Case
Student always wanting attention

In a class i substituted for, there was this student who would always try to get my attention to show me everything they were doing or to ask for help on things she really did not need help on. This was a disruption as I had to stop talking to the students wether as a class or individually to see what the student needed. What solution do you suggest for this?

Solution #1
I do want to state that this student seemed to want to cause a disturbance within the classroom. Keep in mind that if you stop each time she needs help, that will reinforce that behavior and she will know that you will stop whole-class instruction to take care of her. So I suggest you go over to her after whole-class instruction and talk to her privately and address any concerns. I would also remind her of what she needs to be doing instead of showing me everything at each time of the day. Remind her of rules and transitions and procedures. This student may need more time to grasp that concept but in time you must remain a strong force and remind her that it is not okay to disrupt constantly.
Solution #2
I would keep track for what the student asks for help on. You may start to see a pattern and this may help you what the next step may be. I would also reach out to other teachers that this student previously had to see if they had similar issues and to see how they handled it.
Solution #3
I also had a few student like this. What was recommended to me was to going with my classroom circulation and stress the importance of the task, directions, and expectations that the teachers set. When they want to show you something that is not on task then remind them they have a task to concentrate on. Explain that thy can reserve any questions for specific parts of a lesson, when you do a check for understanding. If they are trying to take your attention from the class or another student, explain that you will get to them but only when you are finished helping the current student/lesson. Redirection and explanations of expectations (behavior-wise and lesson-wise) will give them the reminder of what they can do or look for before asking for help and interrupting.
Solution #4
I am currently dealing with students like this as well. I find that with incentives like playground time or giving them extra work that they are interested in (for example if a student loves to read, you can ask them when they are done with their work to read a paragraph in their book and write down key ideas). These students are often just bored or do not get the attention they desire at home so I try to give them that attention or activity so they feel heard and they disrupt class less.
Solution #5
I know when I was younger I would consistently ask my parents and teachers to check over my work or I would always ask them what the next of something would be. I felt like I need to be consistently validated and reassured that I was doing the right thing. I had to learn that I was fine and not everything I did needed feedback. It's possible this student is feeling the same kind of pressure. I would want to sit with them and go over what they're feeling and remind them that asking questions is totally fine but not necessary for every single step. Have the student wait before asking a question and maybe instead write it down for when the teacher asks if there are any questions. Again, the student may just be anxious about their performance in class and feels like they need extra help even if they don't.
Solution #6
I would remind students that I'm only 1 person so if it can wait please wait until I come around the classroom to talk to me or wait until after class to talk to me.
Solution #7
There are a few solutions that can be executed here, which will be either proactive or reactive. Because negative attention may still serve as attention for this student, it would be better to rely on the proactive strategies in this situation, of which there are several. First of all, set clear expectations for all students about attention-seeking. As part of this, establish visual cues to indicate when it is appropriate to ask for attention. Then, practice appropriately asking and waiting for attention, as this student may lack the necessary social cues to do so. When the student does this successfully, reward them. If the student is seeking attention in intervals, however, check in with that student and give them praise for good behavior before the problem behavior occurs. If none of the above works, you could pair the student with a peer with whom they can engage without disruption when you are busy.
Solution #8
I would suggest explaining to the student that if she needs help and assistance then to ask at the end of the class, especially if you are in the middle of a lesson. It’s one thing to not understand, but if you state that she doesn’t show signs of needing help and is using the asking for help as a disruption then this should be addressed due to it regressing the time spent on teaching the class.
Solution #9
I would talk to the student and say she can always show me this type of thing before the lesson or even after the classroom- we have to pay attention to all of our students, especially when it is for something that she doesn't need help on. However, we shouldn't assume she doesn't need help with it- maybe she needs a reminder to help her solve it. At some point, you could instruct the class that some assignments are for individual work- and that you can't always be there to help with it. This can give an incentive to her without directly addressing her.
Solution #10
I can see that by you always responding and dropping everything, including conversations with other students, to speak with said student, you are reinforcing their behavior. They will think that they can talk and say and do whatever they want and get your attention always.
Solution #11
I have a student like this and she acts this way because she doesn't get her emotional needs met at home. I deal with this by giving her equal amount of attentions as i do the other children. I try not to give her more than necessary so she isn't as dependant on me for approval
Solution #12
I would attempt to redirect or ignore the actions as much as possible so you are not feeding into the students desire to get attention. I would also have a conversation with the student outside of class time to reset the expectations for disruptions in class.
Solution #13
The student may have needed help the first few times but then she realized that you dropped everything to give her attention and her only. Her teacher may not do that often so she took advantage of it. If this happens, try and talk to the student about trying the work on her own, and at the end, if she has any questions you will all go over it together.
Solution #14
You should have a private conversation with the student to see what is going on with them and she possible ways you can help them. A lot of the times when students are acting up like this usually something is happening at home. Also have a conversation with the parents as well and go over the classroom rules to inform both parts of the management in the classroom.
Solution #15
I would ask the student to asses their questions and make sure that they really need help