How to Deal with Defiant Students
We all know the type of kids; they are hostile to you and their equals, they don't seem to listen, and don't do what they are told. It’s like they want to upset you, seems like the more you try to manage them the more they resist.
These kids are special and must be carefully approached. But the trick is to take the focus off of them and carefully monitor your responses to them.
If you lose your temper or engage in the interaction in front other students or try to persuade the student or bribe the student, threaten the student adding more and more consequences or trying to embarrass the student or put them down and not following through with consequences or being inconsistent or letting the struggle go on way too long or crowd the student or get annoyed at every little thing they do wrong. Then the things make it worse.
If you use a calm neutral voice no matter what happens or give clear directions to the student and discuss things briefly and in private to remove the audience and making sure to listen to the student and consider what they are saying. You should also have clear boundaries and predetermined consequences for problem behavior and you should remove yourself from the interaction if you cannot keep it together. If you have a teacher's aid, have a plan for who will take over the class when a defiant student must be spoken with.
You can create changes and that makes the things better for you.
With defiant students you may become triggered to be negative too. This is a mistake. Use your powers to keep your tone neutral when the child is negative, and be positive when the child is neutral or positive.
The defiant behavior is often driven by the student's resistance to being under someone else's control or authority. Therefore, reward systems may not always work, especially if the child smells your desire to tame them or manipulate them.
By giving praise briefly and discreetly as you walk around; or a quick whisper in the student's ear when they are on task or writing some good comments on a note and leave it on their desk or rewarding them with a leadership role some time with amazing results.