to take notes or complete an assignment
- A folder or binder for class materials
- Your homework, fully completed
If you're not in the habit of contributing during class time, try to change up your habits. Raise your hand if you know the answer, and talk during discussions in class if they're going on. Don't talk just to talk, but try to find a way to engage with the topic and the other students in your class, rather than sitting there being bored, or causing trouble.
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Motivate yourself to improve your grades. Just like changing your attitude about enjoying your classes, making an active choice to improve your grades can be an important first step in actually getting better grades. If that happens, you might be more invested in the class because, getting good feedback and seeing the results of your hard work.
- If you're struggling, find out about tutoring or homework help available at your school. Many schools have free tutoring programs after school that are available to students who want to improve their grades and get a little help, which everybody needs sometimes.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Avoiding Trouble

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Make good friends. At school, your friends will have a big influence on your behavior. If your friends are cutting up in class, getting in trouble, and joking around, it'll make it a lot more difficult for you to be on your best behavior. Try to make friends with kids who want to succeed in school, who are well-behaved, and who are fun to hang out with.
- The class clowns will always stand out, but that doesn't mean that these students are the best kind of friends you could make. Look to the quiet kids and try to hang out at recess, or sit with someone you don't normally talk to during lunch to find out if you get along.
- Don't be afraid to tell your friends that you can't sit next to them because you don't want to get in trouble. If your friends are true friends, they'll understand your desire to avoid getting into trouble and support you.
- Sit still. But if you want to behave in class, it's very important that you learn to relax and pay attention to stay on task. The best way to do this is to focus on sitting still. Don't fidget, mess around with the items in your desk, or bother your neighbors. Just sit quietly and listen to the lesson.
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Have lots of fun outside of school. For some students, going to school is the only time to see friends, making it much more tempting to joke around and act out when you're supposed to be studying. To avoid that temptation, try to make a point of hanging out with your friends a lot on the weekends, after school, and at more appropriate times. If you're so busy having fun, you might even start to look on school as a chance to finally sit quietly.
- Ask your parents to join up with a sports team or other club if you want to have something to do after school. Chess clubs, music clubs, and lots of organizations are available to students looking to get involved and stay busy having fun outside of school.
Checking your cellphone is a big no-no in almost every classroom, but it can be so tempting to look! If you just can't stand the thought of leaving those Facebook updates alone, do yourself a favor. Make it impossible. Drop your phone off in your locker before you go to class, so you won't be able to check it even if you want to, or consider leaving it at home. If you absolutely have to keep it with you, shut it off completely.
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Get enough sleep before school. Being tired can make lots of students irritated and more prone to misbehavior, including acting out, messing with friends, and even falling asleep in class. Being tired also makes it a lot more difficult to learn effectively. If you get a full night of sleep, though, you'll be ready to meet the day and pay attention in class.
- A sleep study at the Harvard Medical School concluded that more sleep means better memory retention.^{[6]
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  Research source} After being asked to memorize a series of random words, respondents who slept more the night before scored more highly on the test. If you want to improve your behavior and your grades, get more rest.
- Don't keep your cellphone next to your bed. Lots of kids–up to 10% according to the National Sleep Study–are awakened regularly and distracted in the middle of the night by their friends or parents texts or Facebook updates on cellphones, making it difficult to settle down and fall asleep. If you're struggling with tiredness throughout the day, keep your cell phone out of reach.^{[7]
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  Research source}
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Eat a good lunch. Too often, it's easy for students to drink a soda or eat some candy during lunch period, because cutting the eating short makes it easier to hang out with friends. This can mess with your blood sugar levels, though, making it much more difficult to pay attention in the afternoon. If you want to keep your energy up and your attention level high, it's important to eat a healthy meal in the middle of the day.
- Falling glucose levels are linked directly to a release in adrenaline, meaning that when your blood sugar dips, your body makes up for it hormonally by running on more adrenaline, making you more irritable and restless.^{[8]
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  Research source}
- Try to avoid candy and soda during lunch. Getting all geared-up on sugar means you'll crash in a few hours, making it very difficult to behave in the afternoon.
- If you don't like the meals at school, take some time in the morning to pack a good lunch that you'll enjoy eating. Try to eat some fresh fruit and vegetables, like apples, carrot sticks, or other healthy snacks you enjoy eating.

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Tips

If you mishear a statement, ask the teacher to repeat it.

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Be attentive and take well-structured notes. If you do the job in class, you will have less work at home so this is more productive. The teacher is also there to consult with you if you have any issues.

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Use your time effectively. And always believe you can. If you believe in your self, nothing can stop you. When you go to school always be confident.

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Warnings

If someone is trying to get your attention, tell them that you're not interested, or better yet, ignore it.

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Do not sit with friends, especially if you usually get in trouble. Even if you're not a troublemaker, the act of not sitting with your friends reduces the urge to talk and mess around.

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Don't bring distractions, such as marbles or collector's cards, to your class.

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