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When we give instructions to a student, we make two very important assumptions that may or may not be true. We assume that (1) they heard us, and (2) they understood us. Dealing with student behavior requires as much instruction as does the academic curriculum. What do you do if you ask a student to do something and they don’t do it? The assumption is that they were being uncooperative or maybe even willfully disobedient. That may not be the case at all. Before imposing a consequence question the student to determine if they did, in fact, hear and understand; leave the child with a warning. The warning is not a prelude to correction, but rather an opportunity to determine if your instructions were clear. If the behavior continues even after the warning, then you can be sure the student is being uncooperative. The trick though is to only give the student one warning. Too many warnings will only frustrate you as the teacher and send an inconsistent message to the student. A student who is a bully may need continued instruction about his behavior. Don’t let his/her behavior stop the process. Lastly, always be sure to impose the consequence after the warning. Never give up, and always be consistent.