My experience with a disruptive student in one of the reputed high schools, BHS Narabal, where I work as an educator, taught me a lot about the different hidden talents students have.
One morning last year, I was playing with the students on the school lawn. A strange, tall, awkward-looking student, accompanied by a white-bearded father, caught my eye. The father looked very tense to me. The student was wearing a white shirt, and the buttons were irregular—some were loose and about to fall. I stepped towards them with a short introduction. The student’s name was Aabid, and he was with his father. I took them to the principal’s room, and they requested admission. The principal agreed to admit Aabid to the 9th class.
Aabid’s first day in the classroom started with the disruption of classwork with strange sounds of ooooo, muoon, hatttttttt, hahaha… It was so disruptive that I even forgot my lesson planner. He was very weak in studies but was a master at disrupting the class. There was chaos in the classroom. At break, teachers started complaining about Aabid on the very first day and took the matter to the principal. Everyone wanted to expel and cancel Aabid’s admission. A meeting was held in the office, and Aabid was brought in to explain what he was doing in the class. Aabid remained unmoved, as if nothing had happened. All decided to give Aabid a last chance.
Days passed by; Aabid continued to be disruptive and disrespectful in class. He was always impolite. My friend, an educator, asked me: “Since Aabid is disruptive and very weak in studies, let’s try to discover his other hidden talents.” My friend continued, “God has created everyone with talents,” and quoted Kahlil Gibran:
> You may give children your love but not your thoughts,
> For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls,
> For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
> Which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
One day in morning, my friend and I were walking in the corridor of the school before the morning assembly. We heard a melodious sound—somebody singing with a beautiful and attractive voice. We stepped towards the sound and found Aabid. We started clapping with amusement and joy, smiled, and walked away. My friend gazed at me and shouted with amusement, “We got it!”
The next morning, my friend and I took Aabid into the room. My friend handed over a piece of paper with a Naat-e-Sharif to Aabid. He read it to Aabid and asked him to practice it and present it in the morning assembly. Aabid knew its rhyme. We asked the dais-in-charge to invite Aabid for the recitation of the Naat-e-Sharif.
When Aabid’s name was announced, there were jokes and laughter everywhere. Here came Aabid, with a piece of paper, held the mic, and started reciting the Naat. Absolute calmness everywhere… Everyone was listening… The principal, teachers, and students—all were amazed and happy. So beautifully was the Naat recited that it took everybody’s breath away.
My friend and I were watching all this from a distance. He quoted Chuck Grassley: “What makes a child gifted and talented may not always be good grades in school, but a different way of looking at the world and learning.”
Claps everywhere. Everybody stood up. Aabid was honoured. I could see from Aabid’s gesture, he was starting to mature. My eyes were filled with tears. It reminded me of Iqbal’s poem about the nightingale who was scared of darkness. Then the glow worm came to his rescue and said:
Kya Gham Hai Jo Raat Hai Andheri,
Main Rah Mein Roshni Karun Ga.
Allah Ne Di Hai Mujko Mishal,
Chamka Ke Mujhey Diya Banaya.
(Why are you scared of darkness? God has made me a mini torch)
I will help.
Aabid never looked back. He now recites the Holy Quran and Naat-e-Sharif daily in the morning assembly. He has won awards in different competitions and is slowly improving in studies as well. He is now composed, fully disciplined, and obedient to the teachers.
One chance, and my friend’s intelligence, interest, and sympathy changed his life. Our consistent positive reinforcement and belief in Aabid started to shift his perspective. Now he is in the 10th class. Despite his initial problematic attitude, my friend’s knowledge and recognition of his singing talent loaded Aabid with confidence. This had positive reverberations in Aabid’s attitude.
My friend’s decision to give Aabid a chance in the morning assembly proved more effective than direct confrontation.
From Aabid’s story, we learned a lesson about handling disruptive students. For a disruptive student, we need to provide alternative activities—like singing in Aabid’s case—provide opportunities for leadership roles, and participation in the morning assembly. Focus on providing choices for the student to regain control. We must avoid power struggles and stay calm. Getting flustered gives them power. As educators, we must acknowledge and celebrate even small improvements in behaviour to build confidence and motivation. At times, we should communicate with parents using private conversations. Address the behaviour privately after class. One of the problems is that we take the child’s behaviour personally. It should not be taken personally, but only as a behaviour.
Educators are informal psychologists. They have to apply psychological principles to understand and support their students’ learning and development. This includes motivation, emotional development, cognitive development, social interactions, and behavioural challenges.
Aabid, now in the 10th grade, is still weak in studies, but he is now more mature, disciplined, and with controlled behaviour. Had he been at home, he would have created chaos all around, according to his parents.
The writer is a teacher at Boys High School, Narbal
Muntashir Kifayat Hussain
mu**************@***il.com