Knowing each and every one of your students can be a tall task. Some teachers see around 160 different students a day. Each student has different interests and abilities. Each student comes from a different home situation, and some students carry more on their shoulders than other students. Each aspect of their personal life has some impact on how they learn and act in school.
Case number 1, a teacher has a student who relies on getting his nutritional needs met at school due to financial constraints. A holiday vacation is approaching and he starts acting up as vacation days get closer and closer. From an outsider's view point, this can be seen as just that, acting up. In reality this student is recognizing that the meals he counts on at school will not be there for those days, and therefore becomes irritated and frustrated due to not knowing how he is going to get food while school is not in session. As a result, he begins acting up in class and becomes a problem in the class. Have you invested enough into him to recognize what the hidden factors for his behaviors are?
You have another student in your class that does not have internet at home, and you are a 1 to 1 school and rely heavily on chromebooks to have students get their work done. This particular student doesn't have means for transportation, and her parents have to pick her up at a certain time from school so they can get back to work. This student works very hard during the day to get work done knowing that she can't work on it at home due to the lack of access to the internet. She struggles getting things turned in for this reason. As a teacher, do you know this is the issue, or do you view this as irresponsible and lazy?
A third student walks into your room and is always angry. He doesn't respond well to anything you are saying and doesn't want to participate in any group work. He gets work done, but it is never done well and he doesn't seem to care how he does in school. He can show aggressive behavior once in awhile and has a temper when a teacher pushes him past his limit. Without knowing him, you feel he is an unruly student who tends to do more harm than good. Things would be much better if he wasn't in your classroom. The underlying facts are that he lives with his dad at home. His mother, whom he was closest with, passed away when he was 12. He has not visited with anyone regarding his mother's passing and his emotions have been bottled up since she passed.
These are just 3 scenarios that can be viewed in many different ways depending on how well you know your students. When things happen in the classroom, I would encourage you to not think about disciplining them initially. Instead, think "what is going on to cause these behaviors". Sometimes, it is nothing more than a student misbehaving for no reason in particular. However, sometimes there are underlying factors in which we could provide support for and help the student turn his/her life around. Disciplining is ok, but if you do so, make it constructive. Use that time to build a relationship. Use that time to talk with the student and show that you are invested into his/her life. You will be surprised at what you may find out and how much better things become with respect to that student in your classroom. I guarantee you this, building great relationships with students is an investment you will not regret, one that will make you into a more effective teacher who can reach just about anyone that walks into your door.
This is absolutely awesome!
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