First listen, then let them know you are concerned with the way they are feeling and ask them how do they think they should handle the situation and ask if you can offer some suggestions.
Time out is always good. I always ask a student to step out in the hallway to cool down. This reduces the tension from increasing in the room. Then after about five minutes or so I then try to talk to them about why they are upset. Listening is also key. In order to find the root of the problem listening and then offering solutions is what I use most.
First thing I do is listen, invite the student to suggest a solution and discuss possible alternatives.
Listening really IS the best thing to do. Sometimes they have a good reason for being upset...
Our situation is a bit different -- the culinary world is similiar to being in the military -- not a lot of touchie-feelie; the attitude is "Get your work done now. If you can't or won't, then you don't need to be here."
The students know this going in, but sometimes we have to remind them WHO they are (professionals) and WHY they're here (passion for cooking and a career), and this this behavior won't be tolerated. Even with so-called "bad" apples, I have never had more than one incident. I also take all of their Professionalism points for the day.
My theory is that they want to know there are boundaries.
It is a tough situation to handle at times depending on the anger level of the student, what the reason behind their anger, and how they express themselves. For me, the best thing is to try to listen to them unless they are being disrespectful. If they cross the line, I tell them we need to pause here and talk about it later. Later, I send them an e-mail explaining what I thought they were upset about and what we can do about it without being accusatory or disrespectful to each other. Once they read the e-mail, they usually understand how they came off when they were angry and that I am willing to help them out as long as they approach me as they should, managing their anger. This has always worked for me. If it hasn't, I told them that this is above us and they can talk to my lead instructor if they have any concerns, so we can all get together and try to fix it later.
I will ask them if their is something I can help them with pertaining to the class. If they feel something happened in class I will listen to their complaint and see if I can find a solution.
I find when comes to managing anyone who's angry, it is alway best to allow them to talk it out and listen first. Sometime that is all they would like is someone to listen to issues.
Hi James,
Listening is key! Listening is magical when it comes to a heated student; listening really cools the heated student off.
Patricia Scales
I very much agree. I'm all for listening to and interacting with the angry student. At the same time, however, having a third party present and/or keeping your own safety in mind is essential.
I have found when dealing with anger it works best for me to take the person aside, listen to the person, talk with them to decide if there are/is anything that i could do to help resolve the situation.. usually this cools them down when the see that someone accually cares enough even to listen.
The managing angry students caught my attention.
My experience has been with female students almost exclusively and not male.The male population is 3% to 5% of the class.
I listen to what they have to say. It may be a misunderstanding. That is easy to fix.
It is when it gets complicated with other issues that are beyound my control and I will bring in my immediate supervisor for suggestions.
I also take the student aside to deal with problems. I find that some issues are made more if they feel they have to show off for thier peers.
Hi Jennifer,
I concur! Listening to an angry student is key. I am sure your dean did not reprimand you; the student was cheating and want to retaliate.
Patricia Scales
You should definitely listen to an angry student and empathize with them. Sometimes it can be a problem when the student does'nt talk to you and goes straight to your dean which is what happened to me. I caught her cheating on a test and held her in after class to talk to her about it. The next day she retaliated and went to my dean. I saw her go into the office so I went in after her and said that I should be involved in the conversation. She started the conversation saying that I played favortism. I really tried not to take it personal that she was going to my boss to get me in "trouble." She was a flood gate of emotion and talked about all the stressers in her life. Our students have so much going on in their lives that they have to deal with that they become angry.
An angry student is one who perceives he or she has not been 'heard'. No matter how often they have stated their case, they continue to believe that no one cares, no one is listening, and no one is prepared to solve the problem.
The key is to listen, allow them first to vent, discuss in detail, how long has this been happening, etc. Once the person is verbally 'spent', now the question is "How can I help?"
Thanks, marie
I had an experience with an angry student that went very well. I listened to the concern of the student without any interuptions on my part. I then told the student that I could understand how they could feel the way they did about the situation and that I appreciated them bringing it to my attention. I then stayed very calm and explained why I would be standing firm on the decision. I
The key is to already have the trust and respect of the student before he becomes angry. If that instructor/student relationship is solid then it is much easier for the instructor to handle the situation. Listening and showing genuine concern will usually solve the situation. Most of the time the students anger is directed at you for something else that may be going on in their life.
I always try and jump on issues as soon as spotted. I will arrange private time to talk to the student and ask them how can I help you. Once this has been established I have noticed that most students will seek out advice because most of the time they are mad because no one is there to pay attention.
Hi Elizabeth,
Listening is key! Sometimes just letting an angry student vent will calm the air.
Patricia Scales
