All teacher remembers their first "tough kid" experience.

Maybe the student ignored your directions or laughed at your attempts to utilize the classroom discipline steps.

Every teacher have at least one story to share, and for some teachers, teaching a tough kid is a daily challenge.

It appears that no matter what teaching methods you try, nothing changes the “tough kids”.

Teaching these “tough” students push you to be a better educator and a more compassionate person.

We suggest five methods that may reduce misbehavior in your classroom and, better still, helped transform these students into leaders among their peers.

1. Set the clean start for each student and let the student know it.

2. Mentor those students who act out in school to receive any attention. Show these students that you care about their lives. A mentor is positively proactive instead of reactive.

3. As a mentor make connections and encourage them to dream positively of their future.

4. Develop a thick tough skin even when they students bruise your ego or question your performance in classroom. Try to positively deal with their misbehavior in class yourself and encourage positive behavior in the process. Patiently show them that there is hope in them.

5. Remain open minded because every student is unique.