The key facts
- Minprosveshcheniya expert Yulia Berlyand named four signs that can suggest discipline problems
- Fidgetiness and mood swings may be linked to the maturing nervous system rather than disobedience
- For the 'unacceptable behavior' grade, the school is required to hold a conversation with the family within three days and draw up a prevention plan
Age-related traits or disobedience
Fidgetiness, forgetfulness and sharp mood swings in children do not always indicate discipline problems — often they are linked to age-related traits that fade as the child grows up. This is the view of clinical psychologist and research fellow at the Institute of Upbringing and Minprosveshcheniya (Ministry of Education) expert Yulia Berlyand, whose explanations are cited by Life.ru.
Four signs of discipline problems
According to Berlyand, younger schoolchildren are often distracted in class, forget their notebooks and homework, while adolescents tend to show emotional instability, protest reactions and heightened sensitivity to judgments about their appearance and personality. The psychologist links this to the gradual maturation of the child's central nervous system and psyche.
When to be alert
In the expert's opinion, four signs point to possible discipline problems. The first is behavior that does not match the child's age: for example, if a teenager regularly jumps out of their seat, walks around the classroom and shouts out during a lesson. The second is systematicity: age-related traits appear episodically, whereas repeated aggression and rule violations require separate attention. The third is awareness: if a schoolchild knows the rules and understands the consequences but deliberately insults others, fights or takes other people's belongings, this cannot be written off as adolescence. The fourth is the presence of a motive: seeking attention, striving for power, a desire for revenge or to avoid failure, and sometimes imitation of peers.
What is already in place for difficult cases
Berlyand emphasized that health problems may also lie behind a schoolchild's difficulties, so it is important for adults to assess not only actions but also circumstances. The practical side of the matter is already regulated: as Life.ru previously reported, schoolchildren given the grade 'unacceptable behavior' will be referred to a psychological-pedagogical council with parents participating. According to clarifications from Minprosveshcheniya, the homeroom teacher must hold a conversation with the family within three days, and school specialists must develop an individual plan of preventive work. Thus, the expert's new recommendations complement the existing response procedure: first the school assesses the nature of the behavior, and if the worst grade is given for the quarter, a formalized procedure involving the family comes into play.
