You don’t have to be teaching youth for very long before you end up having to deal with negative behavior. Seems like youth at church would know how to act. Surely they should respect you and appreciate your investment of time. You would think so, but probably not.

There is a really not a panacea that will solve every behavior problem, but let me suggest some things I have found to be effective.

1. Keep the class moving. I usually find that younger students tend to disrupt when nothing seems to be happening. Pauses while you find materials or consult your notes can open a door to disruption. Try to move from one activity to the next, one idea to the next quickly . . . especially if you have mostly younger students.

2. Build relationships. Students who feel like you care about them and want them to be there are a lot less likely to disrupt your study.

3. Use body language to gain control over disruptive students. Standing up can get their attention. When I have two kids picking on each other, I go sit right between them and don’t miss a beat on what I’m saying.

4. Avoid embarrassing students. Most students don’t like to be called out and scolded in class. Once in a while you can’t help singling a kid out, but try everything else first.

5. Use humor. A friend of mine used to stop and quickly say, “Raise your hand if you’re not listening” when the group got out of control. Students would usually laugh and refocus on what he was saying.

6. Sometimes students disrupt because they don’t really see the value in what you are doing. Try sharing with them why you are doing what you are doing and how valuable you think it is.

7. Older teenagers are more likely to disrupt when they feel like they are being treated like children. I think it is okay to do something silly with older youth as long as you admit you are asking them to do something childish. Say something like, “I know this is stupid, but just go with me. I’m trying to make a point.”

Occasionally, you have no choice but to address behavior sternly. A fight breaks out in class. A kid is being victimized or intimidated by other students. Students are being destructive. A student is intentionally sabotaging the lesson. Stop the class. Isolate the student or students involved. Address the behavior directly and insist that you will not allow it. Involve the parents if they are available.