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What to do when students deliberately lie
A student who deliberately lies can be a challenging student to deal with. How do you treat them? How do you address such behavior in class? How do you teach students that lying is not the move? Here are some tips for you.
Deceitful students are a challenge to teacher and parent alike. While it is easy to react with anger at such behavior, it is better that we consider why students lie as well as how best to address it in the classroom.
What should teachers and parents do when faced with deception? Readon on.
How to deal with students who deliberately lie in class
It's important to address lying in the classroom as early as possible. If a student is telling lies from the very beginning, it might be a sign that he or she doesn't think you're an authority figure or doesn't respect you.
Regardless of the reason, if your students feel like they can lie with impunity, they might continue this behavior outside of class, which can hurt your credibility and make you look bad to other students and faculty.
If a student lies in your class, it's important to confront him or her directly and as immediately as you can. You don't want students thinking they can get away with lying without facing consequences.
The key is to follow a few basic steps:
Address the situation immediately and directly. Don't let the lie stand if it can be corrected right away.
Ask your student why he or she lied instead of jumping to conclusions. Maybe there's a reasonable explanation for what was said.
Explain the consequences for lying in class — this should be part of your classroom expectations — and ask your student to try not to do it again.
Hopefully, that will be enough to end the situation, but if not, you may need to take further action.
The importance of honesty in education
Students should understand the importance of honesty in education.
Lying is a common occurrence in schools, and it can have serious consequences. Schools need to teach this subject at an early age to ensure that students learn how to tell the truth and avoid lying.
Discourage lying
Teachers should constantly remind students of their duty to be honest, and they should show them what will happen if they lie. Schools should also set up specific consequences for lying, including detention or suspension for severe cases. If a student chooses to lie anyway, teachers should not hesitate to punish him or her as promised.
Furthermore, teachers should make sure that students are aware of the potential consequences of lying outside of school as well. This can help students think twice before deliberately lying, since they may realize that the same punishment could follow them into the real world.
Help students develop a moral compass
Students may begin lying out of a misguided desire to protect themselves or others from embarrassment or pain. In these situations, it is important for teachers to explain why lying is wrong and encourage students to take responsibility for their actions.
Lying is a serious offense, and students need to understand that typically, it is not okay to deceive someone else intentionally.
Why do students deliberately lie?
Lying is a normal part of childhood, and a lot of it is just kids' way of figuring out how the world works.
Telling fibs is how kids learn to navigate the social world. But some kids will continue to lie for longer than most, and there are ways teachers can help them succeed in spite of lying.
Students may try to fit in with their friends, who lie so they look cool. Or they may have grown up in a family environment where lying is acceptable or even encouraged — not necessarily by adults, but by other children.
Sometimes children lie because it's easier than taking the time to explain the truth.
Young children might lie about their feelings or accomplishments because they're afraid to be vulnerable, or they want to please their peers.
Teens might lie about sex or drugs, perhaps to impress friends or appear to be a real one.
But teachers also should be aware that some students might be lying as a result of trauma — such as abuse at home — or because of mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
In some cases, lying can become a habit that is hard to break later in life.
Liars usually have something to hide. They might try to save face from being caught doing something wrong, or they might try to get away with something they think is wrong.
It almost seems that telling a lie over telling the truth is easier for the brain because there are fewer consequences involved in telling a lie. Is the brain wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain? When it comes to lying, does the brain find pleasure in the fact that it can avoid punishment by telling a lie instead of telling the truth?
We all tell lies, but students in school are more likely to lie for one of the following reasons:
To avoid punishment—
This is probably one of the most common reasons why students tell lies — whether it's to their parents, teachers, or any other type of authority figure.
To cover up something they did wrong —
There are times when students do things that they feel guilty about later on. They may be afraid of getting into trouble with their parents or teachers, so they'll lie about what they've done just so they won't get punished for it.
To get out of doing work —
Some students don't like doing homework or studying for tests, so they'll try to find ways around doing
Students might also lie to avoid embarrassment, to impress their friends or teachers, or to make themselves look good.
Being caught in a lie can be embarrassing, and some students will try to avoid it by lying some more. When they're caught in their lie, they then have to figure out how to get out of it. It can be a never-ending cycle.
Whatever the reason for the lies, educators should remember that students need love and acceptance.
Strategies for dealing with deliberate lies in the classroom
Teachers face several challenges in class. One of the more difficult is students who deliberately lie, either to get out of work or to sabotage other students. If a student is lying, you can't just ignore them — you need to call them out on their behavior.
Here are some ways to handle these situations:
1. Don't let it slide
Lying will continue if you don't do something about it. You need to make the issue clear, and you also need to make sure that the student understands that there's no excuse for this behavior. Even if they're not trying to get away with something, lying is still poor behavior.
2. Keep your cool
It's easy to lose your temper when dealing with a situation like this. But it's important not to give in to your anger — it can easily spiral out of control. Instead, remain calm and remember that what you say and how you say it will influence your student's future behavior.
3. Be firm but friendly
You'll be more effective if you come across as friendly and approachable rather than dictatorial and harsh. This will put the student at ease, making them more receptive to what you have to say and less likely to become defensive or hostile
Don't tolerate lying in your classroom, but address it carefully and positively to ensure that you maintain a good relationship with your students and don't give them an incentive to lie more often.
It’s important to establish trust between you and your students, but no matter how badly they want something from you, lying is still lying—and it can wreak havoc on the classroom environment.
Always be respectful of your students, but don’t tolerate lying. Don’t let yourself get derailed by a liar; focus on your values rather than whatever he or she is trying to gain from you.
The bottom line is that you want to set your students up for success — which can start by teaching them the importance of being honest. And you do this not only by letting them know you won’t stand for dishonesty in your classroom, but also by creating an environment where they feel comfortable being honest.
You don’t have to “play detective” and sniff out who’s lying—instead, create a culture where people aren’t afraid to fess up when they make mistakes.