12 Ways to Manage ODD Students in Your Elementary Classroom

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Show Notes:

In the new year I’m dedicated to focusing on topics that are beneficial for you and help and support your needs as a classroom teacher. Today’s topic is one that has been mentioned a lot in The Classroom Management Club and can be extremely frustrating to deal with in the classroom, and that is students with ODD. This has also been increasingly challenging since the pandemic, so I wanted to address it and share strategies to help manage these students.

ODD, or Oppositional Defiant Disorder, is a neurological pattern that is responsible for a person’s reasoning, judgment, and impulse control. As someone who faced this a lot during my years of teaching, and now first-hand as a bonus mom, I have gained experience and confidence in learning how to be prepared for the challenges that present themselves with ODD students. 

If you’re finding that a student is particularly challenging and defiant in their behaviors, I first provide you with a list of symptoms that are present in ODD students. This will give you a baseline on what triggers them, how their behaviors are presented, and what challenges they face. Once you have this initial understanding, learning strategies to put into action is next. 

Since students with ODD want to control their environment to feel safe, it’s critical we provide a stable, consistent, and predictable classroom environment. That is one of the twelve ways that I share on how to manage those students and make them feel successful in the classroom. Many of the strategies are consistent with how to handle any defiant student, but there are some that are unique to those students with ODD. If you are struggling with how to reach and manage students with ODD, make sure to give this episode a listen for understanding and strategies you can apply in your classrooms!

By joining The Classroom Management Club, you will gain even more resources that will help you manage students with ODD. Additionally, I help you streamline your classroom management to give you time back in your life and a successful classroom. Once you join the club, you’ll have immediate access to my Classroom Management Reset course I offered at the end of December. Be sure to join today for all the practical resources and another way to achieve your work-life balance.

Inside this week's show, you'll learn:

• What ODD is and an understanding that can frame your expectations and interventions
• 7 symptoms of ODD and how their behaviors can be presented in the classroom
• 12 ways to manage students with ODD and how to make them feel successful
• The importance of consistency and predictability and how that relates to your classroom environment and their behavior

Links & resources mentioned inside this episode:

• Join The Classroom Management Club 
• The Mayo Clinic: Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
• American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
• Follow Dr. Lori on Instagram.
• NEW! Follow Beginning Teacher Talk on TikTok.  

I hope this information is helpful as you prepare for your first, second, or third year of teaching. Until next time, remember, just because you're a beginning elementary teacher, there's no need for you to struggle like one.

💛 Lori

Dr. Lori Friesen | Beginning Teacher Mentor

Creator of the R.E.A.D.Y. for School Academy, Dr. Lori Friesen has mentored thousands of beginning teachers across the country through her workshops and courses. Host of the popular podcast, Beginning Teacher Talk, and creator of the innovative literacy program for 1st and 2nd grade, Dogs Help Kids Read and Succeed, Dr. Lori is dedicated to serving educators and inspiring learners. Learn more at drlorifriesen.com and at howdogshelpkids.com.

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Related episodes you might enjoy:

• Episode 253. Classroom Management Mastery Series Part Four: 7 Impulse Control Strategies That Work to Set Your Students Up For Success From the Start
• Episode 251. Classroom Management Mastery Series Part Two: "But My Kids Just Don't Care" 5 Strategies to Change That
• Episode 53. How to Handle Difficult Students in Your Classroom
• Episode 17. How to Create Your Classroom Management Plan: Materials, Routines, Rules & Class Jobs 

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