Problems at School? How to Handle the Top 4 Issues

Many students face problems at school. Some problems start from the beginning of the day, and some problems come up when they are not concentrating on their work or behaving well in class.

There are many ways to deal with these problems before they get out of hand.

We will go over 4 important issues that children can have in school, and how you should handle them if your child faces any of these problems:

Please note: This is just general advice and should be taken as such.

If the problem is serious or if it persists, we recommend getting in touch with the school, teacher, or doctor. This article is for educational purposes only!

Acting Out in School

When your child acts out in school, it is important to remember that this may not be a reflection of their problems at home, but rather an issue inside the classroom.

If your child's behaviour problems continue or get worse during school hours, it is best to consult with the teacher and decide what can be done about them in class.

You should always make sure they are giving your child the proper support and love at home in order to ensure problems don't continue or escalate.

When your child's behaviour problems do not stop, it is important for you to speak with them about what they are unhappy about so that problems can be resolved before they become too difficult. 

Sometimes teachers will also have suggestions on how parents can help their child at home to prevent problems from continuing.

Don’t Punish Your Child Twice - Don't punish your child twice for problems in school by not allowing them to go out and play with their friends.

Make sure you reward good behavior at home, as this can help your child feel better about themselves while also teaching them the benefits of behaving well in class.

In order to get problems solved quickly, it is important for parents to work together with teachers and have a united goal in mind.

If problems continue in class, teachers will let you know how the problems can be dealt with. 

If problems are more serious, like when your child is constantly talking or being disruptive and disrupts other students’ learning opportunities as a result - they might have to do some sort of detention work at school.

You should always talk to the child and find out how problems are being caused, before deciding on a punishment.

Don’t Assume Your Child Will Figure Things Out on His Own - Oftentimes parents assume that their child will figure it out on their own.

Just because problems seem to be “only in school”, doesn't mean that problems don't happen at home. 

Many times children will have the same problems they do in school when they are at home with their parents and siblings.

When problems occur in both places, it can cause more serious consequences for your child’s behavior overall. 

Your child is not going to figure it out on their own, so you should be involved in resolving problems at home.

Similar to the previous points, contact the teacher to work on problems at school. 

The teacher should know your child pretty well and will be able to offer advice on how to deal with problems in school.

After contacting the teacher, you can also contact your child’s friends and classmates as well. 

Your child's peers may be able to offer insight into what is going wrong at school that you don't know about. 

These conversations are a great way for children to learn from their mistakes, and they can also help you to better understand problems at school.

Dropping Grades

If your child’s grades are dropping, first, don't panic. Now's the time to do some investigative work.

It is also important to find out if there are problems at home or school before hastily concluding that your child has a learning disability.

One of the first steps you should take in this case is finding out where and how they are spending their time outside of class hours. 

This is important because the time they spend outside the classroom has a massive effect on their academic performance.

This is a great time to work with your child and set up some guidelines for what they should be doing outside the classroom by making sure that there are clear expectations about how much homework needs to be completed, who is responsible for helping them get it done etcetera. 

You could also want to make sure that they are getting enough sleep so their grades don't drop.

If you conclude that your child has learning disabilities that are interfering with their academic performance, it is best to get this addressed as soon as possible. 

If you don't address problems early on in a child's life they will only get worse and harder to solve the longer we wait.

Here's what you should do:

- work with the school to find out what is going on

- conduct an assessment at home, this might involve conducting a diagnostic test or administering one of those online assessments that are available

- get a professional diagnosis

After you have an idea of the problems that your child is facing, there are some things to do at home:

- help with homework

- give their mind extra stimulation during long periods of study

- provide opportunities for mental breaks throughout each day. We want them to be able to focus on schoolwork more.

Meet with Your Child’s Teacher - Call your child's teacher to find out what is going on. Explain what you see at home and ask them if they have observed any problems in school.

- Meet with the teacher regularly to discuss any problems that your child may be having at school and try to work on solutions together.

Be Firm but Loving - If you're noticing problems or issues, don't let it slide just because they are kids! 

Be firm but loving when enforcing rules at home as this will help them to behave better and take problems seriously.

- Be clear with your child about what they are allowed to do - what is expected from them. 

Set up boundaries ahead of time so that you can have a good discussion if problems arise in the future.

Treat Them Like You Would an Adult - Explain things as best you can without getting frustrated. Be firm, but be patient and loving when dealing with problems or issues at school.

- Treat them like adults in the sense that they are responsible for their own actions and consequences; don't give in to whining or tantrums as this will only make things worse.

Work to Change Their Behavior at Home - Make sure your child has a set bedtime and stick to it. 

This will help them have the energy they need for school in the morning, plus give their brain time to process problems from the day before; make sure children get enough sleep so that problems don't come up when they are trying to stay focused on work.

- Make sure you enforce good manners at home and make sure they understand how problems at school are affecting their life.

Set up More Structure at Home - Make sure your child has a routine at home, and that parents are available to help with homework. This will reduce problems in school because their work is less confusing for students.

Be Realistic in Your Goals - Maintain realistic expectations of problems that come up. Don't forget, it took time for their grades to drop, so it will take time for their grades to improve.

- Make sure the child understands what they are doing wrong and why it is not tolerated at school, so problems don't appear again in their behavior.

- Come up with a list of rewards for good behaviour if you think this will help your child behave better in class or stay focused.

“I hate my teacher!”

You're bound to hear this phrase more than once this year.

But before you get the idea that all problems with teachers are a result of bad teaching, consider how much extra pressure some kids put on themselves to do well in school. 

Children who feel pressured don't have as easy a time coping and can experience problems at school like anxiety or depression.

There may also be a personality conflict between their teacher and them or problems at home that are impacting school too.

The best way to deal with conflicts is to talk about them immediately before they get out of hand. 

A good rule for dealing with problems in the classroom is to talk to the teacher in private, and if things don't get better, move up the chain of command by talking with a counselor or principal.

But don’t agree with them or give in to his argument. When you undermine the teacher’s authority, you are giving your child permission to disrespect them. This is a slippery slope.

Learning to Get Along - Your child needs to realise that they have to make a conscious effort to get along with their teachers and classmates. 

They need to realise that this is a necessary part of life, and they will have problems in other relationships as well.

They may not always agree with them, but they have to realise the teacher is there to teach and they are there to learn. 

It's just a case of explaining to them that some relationships are just like this.

Meet With the Teacher - If you feel that the teacher is at fault, you're better off arranging to meet them in private rather than talking to them in the hallway. 

They are likely to be quite busy and might not have time for a conversation.

If the teacher does seem to be at fault, there are a few things that you can do. Speak with your child about their experience and, if appropriate, confront the teacher directly. 

When speaking with the teacher it's important to try and find some middle ground instead of automatically being on defense (some children misinterpret general inquiries as criticism).

Skipping School

If you find out that your child is skipping school, talk to them about what they are doing instead of just telling them that it's not allowed.

Like any problem your child has, you first need to investigate what the reason is for skipping school.

Is your child feeling unsafe at school? 

Do they not like their teacher or is there a bully that's making them feel uncomfortable? 

Is your child being bullied in another way and feels safer at home than in public spaces? 

Are they developing problems with anxiety, depression, or other mental health problems which might be causing them to skip school?

Are they just bored and in need of a change? If your child is feeling unsafe, talk to the principal or teacher about how this could be fixed. 

Talk to them if there are problems with bullying either at school or online. 

If you find that their problems seem like they have more serious reasons than boredom, continue looking for problems and possible solutions.

Anxiety - Some kids develop anxiety when they are going to school. Some tale-tell signs include stomach aches, problems sleeping, and an increase in irritability. 

If this is the case, we would recommend consulting your local doctor to see if anxiety medications would be of any help.

Another reason for problems at school can be stress from things happening in their home life. 

If this is the case, we recommend talking to your child about what stresses them out and working with them on ways to handle it before they feel overwhelmed by it all.

Depression - Depression is different from anxiety because it can happen for a variety of reasons that are not as easy to control. 

Signs include sleep problems, weight problems, unexplained aches or pains, low energy levels, and other symptoms such as changes in appetite or taking less interest in things they used to like.

If your child is exhibiting any of these problems, it's important that you talk with them and get the proper help they need so that their quality of life can improve. 

The first step should be talking to a doctor or other medical professional who has experience dealing with depression cases in children because there are many different types of treatment for this condition.

Many problems at school can be solved with little to no problems, but it's important that you know when something is a bigger problem and needs more attention than usual.

Wrapping Up

Sometimes school can be challenging. If you are struggling with any of the issues we've discussed, it's important to get help - and not just from your parents or teacher!

There are many resources available for students like you who may need extra support at school. 

Whether it's a tutor, after-school program, or another resource that is tailored to meet your needs as well as interests, there's something out there for everyone!

Hopefully, this article has given you a few ideas on how to handle the top 4 issues that impact kids at school. 

Now it's your turn - what are some of the problems in schools that bother you?

What can be done about them?

Share your thoughts and opinions with us!

We want to hear from parents like you who have experience in these matters so we can continue our research for future articles and also to inform others.