Also avoid "siding with" the student. Listen to their concerns genuinely without taking sides.
I like the responses from the other participants to remove the student from the room and to listen to his or her complaints. This can be very hard to do at times as one may take the student's anger personally and react defensively before the intellect can intervene. Kind of like engaging the mouth before putting the brain in gear. It can also be very difficult when there is nothing you can do about it, even it you would be willing to but unable, for whatever reason.
I find that for career-college students especially, offering an objective opinion of their dilemmas goes a long way. Oftentimes these students lack a support structure outside of their families and may simply need person to vent to in order to feel better.
I believe tHAT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE STUDENT AND WAY THE FEEL THAT YOU CARE AND ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THEM.
Hi Nelson,
I concur! You are definitely on point! Listening is a must! We have to let/show our students that we geniunely care about them.
Patricia Scales
we should listen to the student. I like to alocate some time for the student and allow him/her to speak freely about what is making them angry, by not interrupting the student while they speak not only you are showing that you care about the issue but also allows them "to vent". Students feel appreciated when you listen and show that you care for them.
I would listen to the student's problem and try to assist them as much as I can without stepping outside boundaries as an instructor.
When confronted with a student, you should always remain calm and listen to the student. Usually once the student has completely said all they want to say, they have calmed down. Then discuss the situation and ask how can you rectify this so it won't happen again.
I am going to try the suggestion of putting the problem in writing. Not only does it hold everyone to the facts, but I am hoping that it might help reduce some of the emotion not actually related to the problem at hand.
Hi Fabiola,
The situation does need to be controlled, and it needs to be taken care of immediately and in a private setting. Listening to the angry student is key.
Patricia Scales
Definitely have had to this a few times. It's a sticky and uncomfortable situation but if the student isn't hearing you and slowly excalating other students will start to feel uncomfortable so the situation needs to be controlled.
listen to their complaints.
The number one thing to do is make sure you are safe and the student is just frustrated or angry at the situation. Then, just listen!!! The majority of the time once the student is able to verbally discuss their concerns, they get a sense of relief and can speak openly with less emotion. If the anger continues, ask someone else to join the meeting and ask the student to put their concerns in writing. This process will allow you to have "back-up" just in case. Writing down their concerns will allow the student time to really think through the process and most often leads to the student just dropping the whole subject.
Most angry students I have encountered are not angry with my course or with me- they are angry at the school or administration. So listening is by far the best thing I can do- let the student know that there are people who care about him/her and his/her success.
I agree with most of the form posters. That you must listen and try to get the student to explain his or her problem or problems. Also to try to connect in someway to them. Not to justify their anger or to condem it but to find out the problem. Also most people when angered need to release some steam before they can overcome their issues.
I couldn't agree more! Listening is key to the aggressive student especially when the incident escalates. The student wants to bring the problem to your attention and present their side. This can be a vital step to finding a resolution.
I agree. I take the student out of the classroom and reduce the audience (some really enjoy righteous anger with an audience) and then listen to see what is really going on with them. Once they've let it all out, they usually feel better. Also, there are people walking the halls usually, so if something gets out of hand, I'm not alone.
Oftentimes, the student uses redirected anger to mask an entirely different issue. One instance could be a reading disability, for example. Communicating with the student, one-on-one, can help flesh out these kinds of problems.
Hi Harrison,
Listening is a must! Most of the time, the student just needs to vent.
Patricia Scales
Hi Orvileta,
Listening is vital when it comes to an angry student. Most of the time just listening will calm the student and make the problem easier to address/resolve.
Patricia Scales
